Kearsney’s sixth annual Easter rugby festival (KERF) will take place from Thursday 28 March to Monday 01 April 2013 on Botha’s Hill. The organisers have once again managed to assemble a top quality field including Grey College (Bloemfontein), Paarl Gymnasium and Paul Roos (Stellenbosch) who are regarded as three of the all-time best rugby schools in South Africa. In 2013 Boland Landbou (near Paarl), Framesby (Port Elizabeth) and Outeniqua (George) will make their debuts. Many SBR followers from around the country will follow Outeniqua’s progress with keen interest, as the Kwaggas are expected to mount a huge challenge for national top honours in 2013. Selborne is the only other school apart from the hosts to have attended all five KERF’s previously. The East London school is known for producing big packs of forwards and more often than not they get their desired match results. Nico Malan (Humansdorp) and Dr EG Jansen (Boksburg) are two schools that have made several appearances at KERF in the past and can never be underestimated by opponents. The KwaZulu-Natal contingent consisting of Kearsney, Glenwood and Westville are expecting to field fairly competitive teams in 2013 but amongst this classy festival line-up it will take a massive effort on the part of each one of the three local schools to make it through Easter unbeaten.
Fixtures:
| Day 1 | Thursday 28 March | |
| 08h30 | Primary Schools | |
| 09h30 | Kearsney | Framesby |
| 10h45 | Selborne | Nico Malan |
| 12h00 | Glenwood | Paul Roos |
| 13h15 | Grey College | Boland Landbou |
| 14h30 | Outeniqua | EG Jansen |
| 15h45 | Paarl Gim | Westville |
| Day 2 | Saturday 30 March | |
| 08h30 | Primary Schools | |
| 09h30 | Nico Malan | Boland Landbou |
| 10h45 | Outeniqua | Westville |
| 12h00 | Kearsney | Paarl Gim |
| 13h15 | Glenwood | Selborne |
| 14h30 | EG Jansen | Paul Roos |
| 15h45 | Grey College | Framesby |
| Day 3 | Monday 01 April | |
| 08h30 | Primary Schools | |
| 09h30 | EG Jansen | Nico Malan |
| 10h45 | Framesby | Westville |
| 12h00 | Grey College | Outeniqua |
| 13h15 | Paul Roos | Selborne |
| 14h30 | Paarl Gim | Glenwood |
| 15h45 | Kearsney | Boland Landbou |
| 17h00 | Awards |
[…] heads to the Kearsney Easter Rugby Festival next week were they will play EG Jansen, Westville and Grey College in three must-watch […]
@HORSEFLY NO.1: If anything this has been my concern about DHS in recent times, that the boys just were not well conditioned enough to go the full 70.
@Horsey: Very much doubt anyone in the 1st team will be unfit next year :smile:
@NW_Knight:
from what ive often seen a Northwood props have always been big but are usually very unfit. is this going to be the case again next year?
@Pedantic: U15 Prop will play U16 next year (more than enough available without him). He is looking very good, though.
@Pedantic: yip the same guy is there
i thought the issue was done, i think that it become laughable, when you have a set of rules, endorsed by all and IRB etc etc, and then to keep the numbers and games at schools, you then deviate, for me its all or one , this has been a hot topic for three years now and its no closer to being closed out, is because schools decide under their own set of laws that all the issues arise , not just players , but poaching etc , it needs to be controlled
@Pedantic:
that bug u15 prop is not getting much taller though, height will be a big problem if he were to play 1st side.
with the amount of loose forward talent that glenwood has id be surprised if he were in the squad…
@NW_Knight: I know Wandi Mazibuku and Corne Vermaak started at Glenwood in Grade 8 as I watched them play as U/14`s. Rupert Kay joined at a U/15 level.
@Green Hopper: Please can you clarify re Boksmart because I can only find info regarding players playing U19+. Many schools do not have an U16 age group so what happens to these players.
There are a number of boys from various age groups in this training group, including about 4 from this year’s U15 team.
@Green Hopper: From what I understand a final decision is yet to be made wrt to U16’s in opens next year. The challenge seems to be the smaller schools who don’t field U16 teams?
Is the GW boy the big 8th man?
I know of several U15 players in 1st team training squads at various schools. I’m sure NW would love to have their big U15 prop in 1sts next year.
Would be interesting to know how many of the boys that played 1st team at GW (and other schools) this year, actually started at the school in GR8. Not too many, I’d venture.
@Greenhopper: I think, if any side wants to do well in 2013, they will need a well rounded team. Just having a big pack or a good back line won’t work. I think the playing fields might just be more level next year.
@Grasshopper: I have said all year , too many imports into the GW side , and too many players playing on rep and not ability was the contributing factor to GW performance , or lack thereof, this year, as I have said , and others here, I don’t think we need concern ourselves with the experience of the grade 12 of 2013 , there will be a number of gr 11 I suspect and we are going to see some surprises, so gr 12 that in 2011 as u16 where only in b teams , have improved and if logic prevails , we will see or could see a well balanced team,
we need to consider we don’t have the forwards, or size, but we have some speed, all we need to do is contest the ball, ensure we have speed at the break down, and this is where we really battled all year in 2012 , as I mentioned Kay was not the right option, and we could see him on the fringes come 2013 , if sanity prevails that is.
The back line can be good , but I don’t see any power centres , so they need to move away from crashing the ball in both the backs and the line and being more inventive , the team or core of the team , is the u16 from last 2011 , they have a good history and with a sprinkling of gr10 from this year , could prove to be a handful for most teams, but this all depends on the game plan
@Grasshopper: what we will have is a very strong Open division in 2013 , which is good, i think this is a good thing for the School
i hear that a Glenwood Player whom i ssupposed to be u16 next year is in teh 1st team training squad , i thought Bok Smart was being fully implemented this year
@Grasshopper: i think Glenwood might be under done next year , they will need to recreate a game , plan and hopefully embrace the style that this team had in earlier years
Some mouthwatering crackers here…TJO TJO TJO!!!
@Grasshopper: I think Glenwood tried to provide possible dates later on but Westville’s season was finalised by then. Not the end of the world if the A-teams don’t meet but the schools should try sort something out for their lower teams. There are lots of available opportunities for those Bs,Cs,Ds,Es,Fs to play each other during the 2013 season
@Star and Beet, agreed guys. Star, Glenwood definitely lacked leadership this year and it started with appointing ‘old boy’ Tom as captain. I never like the wing and serial cheater to be captain. Also, Glenwood lacked a quality jumper and our loose forwards were too one dimensional, we needed a genuine fetcher. Flyhalf was also unsettled. Glenwood lost a quality prop, hooker, lock and centre from 2011 that were sorely missed in 2012. Anyway, 2013 is a fresh year and i hope the Trevor’s come to a compromise and the Westville vs Glenwood fixtures resumes..
@star: This is kinda how I feel about Kearsney having to Khubeka for 2013. He had some massive games in midfield and has no obvious successor in that role. KC will have to work around this by probably changing their style of play a bit. I expect KC to be stronger in the positions around 13 tho.
We also tend to forget when looking forward to the next year about the quality that is being lost and the impact that has on the players around them.A classic example is the loss of Tyler Fisher. Westville never really settled on their flyhalf or centre combinations although most had played the year before. It is easy to shuffle the ball to the “man”. But what happens when he is not there.Things get exposed.GW this year were a bit” headless” because they had lost their leadership spine and so it did matter how many “players” were back. They failed to acknowledge the loss and manager it properly.
@Grasshopper: I think its also important to consider perceived weak links. We tend to focus a lot on teams’ strong points/key players, when sometimes the attention really should be on how the fringe players step up and are counted. When the players who are fighting to keep their place in a 1st XV do well, it has the potential to transform an average expectation team into overachievers.
@Boishaaipa, yes agreed. BUT and it’s a big but, a year playing first team in grade 11 does give the player that extra experience at that level, something that cannot be bought. Like in business, you cannot buy experience. Boishaai and the likes are lucky to have 100 plus boys of a similar quality, we in KZN are not that lucky to have that sort of depth…..we are too busy chasing chicks on the beach…
@Grasshopper: I have said it previously and I will repeat it again. Having Gr11’s in your first team means zilch the next year when they are in Gr12. Teams like Boishaai, Grey, Paul Roos, Paarl Gim etc rarely have more than 3 or 4 players “left” over from the previous year as they have strong groups throughout. They seem to do pretty well with their “young” teams every year. Having a bunch of Gr11’s in your first team is no gaurentee for success the next year, it only means you have a weak Gr12 group!
@PaulRoospa, yep all under21 is a young Glenwood side ;-). No seriously, we only have about 3x 2012 1st team starters returning in 2013 so most of the side have no 1st team experience, that said many played in a very strong 2nd, 3rd and 4th sides so have the open age group experience, combined with a good under16 bunch we should be relatively good, but not top 10. Some say the 2nd’s this year would have beaten the 1st if they played a proper competitive game. Paul Roos will want to revenge the 2011 Wildeklawer loss so it’s going to be tough. Lastly, it would be great for WP and the other provinces also to do an age group audit yearly. Some of those kids, especially in that Tygerberg 7’s side looked pretty old too…..
Would have preferred Kearsney to play against Grey Bloem and Paul Roos.
@PaulRoosPa: No tricks here PRP, I only call it as I see it. BL is always capable of one or two upsets per season, but does not have the depth to challenge the big teams consistantly though.
@Ploegskaar: Sorry not falling for that trick, only time will tell.
@PaulRoosPa: Nah, kind words and respect from the WC schools that play BL as always, but if I look at the u/16, 3rd’s and seccies results from 2012, I fear we will be nothing more than just competitive again. The top 5 (GCB, PBH, Affies, PG and PRG) plus Outeniqua will just have to play a par round to be 15-20 points better than 7-40, and although we may cause the odd upset, we lack the depth when injuries strike. BTW, will look for you behind the lens at die Plaas next year and come shake hands.
@Grasshopper: Please define a youthful Glenwood side, younger than 20?
@Ploegskaar: I am not so sure about a GCB win, Boland Landbou is not a side that must be underestimated! You have been warned!
Very exciting, especially considering I will be there to watch it. Grey Bloem vs Outeniqua look the pick of the weekends games. Glenwood will have a very young side but hopefully the youthful exuberance will stead them well and they surprise a few. Kearsney and Westville will be strong too….
@BOG: I thought that experience would have taught you never to underestimate a fellow blogger either, I only take the bait to instigate or carry a thread, that you should have noticed from my blogging record. I make a living from learning what makes people tick, or ticks them off, so don’t worry about the laaitie Tobie, Stephan can fend for himself
@oldschool:
I hope you are right,but my mind does tell me you are wrong. None of the KZN teams have beaten the Paarl schools at age-group level which leads me to believe that it won’t happen next year. If there is one within a chance,its Kearsney.their grade 11s are amazing…
@Ploegskaar: You always take the bait. Wisdom cannot be taught at varsity- it only comes with age. GCB respects any opposition, no matter who.
@beet: Think what it is like for the photographers but at least I don’t have to get up so early in the morning.
Its going to be awesome to see so many of the schools I have never seen but have heard of.
@BOG: At least we will have the honour to play and lose against the mighty GCB, hey?
@GreenBlooded: Like that tag of lesser opponents, although the Paul Roses and Boishaais of this world will probably not apply that to Landbou. Having seen the quality of a few KXN SBR games on telly this season, I wonder what these schools should be classified as then. With all that Old Boy (some still at school) pull, you have an ideal opportunity for a warm-up game against the lesser BL, so make a plan!
@Rugger fan: The lunchtime primary schools games were kind to the die hards who came for the high school games and wanted to get something to chow. Not going to be fun trying to grab a bite between games now. Maybe they should sell drips and potties at KERF. Only joking
@GreenBlooded: They avoid clashes with schools who they have interschools or schools they will meet at WK- Selborne, PRG,Glenwood ect
What happened to Monnas then? Are they playing on the wednesday? The first day should be fun.
@GreenBlooded: Agree – the Primary School dawn patrol really tends to relegate the importance. The lunch time slot was far better to expose the boy i say.
@HORSEFLY NO.1: You May be right , but i disagree , the KERF seems to bring out the best in KC , and both Glenwood and Westville will be very strong sides ….I believe that the KZN teams of next year will be firing , All 3 KZN schools will be stronger than this year and i believe it will be a good oppurtunity for the boys to stick it to the visitors !!!
Would also have liked to have seen Grey College up against more fancied opposition – no disrespect to those schools.
i think the KZN schools will struggle to get victories apart from games vs Framesby and the Glenwood vs Selborne game. otherwise, Paarl schools will dominate us
Any reason why they moved the primary schools fixtures to the dawn patrol slot and who those primary schools are going to be?