Updated
From a reader:
Any rugby lover loves playing selector, we do it every week over the braai with mates, and we all know best, isn’t it true? Based on my experience, following Monnas rugby since the late 1970s, I also want to play “braai-selector”, lol. But I am restricting myself to the following rules:
- I can’t pick a player out of the position he played at school, particularly, u/19.
- It doesn’t matter what happened after school, I will pick only on what I saw at school level
- “Braai-selectors” tend to pick a team based on recent memory (see also the rather recent SA Rugby mag where they picked the best Springbok 15 since readmission). I will do my best to avoid this.
- I am only picking from players that played from 2005 to this year. I can go back further, but, hey, this team needs to play the Michaelhouse team!
- I’m not going to apologise for, or defend any selection
The team is as follows:
| # | NAME | YEAR |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mauritz van Rooyen | 2010, 2011 |
| 2 | Rickus van Niekerk | 2010, 2011 |
| 3 | Julian Redelinghuys | 2006, 2007 |
| 4 | Paul Willemse | 2010 |
| 5 | Ruan Venter | 2009, 2010 |
| 6 | Johan v Deventer | 2005, 2006 |
| 7 | JP le Grange | 2008, 2009 |
| 8 | Ruan Steenkamp | 2010, 2011 |
| 9 | Johan Esterhuizen | 2012, 2013 |
| 10 | Jaco Taute | 2008, 2009 |
| 11 | Herkie Venter | 2004, 2005 |
| 12 | Warren v Rooyen | 2004, 2005 |
| 13 | Bradley Moolman | 2008, 2009 |
| 14 | Ghaliel Markus | 2004, 2005 |
| 15 | Byron Godfrey | 2004, 2005 |
| 16 | Alfred Ries | 2006 |
| 17 | Ruan Dreyer | 2008 |
| 18 | Charl du Plessis | 2005 |
| 19 | Stefan Vermeulen | 2011, 2012 |
| 20 | PJ Uys | 2008 |
| 21 | Hanco Venter | 2010, 2011 |
| 22 | Jaco vd Walt | 2011, 2012 |
| 23 | Burger Odendaal | 2010, 2011 |
Some of these guys were picked ahead of SA schools players during the same period, or some SA schools players were relegated to the bench, but that’s how I see it, i.e. playing SA schools doesn’t necessarily mean you’re the best, and it’s especially not comparable over a decade.
NOT STEALING ANY THUNDER AWAY FROM THE CONTRIBUTION OF OUR KIND READER ABOVE BUT HERE ARE SOME ALTERNATIVES FROM A MONNAS SUPPORTER
| Best Players in position they played at Monnas since 2005 | Best Players that played SA Schools, Academy or u20 since 2005 | Best Players that played senior provincial rugby that matriculated at Monnas since 2005 | |
| 15 | Byron Godfrey | Damien J v Rensburg | Jaco Taute |
| 14 | Ghaliel Markus | Ghaliel Markus | Ghaliel Markus |
| 13 | Bradley Moolman | Jaco Taute | Justin St Jerry |
| 12 | Warren van Rooyen | Marais Schmidt | Burger Odendaal |
| 11 | Hercules Venter | Blake McCuur | (Hercules Venter) |
| 10 | Jaco Taute | Justin Botha | Jaco van der Walt |
| 9 | Andre Esterhuizen | Andre Esterhuizen | Ander Esterhuizen |
| 8 | Ruan Steenkamp | Ruan Steenkamp | Ruan Steenkamp |
| 7 | Johan van Rensburg | PJ Uys | PJ Uys |
| 6 | Johan (Biscuit) van Deventer | Johan (Biscuit) van Deventer | Johan (Biscuit) van Deventer |
| 5 | Paul Willemse | Paul Willemse | Paul Willemse |
| 4 | Ruan Venter | Ruan Venter | Ruan Venter |
| 3 | Julian Redelinghuys | Julian Redelinghuys | Julian Redelinghuys |
| 2 | Alfred Ries | Alfred Ries | (Alfred Ries) |
| 1 | Frans van Wyk | Frans van Wyk | CP du Plessis |
hehe…..sorry, ek se mos ek het dit net vermoed n.a.v insident baie jare later (wat ons net daar laat)…..ons was nou nie baie oorspronklik nie……so Chris Meyer word toe goediglik miskruier gedoop.
1ste dag in sy ingilse klas, heel 1ste woorde…..”Good morning class, please don’t get intoxicated by the exuberance of my verbosity”
Ons gaap hom oopmond aan, soos net ‘n klas van Tzaneeners kan wat engels slegs vir selfverdediging gebruik….
Daardie man het nie net my in rugby afgerig nie, maar ook ‘n liefde vir Shakespeare in my laat posvat….
@Die Ken: Dankie klein Frans, ek wou vanaand vir Vyfster reghelp, maar sien jy dit reeds gedoen. Mnr Grobler was so genoem vandat ek eerste dag in std 6 daar ingestap het. En ek glo nie daar was enige iets anders bedoel as dat hy so netjies was en altyd die beste klere van al die mansonderwysers gehad het nie.
Maar stem saam met Vyfster, Christo Meyer is/was baie goeie persoon en hy en Wollie Strydom het daai 1979 span afgerig so min mense kon.
@Vyfster: Hokaai…Christo Meyer se bynaam was nie Cassanova nie, dit was Frans Grobler se bynaam.
@Die ken(en Vaalpens)….lol Chris Meyer was soos jy se mede-coach van Monnas.
Hy het in 1983 Ben Vorster toe gekom as nuwe onderhoof….en het ons 1stes help afrig in 83 en 84 (juis toe ek 1stes gespeel het)…saam met Tom Locke (onderwyser by BV).
Tom Locke se dogter is vandag met Luke Watson getroud…..ek wonder nogal wat gesels hy alles met sy skoonseun…..en ek weet nie of ek graag vir Cheeky Watson as swaer wil he nie
Mnr Meyer was nie slegte ou nie, hy het vir ons Engels gegee, ek het nogal van hom gehou.
Hy is paar jaar later daar weg om hoof by Bekker te word……ek lees toe van ‘n middernagtelike insident of 2 op hul krieketveld….
Ek vermoed dis dalk hoekom vaalpens na Cassanova verwys…lol… so het ons maar almal ons swakplekkies….dink nog steeds hy is ‘n goeie ou
@Vaalpens: Christo Meyer was die ander coach. Wollie se laaitie was Wiaan (TVL CW slot). Jip, daar’s 2 van ons. Daai Pallas het hom baie kak gegee!!!
@Die Ken: Ja, dink as Conradie heeltyd gespeel het was dit ander storie. Frank het my nooit afgerig maar Casanova wel. Ek kon nie dink wie die afrigter was, behalwe Wollie Strydom (wat se seun in 1984 1ste span slot was), want ek het nie geweet Mnr Grobler het ‘n seun nie. Sal sy mooi blou Citroen Pallas nooit vergeet. Dink nie mens kry meer sulke onderwysers….
@Vaalpens: Jip en in1979 gewen. Daai deel saam met Affies was eintlik n teleurstelling – die vroee besering v Conradie het nie gehelp nie.
Nou onthou ek, was daar nie ook n jaar waar die Wesrand-finaal tussen die Wit Bulle en die Kwaggas sou plaasvind nie (iewers lui so n klokkie)? Dan het my pa (en oom Frank) jou defnitief afgerig – Frans Grobler.
@Die Ken: Ja was jare van Danie Herbst. Danie was in 1980 in matriek. Monnas Adminbeker toe gedeel met Hugenote Springs (op Pam Brink stadion). Ook baie goeie span. Dan was 1984 toe Monnas beker met Affies gedeel het ook besonder goed.
Ja ek het gespeel al 5 jaar, maar nie 1ste span in matriek. Paar Cravenweek ouens van vorige jaar teruggekom skool toe o.a. Maar Monnas 2de span het in liga gespeel as nog ‘n 1ste span….
Re the alt team, just a few comments on where we differ. a) Ries and Rickus are like choosing between Dalton and Chris Rossouw, different kind of players and I guess it depends what you want in a hooker. b) Frans vs Mouritz, I cant fault choosing Frans – watched him from u/14 and he’s always been a men amongst boys. c) Johan vs JP – I always thought Johan was a better openside than 7 and one looses a line-out option and ball carier, but hey, the Aussies have shown that two fetchers can work, so who am I to disagree?
@beet: there are some good names in the “updated” list too
@Vaalpens: Dit was die jare van Danie Herbst. As jy in 1981 in matriek was, en rugby gespeel het, het my pa jou moontlik afgerig…klein wereld
Methinks the team/s better be placed and recorded sooner than later as legitimacy is waning.
@Vaalpens: I’m grad you commented here as I have the Monnas team of a VIP who I cannot name but must post as part of the thread.
Very good team, although I must admit that I did not always saw the team play during this period.
Can think of a lot of names from 1975 onwards until about 1990 and then last few years again. What always amazed me was that Monnas had so many players in the Craven Week teams over the years and very few of the boys actually went much further.
Take the 1979 team (when I was in std 8/grade 10). I think there were 10 or more in the CW team and another 3 or 4 in the Vyftiental. They were an absolutely amazing team, winning the Adminbeker against Pietersburg (Adolf Malan playing) and on the way to the final walked over many other teams. But only one (Leon Piek, rightwing) played snr provincial rugby later.
Can name many similar examples. Remains a great school and I hope they take the Beeld this year.
Ernst Beumer word hoog aangeslaan op binnesenter,hy het geen rugby vanjaar gespeel agv kruis ligamente geskeur in die 1ste wedstryd teen EG jansen vanjaar,hy is in graad 12 en en reeds deur lions gekontrakteer,blykbaar is hy erg gemis vanjaar in die monnas span, om die braaivleis vuur vgl hulle sou hy jou span gehaal het.
@Die Ken: Pity – that knee never seemed quite right after the U20 WC. He had the potential to go far.
@meadows: Lions leant him to Pumas, and then he moved to Leopards from there…too many injuries, I guess
What has happened to Ruan Venter? In my opinion he was the most promising of the group of young locks in the Lions junior structures a few years back when he was there with Paul Willemse, Ruan Botha and Etienne Oosthuizen. If my memory is correct he had a bad knee injury playing for the SA U20 side.
@Mielieboer: Hanco speel tans vir die Luiperds ( hy is geleen van die Sharks af) en Rikus is nog by die Leeus.
Glo my daar gaan nog ‘n paar groot spelers uit Monnas kom! Hou maar vir PJ Jacobs. Luke Rossouw dop!!!
Wat het van Rikus van niekerk en Hanco venter geword
@meadows: also, and I just remembered it now. Re Whestley, his pass wasnt that great, actually in 2008, the kwaggas scrummie, Eier Meyer, had such a better pass than we he came on as a sub, the fly had much more time on his hands.
@Die Ken: Agree on Nico Kruger – guess that you are spoilt for choice.
@meadows: ja but then Nico Kruger was just as bloody good. I’m sticking with Hanco and Essie. Nice strong tight 5, but Biscuit and Stoney for groundplay and le Grange for ball carrying and lenght at back. I like to pick the mongrels like Stoney, Ruan, Mouritz, Rickus and JP. with loads of flair, skill and pace at back. Oh well, like I told Beet, its for fun
Whew – there is a lot of beef in that tight 5
They would probably have outweighed the Bok’s while still u18!
In line with my comment on the Michaelhouse “team” it is easy to forget how good players like Ruan Venter and Biscuit van Deventer were at schoolboy level.
Thought that you might have gone with Whestley Moolman as a schoolboy scrummie?