Fixtures for Thursday 28 June:
09:30am: Free State 34 Zimbabwe 0
10:20am: Namibia 10 Pumas 7
11:10am: Border Country Districts 19 Golden Lions 5
12:00pm: Border 5 Leopards 24
12:50pm: Griffons 22 Limpopo 0
01:40pm: Boland 22 Eastern Province 12
02:30pm: Griquas 11 KwaZulu Natal 5
03:20pm: Blue Bulls 28 South Western Districts 5
04:10pm: Valke 0 Western Province 17
Saw Hall running and kicking yesterday and he was looking fully recovered. I think he’s going to be missed.
Selection in KZN has always had it’s problems due to school masters being the selectors. Coulsen didnt make any side but then is called up. What does that say about the original selection? Reegan Smith gets asked to join the side in front of players who made the final trial when he did not. What does that say?
@ Horsefly: While the front rowers you mentioned who you feel are average. Like the College props, you may find they selected because of their scruming. The Westville boy who’s a reserve can cover all 3 positions, as well as the Glenwood boy who you feel is below average. You’ll find most of the squad can cover more than 1 position, therefore being selected ahead of those who can only cover one position
@griffon
I have. Seen every single one of these front rankers play and visser for me along with Philaretou from DHS were very good this season while the selected front rankers are quite average apart from the Westville boy and the starting hooker.
The. GW front ranker is verrrryyyyy average and small and was outscrummed badly when they played DHS. He was probably chosen because of the quotas system.
@ Pedantic: Maybe 1 player from the front rowers may not deserve to be there. But the chose front row and reserves are good players. Once again I’d like to raise the fact that, certain players who many feel deserve to be there may have not performed.
@HORSEFLY NO.1: Visser wasn’t the only unlucky front row player … look at the final selections and the picture is clear as daylight.
@pedantic
Ok but Rich did trial and was infact chosen for the last round. He must have changed his mind then. And what aabout Visser? Not. Good enoughh or what?
@HORSEFLY NO.1: Rich was not available for selection due the USA tour, Tedder not available due to the UK tour. Hall was a shock omission for me, but he was injured around the time of the trials which probably blew his chances.
@ griffon
yes the team is strong but is not the strongest that KZN has to offer.
also, i know that they are the top 3 teams but doesnt mean they have 20 of the top 22 players in KZN. take the backline, for instance, and you will find that 6/7 starting positions in it are from Glenwood. their u16 backline is not that strong mate, they were fire in u14 but have gone downhill since.
@ Horsefly: I think the u16 team is a fairly strong team, I agree that maybe 1 or 2 boys deserve to be there, but some of the others who you mentioned, although good, might have not performed at trials. To say that its not fair that most of team consists of 3 schools, is kinda harsh, considering that these are the top 3 teams in KZN.
kids like Rich, Hall, Visser from kearsney and Faber,Walker from Michaelhouse! also Buthelezi from DHS whom even the Westville coach felt should have made it.
KZN has some of the best talent but its just not being used accordingly or even selected .
@ NW Knight
i think thats why these U13A boys fade at High School and the U13B players are the one who shine most. i was recently tole that theres a massive size difference between kzn u13a and b which tells you the team was definitely chosen by size. when they get to High School the B side players will develop and will be better as they will then have both size and skill and the A side boys will be left sitting in the B teams.
i think its why Kearsney never really challenge for no.1 in KZN even though they almost always get the most KZN U13A lads.
@Horsie, many of the Kearsney boys chose their choir and cricket trips ahead of rugby selection so I don’t believe went to trials. The Tedder kid is on the cricket tour. The ‘stars’ at Kearsey Khubeka and the Doops made it. Tell us who you think was unlucky?
@ all black
Are you telling me someone else chose 9 Prep boys in 2009?? Either way, the team. Hasn’t fared better.
@hopper
Its not about the DHS boys but others like Kearsney, Michaelhouse etc. Kearsney aren’t. A great team but have some outstanding individuals there! Team not spot on IMO but 90% there. The other 10 can make big difference.
@Grasshopper: At Under 18 level there is already a country districts squad – nor more Academy B, it is now an U18 CD – Michaelhouse and Hilton are excluded from the CD though.
@NW, I think there will always be debate about selection as it involves opinions. Look at the bok level, you hardly get consensus on selections. In KZN maybe 4 or 5 boys can consider themselves unlucky eg Reegan Smith, Leroux Van Zyl, Paverd, Mxoli, Eibig, McHardy etc. I think McHardy and Paverd are grade 11 so will get their chance. Unfortunately quota’s do still apply so that makes it even harder. I think the KZN U18 side is pretty good and selelcted mostly on form. A few have been selected on reputation but as they say form is temporary class is permanent and they have the experience. The Under16’s are not bad and I think will surprise a few. This also happens in other provinces where there is a much bigger uproar over selections. Take WP as an example, many from the Cape Town schools believe the Paarl/Stellenbosch schools get a bigger representation than they do due to both coaches coming from Paarl. Usually this is justified but this year maybe not so as Wynberg came very close to beating Paarl Gim and they have no players in the CW squad, mad! Bishops is very weak this year but SACS and Rondebosch are not too bad, again these 3 schools have none in the CW squad. The CW squad is made up of mostly Paarl Gim, Paarl Boys and Paul Roos players which may warrant another team for WP, maybe WP Country Districts and WP Coastal. This could apply in KZN too but may dilute our talent. KZN Country and Districts could be Michaelhouse, College, Hilton, Voortekker, Alex, Carter, Wartburg etc and KZN Coastal could be Glenwood, Kearsney, Westville, DHS, Northwood, Port Natal, George Campbell etc. That way more players would get exposure….just a thought…
Unfortunately, all the selections are a bit of a joke. While I have no doubt that at least 60% of the U13, U16 and U18 team deserves to be there, I cannot agree that it is spot on.
There are some really dubious selections in the U13, where size triumphs over skill in most cases (unfortunately, these boys come up against bigger boys at CW and then their lack of skill shows). There were a number of boys at both the North Durban and KZN trials that should have been selected ahead of some of the guys who made U12 last year, but …
U16 trials were a little better, but again a number of dodgy selections. Don’t expect anything from this side (they will lose at least 2 thirds of their games). And yes – DHS have undoubtedly the star player of the team, but there were some from other schools who should have been selected.
U18’s pretty much the same, although I think they’ll fair better than the rest. There were some players at trials that definitely should have made the side. Again, no neutral selectors. Will say that this team is probably 90% correct and should do OK (as long as they don’t catch the bus).
@Grasshopper: I wouldn’t say spot on .. close though. There were several unlucky players, but you have that in any provincial team selection, especially when the 11/11 split is enforced.
@Horsie, regarding the Under16 side, Westville and College are tied top and Glenwood a very close 3rd, so the team selected would indicate this strength. DHS do have a player there, a brilliant one at that from what I have heard from my dad, who may I remind you is a DHS Old Boy. He reckons the team selected is spot on and that DHS should not have any grievances. As in 2 years from now DHS should have most of the GK reps…
Horsefly: Yes it is. The current coaches from DPHS have not coached the KZN side before. Are you willing to take a bet on this?????
@HORSEFLY NO.1: If it makes you feel any better, IMO the DHS boy in the GK side is probably the best U16 player in the province – just hope his coaches look after him, he can’t play front row, loosie, flyhalf, centre and fullback all in one season, it won’t do his development any good.
All black
Its not their 1st year coaching the side.
Yah U16 is bad. Gk starts tomorrow and we will see whether the 8 Gw, 6 MC and 6 WBHs boys all belong! 20/22 from these 3 schools! Haha, what a joke!
KZN wnt down 17-5 against EP in their final game.
Selections will always be poor whilst you have school masters punting for their own boys. U16 and U18 worse than ever.
@HORSEFLY NO.1: Last few years the head coach was from Westville SP, so I think the poor form has more to do with selections and less to do with coaching.
Geez Fly. That is a bit harsh. This is their first year as coaches.
Wonder why the KZN side never excels here!??!
Oh wait, I know, both coaches are the DPHS coaches
Ok got it wrong. Valke play Griquas. Fair enough.
09.00: Border vs Limpopo
09.00: Zimbabwe vs Pumas
09.50: KwaZulu-Natal vs Eastern Province
09.50: Namibia vs Border Country Districts
10.40: Griffons vs Leopards
10.40: Free State vs Golden Lions
11.30: Boland vs South Western Districts
12.20: Griquas vs Valke
13.10: Western Province vs Blue Bulls
From the results it would seem that it will be a WP vs Bulls final and Griquas vs Boland for 3rd and 4th. Boland lost by 1 point in their only loss. The rest all lost 2 or more. Have the fixtures come out yet?
Griquas also unbeaten.
Would appear that wp and blue bulls are the strength teams here, griquas also doing nicely. Would appear that the sharks are a bit weak