Due to financial constraints, Kenya has withdrawn from the under-18 Academy Week which starts at Glenwood High School on Monday 01 July. As a result KwaZulu-Natal has been asked to put together a last minute under-18B team to play at this event along. Michaelhouse Director of Rugby and KZN selector Ryno Combrinck has been placed in charge of the task of assembling the team. If things go according to plan, the team set to be finalised today should be comprised of many of the KZN trials finalists who were overlooked for the three provincial representative teams. The province will therefore have three provincial representative teams at Academy Week as the KZN Country Districts team is also part of this youth week.
TEAM:
| # | NAME | SCHOOL | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thinasonke Mgwaba | Glenwood | |
| 2 | Brad Roberts | Michaelhouse | |
| 3 | Muthunzi Moloi | Kearsney | |
| 4 | Njabulo Phewa | George Campbell | |
| 5 | Jason Gouws | Hilton | |
| 6 | McMillan Miller | Glenwood | |
| 7 | Jarred Hayes-Hill | Kearsney | |
| 8 | Rob Baldwin | Hilton | |
| 9 | Ntando Sibiya | George Campbell | |
| 10 | Jordan Koekemoer | Maritzburg College | |
| 11 | Bandile Nzimande | George Campbell | |
| 12 | Lucas Booysen | Maritzburg College | |
| 13 | Mabhutana Peter | DHS | |
| 14 | S Matiwane | Glenwood | |
| 15 | Mark Gunn | Hilton | |
| 16 | Alex Vorster | Westville | |
| 17 | Greg Jackson | Michaelhouse | |
| 18 | S Sibiso | ||
| 19 | Jordan Martin | Westville | |
| 20 | Thomas Walker | Michaelhouse | |
| 21 | Ntlantla Ngubane | George Campbell | |
| 22 | Tyler Smith | Kearsney | |
| 23 | de la Rey | Gelofte |
Delarey Britz is from Gelofte and yes, he is Andre de la Rey’s cousin.
@Amalekite: I believe de la Rey from Gelofte is the cousin of Andre. Can you confirm this?
@beet: It’s a pleasure.
Interesting to see that George Campbell have the most reps. Maybe their players replaced the Glenwood boys after their victory
@Amalekite: Thanks for the team. I have added it to the post.
Really hard to put a team together at the last minute like this and use the precious little time together to make them into a unit with set moves, codes, defensive and partnerships understanding.
Hopefully the boys can go out there to express and enjoy themselves and it all works out well.
@Tarpeys: I’m glad to hear that the Midlands boys are quality players.
The College, Westville and Kearsney boys are also very good. I don’t really know the others. I see that de La Rey, a prop/flanker from Gelofte is not on the list, but he is definitely in the team – very nice player too.
The coach is Michael Schwartz from Michaelhouse.
@Amalekite. Good team this. It can actually get 3 from 3. The Hilton and Michaelhouse boys that are in the side are very good players that will relish the opportunity to play at a provincial week. What will interesting to see is how Greg Jackson holds up because he played prop and flank for 3rds mainly this season, but still a very good player.
Thanks for the post.
Hereunder is the team:
1. T.MGWABA – GLENWOOD
2. B.ROBERTS – MICHAELHOUSE
3. M.MOLLOY – KEARSNEY
4. N.PHEWA – GEORGE CAMPBELL
5. J.GOUWS – HILTON
6. M.MULLER – GLENWOOD
7. J.HAYES-HILL – KEARSNEY
8. R.BALDWIN – HILTON
9. N.SIBIYA – GEORGE CAMPBELL
10. J.KOEKEMOER – MARITZBURG COLLEGE
11. B.NZIMANDE – GEORGE CAMPBELL
12. L.BOOYSEN – MARITZBURG COLLEGE
13. M.PETER – DHS
14. S.MATIWANE – GLENWOOD
15. M.GUNN – HILTON
16. A.VORSTER – WESTVILLE
17. G.JACKSON – MICHAELHOUSE
18. S.SOSIBO –
19. J.MARTIN – WESTVILLE
20. P.WALKER – MICHAELHOUSE
21. N.NGUBANE – GEORGE CAMPBELL
22. SMITH – KEARSNEY
Good luck boys!
I believe we should field a side that represents the demographics of KZN!
Please can someone put the team sheet up – or a list of who we know is in the team. K.T.B.
@Sharkie: Yip, that is a big surprise and not fair. He is a good hard working player who had a great season.
@sharkie: You and me both … wow, surprising!
i cant believe du toit didnt make it at lock
@McCulleys Workshop: nice work McCulleys ;-)
@McCulleys Workshop:
Thanks for the humour – Nice to wake up and have a laugh.
On a more serious note, I have heard that the following Kearsney boys are in the team: Moloi (prop), Smith (centre) and Hayes-Hill (flank).
So far, it looks like a decent team. It’s a pity that quite a few boys are unavailable due to having made other plans.
They will only meet up for the first time at Glenwood on Sunday morning, so their preparation will be minimal.
@McCulleys Workshop: anyway they ended up using the K word, in fact it was KKK, not a stutter, but Kalahari Koos Kombuis, which resulted in a green card. Parents got involved, calling each other names like Trevor and Trevor, a real mess. Long and short of it was they got John Smit in to mediate (and analyse the refs performance) and he ended up firing the 2nd team coach and replacing him with Gumtree, the guy from Kraaifontein.
@Pedantic: well I think they actually beat the Glenwood 1sts in practise, but it was a night game and the 3rds were wearing black jerseys so visibility wasn’t good, and the ref was from Westville, and a female, complicated…
@McCulleys Workshop: Well wouldn’t a Glenwood 3rd team beat most 1sts teams ?
They’ve announced the KZN academy B team – it is entirely made up of the Glenwood 3rds and a few of the Glenwood 2nds that didn’t make CW or Academy A or Country Districts.
Eish Mr Beet. Something a miss!! That soutie Top Tip Tufts. What does he think? He skim he’s a meerkat to visit the Kalahari in July? Not to speak of that pissie called Ploegskaar. Suckers going on Awol before CW.
@Deon: Develop or steal. I was fortunate to have lunch with the management of Samoa during their visit and they will certainly not agree with your statement. I
@RBugger: waiting-not sure.
@Buffel: When is the team going to be announced?
@Tjoppa: unfortunately kearsney coach already taken.
@RBugger: we still have another year of this. crazy.
@Sharkie: A number of the KC boys should make this team for sure – having reflected a bit on the season, Du Toit, Cremer and Smith were all unlucky not to make one of the 2 KZN teams… They should be in this new team… Another underated player is Hayes-Hill at 6
@Buffel: i think it is ridiculous why the trials then. if you look at the 4 final teams that were selected and you take out the injuries then it shouldnt be rocket science as to who should make it
@sharkie: earlier I said that it is going to be interesting as to the make up of the team with a MHS coach on board. I can see his influence already. Let us see the full complement and then we can judge from there.
@sharkie: the farce begins once again. College boys have been informed yet no official team sheet is out.
@sharkie: Don’t forget about the quotas that need to be met
my son is available and he was in the final trials yet he hasnt been contacted just hope that the selection process is fair otherwise it makes a mockery of all the trials to date. How can a kid who wasnt at the trials make it when kids are availabel yet havent been contacted
@Star, a common acquaintance informed me; not sure about the rest. It seems for now that availability is the number 1 criteria because I don’t think Roberts was at the trials as good a player as he is.
Great great kid, his personality alone will benefit the side immensely.
@star: I’ve heard that Martin and Vorster are in from Westville, and that Buthelezi is in the A side due to an injury from one of the players originally selected.
There is also talk of Koekemoer and Booysen from College and perhaps a prop or two.
@ Tarpeys- You seem to be confirming that Roberts has made the team. Any other info to pass on. Yeah he is a great kid and not a bad cricketer either.
I always enjoy seeing Namibia and Zimbabwe (or the Argentinian Pampas XV) playing in some of our domestic leagues (rugby and cricket). Definitely good for the regional game and every now and then we benefit with someone like Tsimba or Beast.
Watch out for Roberts at hooker for this team. Former Dhps boy. Unlucky not make 1st team this year. He’ll surprise a few at the week. Strong, mobile carrier with a good throw. I’m glad okes like him will get provincial colours.
@beet: Still no team sheet Beet?
@Deon: Well said Deon
@Deon: Agreed.
I just “pulled some leg”. It is a pity, actually a shame, that in a sport we all want to see grow, and which has turned into a truly professional game (whether we like it or not), with headhunters everywhere, a Kenyan team could not be sponsored to visit SA. Kenya’s sevens team must be an indicator that a real source of talent is close and accessible. NZ and Aus develop so many islanders????
@Deon: The coaches will definitely have to step up to the challenge. But as they say throw them in the deep end and see if they can swim.
@Deon:
Just enter the Sharks S15 team in stead of Kenya. They wont pose more of a challenge to the other teams than Kenya’s team> After all, one of the aims of the competition is the development of rugby skills.
@NW_Knight: Funny that, plenty of Westville guys at the Dick Muir, Nick Mallet training at Glenwood the past few days, quite a few pics of Keegan Paverd playing…
@NW_Knight:
Imagine the core of the Westviile pack with Goodsen and Hollenstein thrown in for good measure. Maybe it is time to smoke the peace pipe with the Greenies. We can also invite the likes of young Hall to join the Highway brotherhood.
@Buffel: Phone Bog and invite Cherries.
@NW_Knight: not all kearsney boys away. those on scholarships watching dstv.
@Tjoppa: GW 1st and 2nd team are all playing already (and the rest have gone home to PTA for the holidays). KC are either playing or on holiday in Europe somewhere. Westville won’t play because the games are at Glenwood. Doesn’t leave much
@Buffel: Not familiar with situation but with the time constraint to practise and provide jerseys etc. Why not play the no 1 school in Natal combined firsts and seccies with their coaches and management. That team being…….
@sharkie: That is the fairest way but not sure if they will do that.
The right thing to do would be to go to the final trial teams and exclude the boys that made the two sides and pick a side from the next best individuals
@star: agree but the chances of that are o. This would be an ideal opportunity to give the returning boys a run and blood them for next year. It is going to be interesting the influence that the MHS coach has on the selected team.
Pity about the Kenyan team
watched their senior 7’s team on TV – not too shabby at all – beat some of the big names too!
@ Star : I heard from a reliable source that Buthelezi did infact get invited to the final trial at late notice and did play , but just to fill in, in certain spaces, meaning he wasn’t up for selection. So there might be a chance, as I’m sure even though he wasn’t up for selection, the selectors saw him play
@Rugger fan: Most mature comment of all.
I guess at short notice like this, it is also a matter of whether one can get hold of the boys, as I’m sure some have gone away for holidays.
@ Engelsman- I think Beet has intimated that it will be limited to the KZN trial finalists. It would be nice if there was some out of box thinking for a change. Buthlezi scored 5 tries in his last 2 games and the place will most probably go to a retreaded 2nd team player. Already MC and GW have several in the CW/Academy set-up.
Buthelezi, Braithwaite would be good calls.
Hollenstein & Martin are a must!
Wonder if they will give Goodsen a run…
@Beet: I thought you were talking of a player yesterday
hahahhaha