Originally compiled by Bloktrui
| # | SCHOOL | R365 | SBRBlog | SA R HUB | NextGen XV | Ruggas | SASS | AGG. | SITES | CONSENSUS |
| 1 | Stellenberg | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 6 | 1.50 |
| 2 | Paarl Gim | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 11 | 6 | 1.83 |
| 3 | Paul Roos | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 16 | 6 | 2.67 |
| 4 | Garsfontein | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 25 | 6 | 4.17 |
| 5 | Grey College | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 29 | 6 | 4.83 |
| 6 | Affies | 6 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 37 | 6 | 6.17 |
| 7 | Paarl BH | 7 | 6 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 46 | 6 | 7.67 |
| 8 | Oakdale | 8 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 11 | 51 | 6 | 8.50 |
| 9 | Hilton | 9 | 12 | 8 | 7 | 10 | 9 | 55 | 6 | 9.17 |
| 10 | Monument | 10 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 8 | 12 | 64 | 6 | 10.67 |
| 11 | Waterkloof | 11 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 20 | 70 | 6 | 11.67 |
| 12 | Outeniqua | 12 | 10 | 16 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 75 | 6 | 12.50 |
| 13 | Maritzburg Coll | 13 | 14 | 11 | 15 | 15 | 10 | 78 | 6 | 13.00 |
| 14 | Northwood | 14 | 13 | 13 | 19 | 13 | 8 | 80 | 6 | 13.33 |
| 15 | Durban HS | 15 | 15 | 17 | 20 | 18 | 16 | 101 | 6 | 16.83 |
| 16 | Michaelhouse | 17 | 17 | 24 | 17 | 17 | 15 | 107 | 6 | 17.83 |
| 17 | Westville | 16 | 16 | 20 | 18 | 23 | 17 | 110 | 6 | 18.33 |
| 17 | Jeppe | 18 | 22 | 14 | 13 | 19 | 24 | 110 | 6 | 18.33 |
| 19 | Rondebosch | 23 | 23 | 19 | 27 | 14 | 14 | 120 | 6 | 20.00 |
| 20 | Wynberg | 22 | 25 | 15 | 21 | 16 | 26 | 125 | 6 | 20.83 |
| 21 | Helpmekaar | 19 | 20 | 23 | 24 | 20 | 21 | 127 | 6 | 21.17 |
| 22 | Durbanville | 20 | 18 | 18 | 22 | 25 | 27 | 130 | 6 | 21.67 |
| 22 | Grey HS | 24 | 24 | 21 | 14 | 24 | 23 | 130 | 6 | 21.67 |
| 24 | Kearsney | 25 | 21 | 22 | 25 | 26 | 18 | 137 | 6 | 22.83 |
| 25 | Drostdy | 21 | 19 | 29 | 16 | 29 | 25 | 139 | 6 | 23.17 |
| 26 | Menlopark | 26 | 27 | 25 | 23 | 27 | 22 | 150 | 6 | 25.00 |
| 27 | Graeme | 27 | 28 | 27 | 29 | 33 | 19 | 163 | 6 | 27.17 |
| 28 | Boland Landbou | 32 | 29 | 26 | 26 | 21 | 30 | 164 | 6 | 27.33 |
| 29 | Noordheuwel | 28 | 31 | 33 | 30 | 22 | 36 | 180 | 6 | 30.00 |
| 30 | SACS | 31 | 30 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 28 | 182 | 6 | 30.33 |
| 31 | Diamantveld | 30 | 26 | 34 | 33 | 37 | 31 | 191 | 6 | 31.83 |
| 32 | Zwartkop | 29 | 32 | 30 | 43 | 30 | 34 | 198 | 6 | 33.00 |
| 33 | KES | 35 | 36 | 39 | 37 | 28 | 29 | 204 | 6 | 34.00 |
| 34 | Kingswood | 33 | 33 | 36 | 35 | 41 | 33 | 211 | 6 | 35.17 |
| 35 | Pretoria BH | 43 | 40 | 28 | 34 | 34 | 35 | 214 | 6 | 35.67 |
| 36 | Nelspruit | 36 | 38 | 32 | 28 | 32 | X | 217 | 6 | 36.17 |
| 37 | Rustenburg | 37 | 34 | 41 | 36 | 38 | 32 | 218 | 6 | 36.33 |
| 38 | Dale | 34 | 35 | X | 32 | 45 | 39 | 236 | 6 | 39.33 |
| 38 | Bishops | 40 | 39 | 35 | 40 | 39 | 43 | 236 | 6 | 39.33 |
| 40 | Nico Malan | 38 | 37 | 40 | 41 | 36 | X | 243 | 6 | 40.50 |
| 41 | Pearson | 44 | 45 | 38 | 39 | 43 | 42 | 251 | 6 | 41.83 |
| 42 | Queen’s | 42 | 47 | 44 | 42 | 40 | 46 | 261 | 6 | 43.50 |
| 43 | Glenwood | 47 | 46 | 37 | 38 | 46 | X | 265 | 6 | 44.17 |
| 44 | Parel Vallei | 39 | 41 | 46 | 49 | X | X | 277 | 6 | 46.17 |
| 45 | St Andrew’s | X | X | 45 | 48 | 35 | X | 281 | 6 | 46.83 |
| 46 | Middelburg | 46 | X | X | 46 | 42 | 47 | 283 | 6 | 47.17 |
| 47 | Kempton Park | 41 | X | X | X | 48 | 44 | 286 | 6 | 47.67 |
| 47 | Pietersburg | 48 | X | 49 | X | 50 | 37 | 286 | 6 | 47.67 |
| 47 | St John’s | X | X | 42 | X | X | 40 | 286 | 6 | 47.67 |
| 50 | EG Jansen | 49 | 44 | 48 | X | 44 | X | 287 | 6 | 47.83 |
I’m not going to say Hilton don’t deserve there current spot, but I will say schools rugby has become really competitive without much to choose between the sides. I could reasonably see Rondebosch, Grey High, Wynberg and Drostdy knocking over Hilton.
I actually think these would all be great games. Years ago Hilton, Jeppe, Maritzburg College, etc. used to attend the Wynberg rugby festival. It’s a shame the festival seems to be watered down these days, as those could be really good matchups.
@Snelvuur (Comment #27)
We’re simply going in circles now, so let’s just agree to disagree. Five out of the six rankers have Hilton in the top 10…and that seems about right to me…at the mo!
@Snelvuur (Comment #27)
Well said!
@Vleis (Comment #24)
Not at all criticising Hilton for sticking to their fixture list – they are perfectly entitled to do so. I’m just saying that they shouldn’t be ranked so highly based on that fixture list. It’s like getting 60% for Maths vs 100% for Maths Lit – each to their own, but I know which one I rate more highly.
@agter_die_pale_pa (Comment #25)
Exactly.
@Vleis (Comment #24)
Don’t think informal, “for-the-fun-of-it” rugby rankings plays a big role when a family decides on Hilton College. Why should they change their ways just to try and prove a point?
@vonke_44 (Comment #22)
Agreed, well summed up!
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Some people do not realise that Hilton’s weaker schedule is indeed penalising them – e.g. despite having won all eight games, they’re ranked two spots below a team that has won only half (!!) of their eight games. Also, if Hilton slips up against one of the tough opponents still to play (e.g. MC, MHS, etc), they’ll probably drop quite a bit. Clearly, the team ranked two above them has not dropped much despite losing so many games already…and I’m not having a go at HJS, I’m just pointing out that Hilton has been penalised.
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It seems like some schools just can’t win on this blog – e.g. if they professionalise their program (like Garsies), the old establishment criticise them, but if they stick to their 100 year-old local fixture list, they’re criticised by the same people for not professionalising their program!
@vonke_44 (Comment #22)
Good call
@buitestaander (Comment #21)
I don’t think it’s a thing of them actively trying to “avoid the best”. I think they’re probably just content playing all of their traditional KZN rivals, a couple inter-provincial derbies against PBHS/Bishops and attending an Easter Festival. While I agree that they may not quite be a top 10 team and are maybe in that 11-18 range as others have said, I also respect them for not abandoning their traditional fixture list in search of potentially tougher opposition (goes without saying that the KZN league has been very tough/competitive these last few years). All that being said, I think I would back Hilton to beat any of the teams ranked below them except Monument. Match vs Maritzburg College will be telling.
If you do not measure yourself against the best, you can not be regarded as one of the best. Hilton may have a good side, but untested. Most of the top ten ranked schools, play on a regular basis against almost all the other top sides. That is a completely different challenge. The question remains: why does Hilton avoid playing the best?
I speculate that Monument, Waterkloof, Outeniqua and Maritzburg College are better teams than Hilton, or at worst evens. Not dissing Hilton by saying they are most likely in the 11 -18 range, position depending if they beat Maritzburg College….
I would put them on par with Rondebosch and Wynberg.
That said, I feel their rugby programme is not trying to be a Garsfontein or a Paarl BH, which is why they are content to play their current opponents, and I’m sure they know they are a Top 20 team.
@Laeveld Renoster (Comment #17)
Outeniqua’s best win is over Maritzburg College (ranked 13th). They also drew against Waterkloof (ranked 11th) and lost very narrowly against HJS (ranked 7th). Hilton’s best wins are against Michaelhouse and Westville (16th and 17th).
@Laeveld Renoster (Comment #15)
Not my rankings, not my formula, so I am not going to speculate. Again, not saying Nudgee is not a good team, but until Nudgee have beaten a least 5 teams in the top 10, they haven’t, so you cannot say that. You cannot speculate the truth. What if Nudgee played the top 10 and their only win was Grey. What then? Hilton is not a bad team, it just doesn’t make sense to justify their rankings the last 10 years while they have not played regular top teams. Beating someone in a once off is easier than beating top tier teams on a regular basis. Not that the once off is not important, it is, it’s just not a good way to compare. Hilton have not played top 10 teams enough and then proceeding to beat the top 10 teams enough/at all to justify being a top 10 team. That does not mean they are not good, just that their yardstick is not the same as the rest. example: Maritzburg have played Stellenberg and Outeniqua and will play Affies. That is 2 top 6 schools at current rankings, Hilton will not have played anyone higher than Maritzburg at 13. But they are now 9. The rankings have more weight if you lose to top opposition that not playing top opposition at all. That is why some teams while losing badly to top 5 schools still rank high. They at least measure themselfs agiants the top teams. Rankings are obviously not an exact science. that is also why there are so many. But saying you are one of the top teams and then not playing any top teams feels hollow.
@Snelvuur (Comment #16)
Don’t Outeniqua deserve a top 10 after the smashing from Affies.
@Laeveld Renoster (Comment #13) At least with Outeniqua I know that they went to Brugstraat in Paarl and lost against HJS on the last play of the game. So there is a reference point against a bona fide top 10 team. I have no such reference point for Hilton because they don’t play any of those schools.
@OudAffie (Comment #14) Okay but then to put your argument to rest…..who would you rather have in the TOP 10 than Hilton and don’t tell me Waterkloof or Outeniqua…..because Kloof only played Affies and Garsfontein and lost both….and Outeniqua only played Boishaai and Affies and got smashed by AHS and lost to Boishaai……and Nudgee will beat at least 5 teams in the top 10. Hilton is still unbeaten without wins against any Mickey Mouse teams either. And Hilton have beaten Michaelhouse who won against Affies.
@Laeveld Renoster (Comment #13) Deserve and prove are 2 different things. I am not disputing that they are probably a good team, but by not playing better opposition on a regular basis, they cannot argue that they deserve anything. You may be correct regarding Waterkloof and Outeniqua, but those schools at least play top 10 opposition so we know where they are. We can only speculate regarding Hilton. Fact is Hilton does not play regular top 10 teams, and KZN schools are most years not top 15. So having a unbeaten seasons surely does not carry the same weight when national rankings are being discusses.
@OudAffie (Comment #9)
This Hilton side most certainly deserve a TOP 10 spot…..Don’t think Waterkloof or Outeniqua would beat them…..next schools from outside KZN schools in the rankings
@Vleis (Comment #10) Do you think Hilton would lose narrowly against Affies at altitude and lose by 10 against Grey in Bloem as HJS had done? Completely different kettle of fish to Nelspruit, Heidelberg and Glenwood…
@Vleis (Comment #5) I’m not saying previous years’ performance should have a bearing on their ranking this year. I’m saying that they don’t play top schools and when they have played top schools in the past, they have been found out badly. I’m not sure about Nudgee being an “effective” top 5 school based on one result against a Grey team playing its third game in a week. By that same token, one could make the argument that Nudgee should be judged to be a much poorer team because they lost against Hilton two days after beating Grey. In any event, that result cannot be taken into account on any mathematically based ranking because Nudgee doesn’t have “ranking points” in SA so you can’t assess their relative strength (which you need to quantify the value of a win to determine if a team moves up or down on the rankings). Hilton had narrow wins against Westville and Michaelhouse – both arguably top 20. Their game against DHS was cancelled. The rest of their games were wins against Middelburg, Heidelberg, Nelspruit, Bishops and Glenwood. Their only remaining games are against Pretoria Boys, Maritzburg College, Northwood, Kearsney and Michaelhouse. Sorry, but with that fixture list you simply cannot be top 10: at best Hilton would have played four top 20 schools (Northwood, Maritzburg College, Michaelhouse and Westville). Monnas – ranked below them – play at least three top 10 sides this year – Grey, Paul Roos, Garsfontein – and comfortably beat DHS.
@OudAffie (Comment #9) Your argument, like buitestaander’s, is disingenuous, as Zim’s (and Charlies’) opposition is not a fair comparison. Charlie’s toughest win (by one point) was against Oakdale’s 2nd team, when the 1st team was only ranked at 15….and let’s not even start to analyse Zim’s oppo. Hilton, on the other hand, has played some reasonably decent opposition, but because not many are in the top 10, Hilton only gets #9, despite being unbeaten. Indeed, HJS has not beaten a single top 10 school…and has lost quite a few games…and yet, they are at 7!
@Vleis (Comment #8) Although that Nudgee win is very impressive, and taking into account Hilton is much stronger these days than days prior. THAT 1 win surely cannot justify them as a top 10 school as Hilton does not this year or in most years the last decade play any of the top schools. Sure they are most certainly a strong 1st team, but how do you measure it if they dont play the top schools. Then at best you go on once off games and wins here and there and that doen’t say much. IE Michealhouse beat Affies this year, most deservingly, (I always give prays to the winning team), but I am strongly going to disagree if anyone wants to tell me Michaelhouse is then a top 5 team because of the 1 result. Same with Hilton, except Hilton have not been playing regular top 10 schools for the better part of the last 10 years. Best in KZN, probably not in the top 10 in SA. When Glenwood where strong they played outside of KZN and had regular wins agiants big teams, thus you can judge them better, same with Maritzburg. For the rest of KZN teams its really difficult justifying a top 10 team if they are having a good season in KZN alone. Hilton is obviously strong, but having once off wins wont convince most people. Zimbabwe National team are on a 16 match winning streak, on the brink of a world record. – news for them, it would be great but would mean little compared to the tier 1 teams that have won 17 or 18 matches in a row. They will still end up dead last in next years World Cup. My point being that although Hilton is probably strong and have been for a few years, without regular top wins who is going to believe them, once off wins show something yes, but you cannot place a whole seasons worth of results on 1 exceptional game. The B student who has a once of A in maths surely cannot be named Dux for the year.
@buitestaander (Comment #7)
So…you are steadfastly ignoring the win over Nudgee?
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Also, the comparison with Charlies is a bit disingenuous.
We can debate this matter over and over again. Fact remains, without a single top 10 win, you do not deserve to be ranked amongst the ten strongest schools in SA. Last year Charlie Hofmeyer was unbeaten, but surely they were not an even a top 20 school. Surely we do not want schools to avoid strong opposition in order to remain unbeaten. That is only fooling yourself.
This shows, Rugby365 RAKINGS are the most accurate at the moment…
@Snelvuur (Comment #4) Your comment is a non sequitur, as Hilton’s prior year performances are irrelevant for this year’s rankings. If we were using prior year performances as an input, Stellenberg would not be at #1.
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Hilton has beaten a few top 20 schools and an “effective” top 5 school and annihilated the school at 32…plus they remain unbeaten….so I think that they deserve their spot at # 9. However, it’s still relatively early days…so let’s see how they do against the other top 20 KZN schools over the rest of the season.
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PS Hilton’s biggest rival (who they beat last week) conquered Affies this season.
@Vleis (Comment #3)
When is the last time (if ever) Hilton beat PRG, HJS, Affies, Gim, Grey or even Monnas, Garsfontein or Oakdale? In my matric year we put 60 on them…
@buitestaander (Comment #1) Hilton has played and beaten an “effective” top 10 school – i.e. Nudgee College from Australia. Remember that Nudgee beat GCB a few days earlier, so let’s be thankful that Hilton saved South Africa’s blushes.
@buitestaander (Comment #1)
Hilton is altyd vir my ook ‘n uitskieter en presies jou punt, hulle speel feitlik NOOIT top 10 spanne nie. Hulle is tans ook die enigste ONOORWONNE span in die top 20 lys…dit laat mens dink en wonder.
How is it possible to have Hilton ranked at nr 9 without playing any of the schools ranked 1 to 12?
At the end of the season, when the final rankings are done, any school who have not played at least two games against the schools ranked 1 to 10, should not be considered for the top 10. Except for the quality of opposition they have played, the mere physical and emotional impact of playing seven or eight of the top 10 schools in the same season, can not be over emphasised.