Grey High School’s recent 71-8 and 10-7 wins against Nico Malan and Michaelhouse respectively have come at a huge price in the end. Ahead of a busy period involving much traveling, Grey have lost the services of key EP Craven Week players Johan van Niekerk (captain/flank), Lamond Bouwer (no.8), Junior Pokomela (lock) and Dylan Vermaak (wing) to injuries that look set to rule them out of action for an extended period. Big tighthead prop Keegan Branford is also on the injury list at present.
Grey will travel to Stellenbosch for a high profile televised game against Paul Roos on 12 April, followed shortly thereafter by an Easter Festival tour to KES in Johannesburg and rounded off by two appearances at the Wildeklawer Skouspel in Kimberley. That’s a total of 6 games in 4 weeks.
There is more to Grey rugby than ranking but this was predicted to be a season during which they would challenge for a national top 5 finish. Without the injured star players, Grey will do well to get good results during these next few weeks. Their fixture list is undoubtedly one of the toughest schedules in the country. Here is the list of the next six games that their star players are likely to miss:
Paul Roos – Premier Interschools
Menlopark – KES Festival
Marlow – KES Festival
Rondebosch – KES Festival
Waterkloof – Wildeklawer
EG Jansen – Wildeklawer
@BuffelsCM: Ja, dit is ‘n groot terugslag vir hom en Boishaai. Hoop hy herstel ten volle.
@PRondersteuner: Hy is uit met kruisligamente vir die jaar. Ek verstaan dat hy bly sit / lê het by die Nuweland-rugbymiddag / aand en daarna weer verder gespeel het voordat hy finaal afgekom het. Dit is ‘n reuse-slag vir sy skool en vir die WP. Ek is feitlik seker daarvan dat hy ook W.P-kaptein sou wees. Hy sou ook hard aan die deur geklop het vir hoër louere.
Die ergste van alles is dat hy onlangs eers weer begin speel het na ‘n skouerbesering.
BoishaaiPa, Ek hoor julle het ook beserings. Is dit waar dat Ruan Brits uit is vir die jaar?
@Deon Pitzer: Sien jou daar.
@PaarlBok: Ek gaan die hokkie bywoon, maar kan nie die rugby maak nie. Voorspoed.
@Deon Pitzer: Dankie Deon. Jammer die Grey Osfontein stryd is nog so ver. 8) Wat die hokkie aan betref is Grey PE n groot uitdaging maar een wat ons na uitsien.
@BOG: Ek wil nie afbreek doen aan seuns/dogterskole nie, maar daar is darem net iets “metafisies” aan ‘n seunsskool.
@PaarlBok: Welkom tot die brotherhood PaarlBok. Semper Slendidior vir jou seun se toekoms.
@Woltrui: Thanks I got the full 1st and 2nd teams now.
@PaarlBok: Lyk my jy het n bloedoortapping gehad om dit so vinnig te laat verander. Nie meer probleme met seunskole nie? Mooi. Di dan nie net die bloed wat verander het nie.
@beet: Hi Beet. Apparently the programme went out with the waste basket today
You did see I blogged the Gimmies team on another thread yesterday??
Losing 5 key players would deplete any side! Glenwood are not nearly as good without Jaco Coetzee and Vidima, that is just 2. The Glenwood 2nds are not as strong as previous years so anymore injuries and they will start to struggle…
@BOG: Grey=Bog, ek het jou nog altyd stick gegee binne perke. PRG het my reeds met ope arms verwelkom.
@BoishaaiPa: Dankie my mater. My bloed is rooi.
@PaarlBok: Ek sien..nou maar voorspoed daar innie Bos…
@PaarlBok: Ek wou nog vra oor die onder ouderdoms rugby daar by julle, en nou moet ek hier lees dat jy jou kind in n seunskool geplaas het. Moet ek jou herinner oor wat jy in die verlede van seunskole gese het? Al wat my meer sou verbaas het, is as jy hom in GCB geplaas het. Dink jy PRG sal jou as ondersteuner aanvaar? Net n bietjie advies. GCB en PRG het n wedersydse respek vir mekaar en n besonderse goeie verhouding. Ons gee vir mekaar “stick” maar binne perke.
@gimmie: I watched the Grey C vs Menlo game and I agree that it was a much closer game than the final score suggests. The Menlo forwards are quite big, but unfortunately their ego’s as well. They were more worried about the ref and off the ball incidents than the game. If they start concentrating on playing more rugby they can be a top 20 contender
Ek gaan op Stellenbosch bly. My laaitie speel provinsiaal hokkie vir Boland u16 en is PRG by verre die beste vir sy sport. PRG het meer u16 hokkiespanne as wat Gim in totaal seunspanne het en wou hy bitter graag soontoe gaan. Hy is noual n maand daar en is baie gelukkig.
@PaarlBok: Hoe dan nou?…
@gimmie: I’m not an expert on Menlo, but I think that the team they will have high hopes for is next year’s first team and the year thereafter. One of Menlo’s problems is that they are a top athletics school, so they lose many players until after the national championships. In 2014, the championships are in CT this weekend.
@PaarlBok: Why did your lightie leave Gym?
@gimmie: Unlucky? Really? 68-15 unlucky. And perhaps you should go and look at the GCB team and compare it with the current one. Then you realize the massive depth they have
@beet: I tried to change the jersey but someone changed it back. Anyways not to worry I’ll always have a soft spot for Gim but now have to back the school where my kid and myself is located. PRG it is now.
@Vleis: thanks for that Vleis, my info is that Menlo was unlucky against Grey and that it should have been much closer…also that Menlo have high hopes for this year’s first team. It is a very important game for us and also our final game before taking on Oakdale on the plaas….
@gimmie: Menlo generally have top 20 age group teams but decline a little at 1st team level. I’d expect the current Menlo 1st team to land up somewhere between 20 and 40 on the rankings – probably similar to PBHS. They lost to GCB a few weeks ago by 68 to 15.
I guess not much can be said other than it’s really been tough for the boys with injuries and I’m sure everyone is feeling for them. But at the same time, these things do happen, and it’s the ability to bounce back up and rise to the occasion despite the odds being stacked against you that separates a good team from a great team. I have no doubt that the character of the boys will stand firm against Paul Roos, regardless of the result. There’s always a bit of extra motivation in being the underdog.
@Woltrui, nr 12 was Andri Cooper. As you saw he is one of the best kickers of a rugby ball that I have ever seen. He had a ACL knee injury in 2011, but is fine now. The new captain is Zandre de Koker, a talented scrum halve. Is Menlopark a top 10 team or was Harrismith just lousy. How do you think they will do against Gym tomorrow?
@PaarlBok: Tough break. Once a Gimmie always a Gimmie! Just look at your jersey
@Woltrui: Kind Sir, please can you scan and email me the programme with player names.
@gimmie: Lousy to hear about Wayno. Definitely a big setback for any team to lose a player of his ability
Looking forward to this match. First one as a Paul Roos supporter.
Is it just my imagination or has the attrition rate been higher this year? Westville lost several players before the tour,GW lost Vidima and Jaco, House and Queens lost several key players. This is when a schools depth will come into play. I hear a 5th team prop ran on for the Westville seconds at the GW festival.
A great pity with these injuries
@gimmie: Hi Gimmie. On the match programme at the Noord-Suid festival Wayno Visagie was named as no 12. Didn’t he play and if not who was the no 12? The 12 who did play had a very good game (he took all the kicks) and I did notice his knee was heavily bandaged. He was not captain though, I think the 9 was captain.
Injuries can certainly ruin a season. Paarl Gym is in exactly the same boat with their 2 star players sidelined for at least 4 months. Grant Hermanus (sa schools fullback and 2013 sa player of the year) had a operation on his hip 10 days ago and captain Wayno Visagie (WP academy centre and in my view one of the best centres in sa) was operated on his ankle last week. Before these 2 devastating blows Gym was in my view a top 3 team in sa. Without their 2 best players, they will be a top 10 team.
Grey’s dream season became a nightmare.
Good luck coaches!!!