South Africa: 5 teams of the Week-End

5 teams of the weekend

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What a privilege it is to have school rugby back on the go after such an extended “break”. This weekend was full of some excellent performances, but the below are the 5 teams who we felt impressed over the weekend.

5. Stellenberg

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Naming a losing team among one of the teams of the weekend? Well, we like to make things interesting and Stellenberg once again look rather interesting this year.

Paarl Gim are everyone’s favorite for unofficial South African champs this year and many expected this game to be a blowout, but the Stellenberg defense stood tall and kept the margin of loss to only 6 points. Consider that many of this years Gim group were amongst those who recorded record wins over the likes of Garsfontein and you understand how much talent there is within their group.

This was in our opinion a tactical masterclass on the part of Stellenberg, it was obvious that they targeted the Liam Koen and PA van Niekerk channel hard and it reaped significant dividends as the Gim backline which is by some measure the best in the country never had a chance to get into a groove.

You need to watch the game to fully appreciate just how much heart the Stellenberg team played with, they tackled like their lives depended on it and while not their usual attacking selves I think they realized that taking Gimmies head on in an open and expansive game would have been to their detriment. One cannot single out any player from either side, it would not do the game itself any justice but suffice to say that Gim will learn from this and become more dangerous as a unit as the season goes on and Stellenberg now have a resolute defense to match their attacking flair we know they are capable of.

4. Framesby

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This has to go down as one of the best games of the weekend, it truly was a battle of polar opposites in terms of style of rugby. St Andrews with their attacking flair and class backline and Framesby with their absolute brute strength in terms of their forward play.

It truly was an arm wrestle with neither team giving an inch, I am certain there will be many sore bodies after this game. The Andrean pack although smaller than their counterparts never gave an inch but trying to take down the likes of Van Rensburg and Minnie proved to be a tough ask, as it will be for many teams this year.

I don’t want it to sound like Framesby is purely about their forward pack, the backline has some promise and I really like the look of pivot Logan Muller. A fleet footed baller that looks exciting with ball in hand I think as he grows in confidence and the season progresses he can certainly become one of the dark horses as the season continues.

To say St Andrews have an exciting backline is an understatement, pivot Nick Lane looks the real deal with incredible rugby IQ and spatial awareness that often assisted in getting his backline moving. The centre combination of Boden and Landsman are going to wreck havoc this year, keep a close eye on how they develop and pacey winger Jacques Cloete has class written all over him.

As mentioned this could have gone either way, well done to Framesby for their iron will and no doubt St Andrews will learn from this and are going to be a dangerous unit as the season progresses.

3. Hilton

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It has been well documented that the Hilton College rugby program is growing in confidence and that Northwood are a power on the rise but in terms of this fixture from start to finish it was all Hilton. Even saying that 54-5 is hardly a fair reflection of the game overall as Northwood showed tremendous fighting spirit but it was Hilton who took their chances and it showed on the scoreboard.

The usual suspects performed exceptionally for Hilton with PACS 100 prospects Nick Snyman, HJ Pienaar and Tom Dyer all providing excellent displays but special mention needs to be made to young pivot Chris Horak. I cannot express how impressive this young talent is, his all round game is a sight to behold with a level of confidence and game management that defied belief especially for a rookie talent.

Note, this is confidence and not arrogance. You do not see trickery or someone who showboats, you see a player who knows what his tasks are and plays purely for his team mates – such maturity at a young age bodes well for the future.

Special mention needs to be made about Northwood’s Enzo van Niekerk, despite playing on the losing side he never stopped going. The kids engine is special, he kept rallying his team mates never thinking of the scoreboard but focusing play by play and to show such character especially when the ball continually bounced against his team showed tremendous inner strength and we look forward to seeing him develop as the season continues.

2. Maritzburg College

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True, St Charles may not be a powerhouse school but neither are they walkovers. We told everyone who would listen not to sleep on the class of 2022 and this performance showed exactly why.

Lili Bester was nothing short of exceptional, the young centre ran the show and provided the crowds with some enthralling line breaks and was everyone’s man of the match. Knoetze and VD Linde are going to be one of the premier halfback pairings in the KZN region, them along with hard working Liam Prinsloo are going to ensure that their speedy outside backs will be getting quality ball.

Although the College backline is something special the hard working forwards are going to surprise many as well one feels. The tight 5 put in some hard work and their scrums were dominant although there will be far greater tests on their way as the season progresses. The loose trio are extremely hard workers and were menacing to say the least at the breakdown and hardly gave St Charles any room to breath.

An exciting year of rugby awaits Maritzburg if this display is anything to go by.

1. Grey High

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There were many nervous pupils and alumni before this match, Grey High had an ever growing injury list during the pre-season and by the time Graeme Rugby Day arrived over 10 of their team were injured.

One position you do not want to be in is to face Brandwag from Uitenhage with a second string team, the imposing and physical team are renowned throughout the country for their massive forward pack and speedy backs. When one faces Brandwag, you know a physical confrontation awaits.

It should be remembered that this Grey High team is seen as one of the most gifted in recent memory, so with all these injuries and the added expectation of Graeme rugby day nerves were high.

It was indeed a battle and the history books will show a tight 31- 27 win for Grey High, but what will not be shown was the sheer grit and determination and team spirit that got the boys through a tough match. From kickoff it was obvious that Grey were not going to stand back physically, they got stuck into their opponents and many a Brandwag giant was driven back! To say this avenged their loss 2 years ago is an understatement, Grey High School showed courage and belief when their backs were against the wall and a willingness to go to war for one another.

This was more than a victory against tough opposition, this was a victory of character and shows that the team is far more important than the individual so to single out any individual player will do the result absolutely no justice.

That is not to say that there were players who did not put their hands up, there are some stars in the making within this Grey team but this day was not about the stars – it was about the unit, a team who personified brotherhood and although talented stars wait in the wings if Grey maintain this edge and unity they are going to be real contenders come the rest of the season.

SHARING IS CARING!
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