GEORGE, SOUTH AFRICA – JULY 06: Brooklyn Newman of the Blue Bulls dives over the tryline to score a try during the match between Lions and Bulls on day 4 of the SA Rugby U18 Craven Week at Outeniqua Park on July 06, 2023 in George, South Africa. PHOTO: EJ Langner/Gallo Images
The Blue Bulls u18 selectors still have some questions to be answered before they announce their final squad for the Stadio Craven Week in Krugersdorp next month.
The selectors will however have most of these questions answered on Tuesday when they face the Golden Lions in a warm-up match at Loftus Versfeld’s B-field in Pretoria.
The selectors have announced a provisional squad of 26 players which includes injured players like scrumhalf, Brooklyn Newman (Garsfontein).
Newman was one of five players who represented the Bulls during last year’s edition of the Craven Week in George. The Bulls reached the main match for a third successive time last year.
The other experienced campaigners are Janco Purchase (Affies, centre), Ethan van Wyk (Garsfontein, prop), Ofentse Moeng (Pretoria Boys’ High, lock) and Luann Olivier (Garsfontein, flanker).
Purchase also made the South African Schools’ side in 2023. His form for his school side has been showing an upward curve. He will be one of the Bulls’ key players in Krugersdorp.
Olivier represented the SA u18 sevens side at the Commonwealth Youth Games last year. He has played at inside centre as well as flanker for his school side during the season.
Another player who might be sure of a place in the final squad due to his versatility is Affies’ Hendré Schoeman. He will start against the Golden Lions at scrumhalf but also played at outside centre for his school side.
The selectors still have to cut three players from their squad before the annual Noordvaal Bondedag. This year’s Bondedag will be hosted in Modimolle.
Affies with ten players have the biggest representation within the squad. Two schools, Zayo Academy and HeronBridge College, might have their first Craven Week players in Devough Bantom and Daniel Malakita respectively.
Yaqeen Ahmed of Western Province during the match between Western Province and Sharks on day 3 of the SA Rugby U18 Craven Week at Outeniqua Park on July 05, 2023 in George, South Africa. PHOTO: Shaun Roy/Gallo Images
The Western Province’s u18 squad for the Stadio Craven Week in Krugersdorp stands on the edge of glory.
They will face the Sharks during the tournament’s opening day hosted by Monument on the Ras van Rooyen.
If the Class of 2024 manages to reach its fourth successive main match of the prestigious tournament and secure a victory it will be the union’s 15th successive victory at the Craven Week.
This will better the previous tournament record of 14 consecutive matches without defeat which is also held by the union. These were recorded by the teams who attended the tournament between 1970 to 1974.
Back to the future three players from last year’s victorious Western Province side – Riley Norton (lock), Oliver Read (prop) and Yaqeen Ahmed (flyhalf) will once again showcase their talent.
Norton made the SA Schools’ side last year and is without a doubt a strong contender to lead this year’s SA Schools side. Ahmed made the SA Schools A-side last year and would like to upgrade to the national schools side in 2024. Norton also made the SA Schools’ cricket side in 2023 becoming the first to manage this double in his grade 11 (or standard nine) year.
Only the eighthman, Torren February (Wynberg Boys’ High) made the jump from the Western Province second stringers of 2023 into the WP select side of 2024. The Western Province XV also attends the Craven Week.
Flanker Rubin Dames (Paarl Boys’ High) and fullback, David Simon (Rondebosch Boys’ High) will attend their second Craven Week as part of the Western Province XV.
The last time the flagship team of Western Province suffered a defeat at the Craven Week was on the final day of the 2017-edition in Johannesburg at the hands of Free State (33-54).
The unbeaten Paul Roos Gimnasium has with six representatives the biggest representation within the side.
After a three-week lay-off and time away from the turf, the Hudson Park girls’ hockey side returned to action on the weekend and beat Queenstown Girls’ High 2-0 in a highly anticipated match.
With the win, Hudson continues to pad an impressive run of results which dates back to their pre-season matches in March.
In their in-season derby matches, Hudson kicked their campaign off with a 1-0 win over Cambridge High School last month, when Inathi Lubelwana netted the solitary goal.
Soon after that, the team headed to Knysna for the Oakhill Festival, where they recorded five victories in their seven games.
They returned home, had a weekend off, and then travelled to Makhanda to face a dangerous DSG side.
Hudson, despite showing grit and character in that clash, were undone by the hosts, losing 1-2.
They entered the clash against Queenstown Girls’ High, chasing another win, ahead of a meeting with Stirling High School next week.
Playing on the Chris Harker AstroTurf at Queen’s College, Busiwe Mayekiso and Mackenzie Goss struck for the East London school to see them to victory.
Speaking to SuperSport Schools Plus after the match, head coach Jerry Snyman said he was pleased with the performance and believes his side will draw inspiration from it.
“It’s been three weekends since we’ve had a fixture, but it is good to be back on the turf,” he commented.
“The girls played well, had good structure, and maintained the goals for the season. The intensity could have been better for the match, but the GHS team is a force to be reckoned with.
“This win is a good start ahead of the Stirling derby next weekend, as well as a step in the right direction as we face Clarendon in the first derby in term three.
“We have a few girls in the Border set up, so they will be playing hockey during the holidays.”
Hudson Park’s showdown with Stirling High will be their final match of the term.
In term three, they will take on Clarendon, both Stirling and Cambridge High in return fixtures, and also host Kingsridge High School for Girls and Framesby.
In an eagerly awaited clash, DSG Makhanda, and Pearson High played to a 3-3 draw.
Pearson made the trip to Makhanda after a successful visit in George, where they beat York High and Outeniqua, which was followed by a 2-0 win over Framesby in the u18 EP Knockout Cup.
DSG, on the other hand, tasted defeat last weekend, going down 1-2 against Collegiate Girls’ High.
It was Pearson who started the brighter on Saturday, opening the scoring in the first chukka through Zoey Mostert.
They doubled their lead in the second, and this time it was Chanelle Venter who netted.
DSG came alive in the third chukka, scoring twice through Lucy Holderness and Kayleigh Clayton. However, just before the start of the final chukka, Jody van Aardt put Pearson 3-2 ahead.
Clayton netted her second to pull DSG level once again in the final chukka, and the contest ended all square.
Eastern Cape results
Clarendon 3-2 Cambridge High
DSG Makhanda 3-3 Pearson High
Hudson Park 2-0 Queenstown Girls’ High
Woodridge College 2-1 Victoria Park
Kingswood College 2-0 Framesby
HTS Drostdy outmuscled the visiting Hoërskool Swartland on Trappespark on Saturday afternoon as they further asserted their dominance in the Boland region with a convincing 52-28 victory.
The Donkeys’ speedy wing Adrian Vergotine ran in three tries to help see off the Malmesbury outfit in thrilling fashion.
It took only 10 minutes for the big Drostdy forwards to barrel their way through Swartland’s defences, with Walter Schoeman scoring the opening try of the contest.
Darius Venter and Vergotine both dotted down for five-pointers before the break to bring the halftime score to 19-6, with Swartland’s only points coming from the boot of flyhalf Iminathi Njozela.
The second stanza belonged to the home team, with Venter going over for his second, while Josh Fourie and Harold Mbuqa made further inroads on the scoreboard.
Drostdy had stormed into a 52-14 lead when Vergotine crossed for his third, but the visitors clawed back with two tries in the last five minutes through their Craven Week hooker, Kallie Boutsikaris, which gave the final score a more respectable look.
In Somerset West, Stellenberg‘s Jade Brigade continued their rich vein of form, flexing their muscles in a runaway 60-0 victory over Parel Vallei.
Inside centre Ruben Pretorius scored a hattrick to help undo the home side as Stellenberg ran in 10 unanswered tries to end the term on a high.
On Friday, Charlie Hofmeyr kicked off the weekend’s action at Hoërskool Stellenbosch without their two Craven Week stars, Luan Giliomee and Philip du Plessis.
The Stellenbosch outfit outperformed all expectations, making the visitors from Ceres sweat to keep their unbeaten streak alive.
By halftime, the only points had come off the boot of the home team’s fullback, Drew Houston.
After the break, Charlies lifted their game to win 12-6, with hooker Kyle Cardoso and flank Caleb de Vries scoring the only tries of the game.
Milnerton successfully defended their home turf against a spirited Brackenfell under lights on Friday evening, thanks to a double by their captain, Frank Hitimana.
As expected, the exciting northern suburbs’ outfits produced an absolute thriller, with the home team outscoring Brakkies by only five points.
Both Milnerton and Brackenfell have delivered plenty of highlights in the Western Cape season, playing entertaining, quick and inventive rugby every week to the delight of their loyal supporters.
Scorers
HTS Drostdy 52 (19) – Tries: Adrian Vergotine (3), Darius Venter (2), Walter Schoeman, Josh Fourie, Harold Mbuqa. Conversions: Stefan van der Merwe (6). Swartland 28 (6) – Tries: Kallie Boutsikaris (2), Kailen Kotze. Conversions: Iminathi Njozela (2). Penalty: Njozela (3).
Stellenberg 60 (36) – Tries: Ruben Pretorius (3), Almero Keizer, Estian Steyn, Marco Staples, Dale du Toit, Ryan Jones, Dean Janse van Rensburg, Remi September. Conversions: Dehan Neethling (4), Staples. Parel Vallei 0.
Labori 13 – Try: Miguel Brits. Conversion: Xavier Bothma. Penalties: Bothma (2). New Orleans 10.
“It was a scrum on the halfway line against Outeniqua. The call was made, and we did the move. I broke through and beat the fullback to score the try. Everybody was so happy, and I kissed the badge on my jersey. It was something I’d never experienced in my life.”
Those were the words of Hoërskool Dr EG Jansen’sJeandre Jacobs, as he recalled his favourite memory in the famous Jansie-Arende jersey.
Possessing the ability to spot the smallest of spaces in the blink of an eye, Jacobs has worn the number 13 jersey in EG Jansen’s first team over the last two years and has become known for his ability to score eye-catching long-range tries.
His deft footwork and acceleration have instilled fear in many backlines, and they have seen him become a prolific asset in the sevens format, too. With the Blitzboks rebuilding and seeking a return to the top of the sevens mountain, Jacobs could become a household name in the shorter, faster format of the game.
Born in Vredenburg in the Western Cape, he grew up idolizing one of South Africa’s first legends of the sevens game, Rhyno Benjamin, and later, World Cup-winning fullback Damian Willlemse.
At the age of 12, Jacobs started playing rugby. It would soon become an important part of his young life. That same year, incredibly, he claimed a place in the Boland u12 provincial side. The following year, after having quickly grown in the game, he cracked the nod for both the Boland u13 Craven Week and the Boland Sevens sides.
His remarkable performances at such a young age caught the attention of the men from Boksburg. He would end up at Dr EG Jansen the following year.
Photo: Tap Light Edits
“I played in a tournament in Jeffrey’s Bay, and I think that’s where Jansen saw me. It was a great opportunity to link up with them. That is what I wanted at that stage,” Jacobs said.
The young outside centre has continued to go from strength to strength ever since, climbing the ladder and earning a spot in the Valke u18 Craven Week side, as a 17-year-old, in 2023, while also being selected for the u18 sevens squad.
He has once again been selected to cause havoc for the Valke at this year’s Craven Week, which will be hosted in Krugersdorp.
When asked about the person who has played the biggest role in his career thus far, Jacobs replied without hesitation: “Coach Rudy Dames has always been the one who has supported me the most. He has always pushed me to stay motivated and be better than I was yesterday.
Questioned about his plans for the future, Jacobs said: “I would like to play for either the Blue Bulls or the Sharks, but my main focus will be on playing for the Blitzboks, hopefully soon.”
With a humble approach and a natural feel for the game, Jacobs has the attributes to make his dream of international rugby come true. He’s hoping to run out wearing the green and gold in the prestigious HSBC SEVENS Series in the near future.
When they met in the 2023 semi-finals of the Coastal League, Glenwood secured a 4-3 win from the penalty spot over Westville.
Coastal Finals
Queensburgh High School hosts a showdown between Westville Boys’ High School and Glenwood High School on Monday afternoon for the title of Coastal champions of the KZN High Schools Football League.
Last season, it was Glenwood who prevented Westville from successfully defending the title, eliminating the Griffin in the semi-finals. The Green Machine, then, went on to lift the silverware after a penalty shootout win over Port Shepstone.
In their most recent outings, Glenwood defeated Durban High School(DHS) 3-2, while Westville won 2-1 against Bechet Secondary School.
The group stage concluded with both Westville and Glenwood accumulating 16 points, which included one draw and one loss each. However, it was Westville who claimed the top spot with a better goal difference. Of course, whatever went before counts for nothing in the final.
The Coastal B final, meanwhile, will feature New Forest and Empangeni. They’re scheduled to meet in the title decider on 31 May.
Inland Finals
In Inland action, Carter High School triumphed 1-0 over Maritzburg College, handing the Red, Black and White a first loss of the local league season.
College, though, will have an opportunity to avenge that loss when they face off with Carter once more in the final of the Inland League on Thursday, 30 May, on Barns Field, at Maritzburg College.
For the record, Carter topped the table at the completion of the round-robin matches. Both Carter and College won five, lost one and drew one, leaving them on 16 points each. But Carter edged ahead on goal difference.
The finalists have developed an entertaining rivalry and their meeting in the final of the 2023 Pietermaritzburg and Midlands FA Cup was a match for the ages. College won it 3-2, but Carter cooked up a number of opportunities to level and then win the contest late in the game.
Afterwards, the Chairman of the KZN High Schools Football Association, Dan Haswell called the final “pulsating and exciting”, enthusing that it “encapsulated everything that is great about school sport, and football in particular.”
A similarly exciting showdown on Thursday would be a treat.
Edendale Technical High School and Northbury to the final
The final of the Inland B League will be between Edendale and Northbury.
Newcomers, Edendale, head into the title match with an unbeaten record. In their last game, they secured a 4-1 win over Riverwood, with goals from Aphiwe Zitha, Lungani Ntuli, Wandile Mbanjwa and Z. Ndlela.
After seven games, they comfortably secured the top spot with 19 points. Northbury finished six adrift, just one above ML Sultan.
Carter 1-0 Maritzburg College A
Linpark 1-0 Alexandra A
Ixopo 4-2 Newton
Maritzburg College B 3-1 Haythorne
Northbury 1-0 Alexandra B
Edendale 4-1 Riverwood
Maritzburg College C 5-0 Thornhill
Dit het as geen verrassing gekom toe die eerste netbalspan van Meisieskool Oranje in Bloemfontein nogmaals met die Vrystaatbeker-titel weggestap het nie.
Met hul oorwinning van 29-19 oor Hoërskool Jim Fouché in die afgelope naweek se eindstryd, het Oranje vir ‘n vierde agtereenvolgende jaar die titel ingepalm, wat hul oorheersing in die kompetisie opnuut bevestig het.
Een van Oranje se sterspelers, Marianne Louw, het boonop ook in haar 100ste wedstryd vir Oranje gespeel.
Oranje se algehele oorheersing is verder beklemtoon met hul o.15-netbalspan wat ook as Vrystaat-kampioen gekroon is.
In ‘n opwindende halfeindstryd teen Voortrekker moes Oranje se eerste span nietemin hard werk om uiteindelik met slegs vier doele te seëvier. In die finaal teen Jim Fouché het Oranje egter hul stempel deeglik afgedruk om welverdiend met ‘n marge van 10 doele as kampioen uit die stryd te tree.
Oranje het regdeur die toernooi merkwaardige bekwaamheid tentoongestel, deur vir spanne soos Teto en Witteberg met meer as 20 doele te verslaan, terwyl hulle selfs groter marges teen Wilgerivier (35-5) en Landboudal (39-5) behaal het.
Hoërskool Jim Fouché het tweede geëindig, gevolg deur Hoërskool Witteberg in die derde plek en Hoërskool Voortrekker vierde .
Die top-twee spanne van die Vrystaat sal eersdaags in Roodepoort aan die nasionale DStv Schools Netball Challenge deelneem. Dié gesogte toernooi word van 11 tot 13 Julie by Hoërskool Florida aangebied.
Die o.14’s, o.16’s en o.17’s speel eers die komende naweek.
Riley Gehren stretches out to score Michaelhouse’s first try in their seven-point win over Pretoria Boys High.
Michaelhouse hosted Pretoria Boys High on Meadows on Saturday, running out on their home ground for the first time in almost a month.
In their most recent games, they had scored a stirring victory over HiltonCollege on Gilfillan Field but had then lost to Maritzburg College on Goldstone’s in the cauldron of College’s Old Boys’ Weekend. They were eager to put that disappointment behind them and they did, just, winning 34-27.
Boys High entered the contest having gone down in their last match, but they would have been encouraged by their showing in a 22-27 defeat against a strong Jeppe High School for Boys outfit. It’s been a tough season for the Candies, playing one of the toughest schedules in the country, but there have been signs of growth for the side.
At Michaelhouse, they made a good start, with the home team doing themselves no favours by conceding a string of penalties in the early going. The visitors made them pay when Tumisho Motswi knocked over an easy penalty.
‘House responded with a try in the 12th minute, scored by Riley Gehren, who put in a dive for five, extending to dot down, after a serious of close-range charges at the PBHS try line had opened up space on the right.
Five minutes later, Michaelhouse was in again. After spreading the visitors’ defensive line by probing out wide on both flanks, Tom Baguley ran onto a pop pass from Aphiwe Shelembe to crash over to the left of the uprights. Luke Davidson added the extras.
Boys High turned to their rolling maul, which has been an excellent weapon for them this season, to draw within two. From a five-metre lineout, they drove over the line, with their hooker Thapelo Mphela claiming the try. Motswi’s conversion made it 12-10.
The fleetfooted fullback then made a searing break from inside his 22 and left Michaelhouse defenders trailing in his wake before a low pass on the home team’s 22 led to a counterattack, bringing about a swing in momentum.
After a slow start, Michaelhouse produced a number of penetrating attacks. This one, though, was ended by solid Pretoria Boys High defence.
After turning over possession in the visiting team’s 22, thanks to a crunching tackle, Michaelhouse laid siege to the PBHS try line, bashing it up with their big men, and it was Robert Combrinck who made the breakthrough. Davidson’s successful kick gave his side a 19-10 advantage at half-time.
Five minutes into the second stanza, ‘House were in again.
When an attempted Garryowen by Boys High, from deep inside their 22, didn’t gain much ground. Combrinck latched onto the ball and quickly found Davidson on the short side. The flyhalf, summing up the situation in a flash, sprinted towards the try line, drew the final defender and put
Connor McAlpine over in the left-hand corner.
Soon, they had themselves another five points. From a scrum on the centre spot, Michaelhouse went left, where Baguley fed wing Aya Mkokheli, who had looped around. With a show of the ball, he sliced through a gap in the PBHS defence. Then, a wiggle of the hips momentarily wrongfooted the last defender, Itu Baloyi, who made a quick recovery to put in valiant diving tackle, but Mkokheli was in.
Having had a sighter from out wide on the left a few minutes earlier, Davidson beautifully bisected the uprights from the touchline to make it 31-10. Michaelhouse was cruising and Pretoria Boys High looked as if they could be overrun. But the Candies are made of stern stuff, and they came roaring back into the contest.
It began with Jeffrey Singo forcing his way over after breaking off of a rolling maul. Then, the Candies quickly worked their way back into the hosts’ territory. From a lineout, they went through seven phases before the skipper Tshepiso Shikhibana kept his legs driving in a tackle to crash over. Motswi slotted the kick to reduce the gap by seven.
Boys High kept hammering away at ‘House, and they again battered their way over the Michaelhouse try line with a rolling maul, but the referee deemed PBHS to have been held up.
No problem for the Candies. From the resulting scrum, they took the ball to the left. Then, when they brought it back to the right, Mphela received the ball, having built up a head of steam. He brushed aside a would-be tackler and was across the try line on the right.
At 31-27 in favour of the hosts, it was game on.
Once more, Pretoria Boys High attacked from the kick-off. Within three phases they had driven up to the halfway line, but the visitors were, then, pinged for sealing off the ball at a ruck.
Davidson calmed the frenzied action by pointing at the posts. He struck the ball sweetly, drawing it in from the right to convert and stop the visitors’ scoring spree.
A few minutes later, it was Davidson who booted the ball far over the Michaelhouse stands to seal the win. There must have been a sense of relief for the boys in red and white. What had once seemed like a comfortable cruise to victory had turned into a nervous win.
In Pietermaritzburg, St Charles College hosted St Stithians in a derby duel.
The visitors made a good start and were on the board first with a penalty inside the first three minutes, but the hometown Saints soon forced the visiting Saints onto the backfoot with some fine running rugby, which flowed from one sideline to the other.
In the sixth minute, after creating an overlap out wide on the right, St Charles had the right man in space, with their powerful and pacy lock Raphael Ajibade taking a pass on the St Stithians’ 22 before charging over the last defender and in for a try.
They doubled their score after a quarter-of-an-hour when Okuhle Peti beautifully read the opposition’s attack, racing up out of the defensive line to snag an interception and sprinting through to score under the uprights. A second successful conversion from Salmaan Mohammed made it 14-3.
Momentum was with the hosts, and they kept hammering away at the St Stithians’ try line, but it took a deft cross field kick from Mohammed to open up the Joburg school’s defences. He picked out Matthew Ludick with pinpoint accuracy and St Charles enhanced their score by another five points.
Mohammed was equally good from the left-hand corner with the conversion kick, making it 21-3 after 26 minutes.
St Stithians responded almost immediately, driving over the St Charles try line from a lineout for their first try of the contest. It was 21-8 at the break.
It didn’t take long for the visitors to cross the whitewash in the second half, with their speedy right-wing Cullen Bradford going over in the left-hand corner.
He was at it again 15 minutes later, once more looking for work and scoring out wide on the left.
A successful touchline conversion brought St Stithians to within a single point of St Charles, after a run of 17 points without reply.
With four minutes to play, however, the home side struck again, with Athi Qumo diving over on the right after a neat inside ball from Rashied Isaacs opened up a gap for the wing to race through.
Another accurate conversion kick from Salmaan Mohammed made the final score 28-20.
Durban High School (DHS) kicked off the weekend’s action on Friday with a visit to the Riverside Sports Club, the home of Clifton sport. On paper, the Horseflies were heavily favoured. They had nine players selected for the Sharks’ Craven Week team and Clifton had none.
Predictably, DHS won, running in seven tries in their 50-0 victory. At half-time, it was 31-0. Credit, though, to Clifton, who kept fighting hard and it was only on the final whistle that DHS scored their final points of the contest.
Mahle Sithole powered his way over for two tries, while Aka Boqwana, Neo Shakwane, Hlumelo Madikane, Zingce Simka and Okuhle Mbanjwa also dotted down.
Boqwana added five conversions and a penalty, while Jordan van Wyk landed one conversion.
SCORES
Michaelhouse 34 (19) – Tries: Riley Gehren, Tom Baguley, Connor McAlpine, Robert Combrinck, Aya Mkokheli; Conversions: Luke Davidson (3); Penalty: Luke Davidson; Pretoria Boys High 27 (10) – Tries: Thapelo Mphela (2), Jeffrey Singo, Tshepiso Shikhibana; Conversions: Tumisho Motswi (2); Penalty: Tumisho Motswi
St Charles College28 (21) – Tries: Raphael Ajibade, Okuhle Peti, Matthew Ludick, Athi Qumo; Conversions: Salmaan Mohammed (4); St Stithians College 20 (8) – Tries: Cullen Bradford (2)…
Durban High School: 50 (31) – Tries: Mahle Sithole (2), Aka Boqwana, Neo Shakwane, Hlumelo Madikane, Zingce Simka, Okuhle Mbanjwa; Conversions: Aka Boqwana (5), Jordan van Wyk; Penalty: Aka Boqwana; Clifton College 0 (0)
Hendre Venter se naam sal nog lank by Hoërskool Hugenote van Springs se eerste span spook.
Die agsteman van Hoërskool Wesvalia was die groot doring in die Hugies se vlees, met sy twee kuiers agter die doellyn wat uitgestaan het in die Wessies se wegholoorwinning van 36-7 oor Hugenote in Springs.
Dit beteken voorts dat die span van Klerksdorp nou die enigste onoorwonne span in die SDC Noordvaal Cup se Skild-afdeling is. Die besoekers het nie geskroom om die Hugies voorlangs aan te vat nie – iets wat nog selde vanjaar gebeur het.
“Ons was by tye uiters klinies,” het Willem van der Sandt, die Wessies se voorspelerafrigter gesê. “Ons het foute beperk wat beteken het dat ons hulle voor kon oordonder met skrums en dryfmaalbewegings.”
Venter was nie alleen verantwoordelik vir die reuse aanslag voorlangs nie. Die Wessies se Cravenweek-duo, Junior Kuhn (haker) en Francois Dumond (steelkantflank), het ook spiere gebult, was saam met Venter vernietigend op die aanval en het elkeen ook gedruk.
Linkervleuel, Xander Smit, was die enigste Wessie-agterspeler wat daarin kon slaag om die doellyn oor te steek, nadat hy op ‘n kans wat deur sy voorspelers geskep is, toegeslaan het.
In Heidelberg het Hoërskool Lichtenburg ‘n kritieke sege, weg van die huis, in hul Noordvaal-veldtog behaal deur vir Heidelberg Volkskool met 24-17 te verslaan.
Die oorwinning was te danke aan ‘n uitstekende vertoning in die eerste helfte, toe Liggies reeds 19 punte opgestapel het. Na ‘n verbete terugvegpoging in die tweede helfte deur die Volkies, was dit net-net genoeg vir die span van Noordwes om met glimlagte huiswaarts te kon keer.
Vaskopstut, Juan van Rhyn, het geweldig hard gewerk in sowel die skrums as lynstane, maar het ook indrukwekkend vertoon met die bal in hand en is met een van sy span se vier drieë beloon.
Hoërskool Secunda se twee stutte was ook genadeloos in die verdedigende kampioen se oortuigende sege van 44-14 oor Hoërskool Pietersburg. Loskopstut, Nathan Erasmus, het ‘n besielende vertoning afgerond met ‘n welverdiende tweekuns, terwyl sy makker aan die vaskopkant, Stefan Bezuidenhout, self ook oor die doellyn kon bars vir ‘n vyfpunter.
Daar is waarskynlik nie meer naels oor om te kou na Hoërskool Ben Vorster by die agterdeur ingeglip het teen Hoërskool Jeugland nie. Die Buffels het 19 punte teenoor Jeugland se vyf aangeteken, basies in die laaste 15 minute, om ‘n rustydagterstand van 10-21 uit te wis en met 29-26 in Tzaneen as oorwinnaars uit die stryd te tree.
Die Buffels se steelkantflank, Joshua van der Mescht, was uitstaande, vernaam met sy rotsvaste verdediging in die vastelos. Linkervleuel, Damian Bye, het, met slegs sekondes oor op die horlosie, in die hoekie oorgeduik om die wendrie te druk.
Jeugland se linkervleuel, Oregopotse Shilubane, was self verwoestend op die aanval en het, met sy bedrieglike systappe, vir die Vossie-verdedigers gereeld laat gras proe.
Lichtenburg 24 (19) – Drieë: Juan van Rhyn, Kgolagano Legodi, Rea Motsusi, Dandre Dempers. Doelskoppe: Albert Joubert (2). Heidelberg Volkskool 17 (0) – Drieë: Janco Coetzer (2). Doelskoppe: Hein Oelofse (2). Strafdoel: Oelofse.
Hoërskool Secunda 44 (23) – Drieë: Nathan Erasmus (2), Stefan Bezuidenhout, Franko Rossouw, Brink la Grange, Damian de Beer. Doelskoppe: De Beer (4). Strafdoel: De Beer. Hoërskool Pietersburg 14 (0) – Drieë: Etienne van Jaarsveldt (2). Doelskoppe: Hanno van Zyl (2).
Ben Vorster 29 (10) – Drieë: Joshua van der Mescht, Christopher Janse van Vuuren, Tihandre Reyneke, Damian Bye. Doelskoppe: Shelton Primo (3). Strafdoel: Primo. Jeugland 26 (21) – Drieë: Oregopotse Shilubane (2), Letlala Relebohile, Thando Ngomane. Doelskoppe: Sinennhlanhla Ndlovu (3).
Ander spanne:
o.16: Heidelberg Volkskool 89, Lichtenburg 0; Pietersburg 45, Secunda 0; Ben Vorster 29, Jeugland 17.
o.15: Heidelberg Volkskool 22, Lichtenburg 12; Pietersburg 19, Secunda 15; Ben Vorster 41, Jeugland 0.
o.14: Lichtenburg 26, Heidelberg Volkskool 5; Pietersburg 34, Secunda 0; Ben Vorster 41, Jeugland 0.
So het Braam Pretorius, Hoërskool Oos-Moot se hoofafrigter, sy span se oorwinning van 56-14 oor Hoërskool Zwartkop, in die laaste ronde groepwedstryde van die kwartaal in die SDC Noordvaal Cup se Plaat-afdeling, opgesom.
“Ons het voorlangs oorheers, wat dit vir ons agterlyn moontlik gemaak het om ‘n bietjie te hardloop,” het Pretorius bygevoeg.
Dit het daartoe gelei dat die Oosies nie minder nie as agt keer agter die Zwarries se doellyn gaan kuier het. Die Oosies se agttal het inderdaad in alle fasette van die kragmeting die botoon gevoer.
Dit het vir losskakel, Ruwan Allen, die geleentheid gebied om sy gevaarlike agterlyn aan die gang te kry. Allen het boonop sy beste vertoning vanjaar vanaf die skopkegel beleef.
Hy het ál agt sy span se drieë, waarvan hy self een gedruk het, verdoel, wat beteken het dat hy persoonlik vir 21 punte verantwoordelik was.
Die span van die Moot se slotpaar, Jaydon Botha en Connor de Jager, was ook uitstaande, uiters fisiek op sowel die aanval as verdediging en is met ‘n vyfpunter elk beloon.
Die Zwarries behoort verheug te wees dat hul puntemasjien, Denlison Metcalf, lyk asof hy ten volle van sy dyspierbesering herstel het. Metcalf het met slegs 30 sekondes verstreke ‘n blaps van die opposisie uitgebuit om oor te duik vir die eerste van die tuisspan se twee drieë.
In Vanderbijlpark was ‘n dominante tweede helfte deur die tuisspan, Hoërskool Transvalia, genoeg om ‘n oorwinning van 31-24 oor Hoërskool Middelburg te verseker.
Transvalia het in die laaste 35 minute voet in die hoek gesit om 24 punte aan te teken, met vernaam die voorspelers wat ‘n reuse verskil gemaak het. Die tuisspan se plaasvervangerslot, Vincent Brits, het, met tyd bykans verstreke, deurgestorm om seker te maak dat die Middies nie in die doodsnikke vir ‘n opskudding kon sorg nie.
Hoërskool Klerksdorp het beïndruk in hul tuissege van 24-20 oor Hoërskool Kempton Park. Hul Cravenweek-agtsteman en kaptein, GJ Steenberg, het van voor gelei met sy kragspel, terwyl die Suid Afrikaanse o.19 Statebond-spiesgooikampioen, Ewald Jansen, sy terugkeer op binnesenter met ‘n uitstaande vertoning op die aanval gevier het.
Hoër Tegniese Skool Middelburg het nóg ‘n indrukwekkende sege van 35-7 oor Hoërskool Montana op tuisbodem behaal.
HTS se nuwe losskakel, Gerry Gendall, het indrukwekkend vertoon en vir die Monties deurgaans aan die raai gehou met sy dartellopies. Dit het die gevaarlike Johnny dos Santos, wat op buitesenter diens verrig het, die nodige spasie gebied om skade aan te rig, en albei het ‘n tweekuns behaal.
Puntemakers:
Oos-Moot 56 (35) – Drieë: Franco O’Neal, Connor de Jager, Bertus van Dyk, Tapiwa Rwafa, Ruwan Allen, Jaydon Botha, Jandre de Beer, Nick Venter. Doelskoppe: Ruwan Allen (8). Zwartkop 14 (14) – Drieë: Denilson Metcalfe, Brian Smith. Doelskoppe: Kyle Kooman (2).
Hendre Venter se naam sal nog lank by Hoërskool Hugenote van Springs se eerste span spook.
“Ons het uiteindelik die regte rat voorlangs geslaan”