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John McGlashan College from New Zealand had no answer for the nippiness of Monument’s fullback, Herschelle Goodman, in the main match of the third day of the World Schools Festival in the Markotter Stadium in Stellenbosch. 

Goodman completed a hat-trick of tries in his side’s 48-10 victory, but it was the way that he glided through the visitors’ defence that was impressive. With all three of his tries while receiving the ball in the flyhalf-channel he managed to find enough space that no defender managed to lay a hand on him.

His captain and outside centre, Henco van Wyk, also scored a hat-trick of tries as the New Zealand team was put to the sword. 

For John McGlashan, their eighthman and captain, Leroy Ferguson, has a big future ahead of him. Ferguson completed a brace of tries and impressed yet again with his strong ball carries.  

The match was refereed by South Africa’s most experienced official, Jonathan Kaplan. 

Scorers: 

Monument 48 (19) – Tries: Herschelle Goodman (3), Henco van Wyk (3), Aiden Robberts, Tiaan de Klerk. Conversions: Byron Wentink (3), Franco Hallett. John McGlashan College 10 (5) – Tries: Leroy Ferguson (2). 

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A rock-solid defensive effort helped Paarl Gimnasium to a comprehensive 41-12 victory over Hartpury College on the third day of the World Schools Festival in the Markotter Stadium in Stellenbosch. 

Gimmies had to make 116 tackles in the match and only received 38% of the possession through the match. The scores were deadlocked at 12-all during the break for half-time. 

But like in Hartpury’s previous match against Monument of Krugersdorp they weren’t able to keep their performance up in the second half. 

Gimmies’ inside centre, Stephan du Toit, and winger Stravino Jacobs both scored a brace of tries. Du Toit deservedly received the Man-of-the-Match award for his superb performance during the match.  

Du Toit is strong on his legs and has an exceptional eye for a gap. Jacobs also scored twice in Gim’s 50-22 victory over the Africa Pacific Dragons on the opening day of the World Schools Festival. 

Eighthman, Juan Wilson, also impressed with his performance. His effectiveness to link his pack of forwards with the backline was one of the highlights of the match. Wilson is also a strong and smart ball carrier. 

The World Schools XV finished the festival unbeaten after securing a 25-15 victory over SACS. Their captain and loose forward, Jarrod Taylor, scored a hat-trick of tries, while prop Sibusiso Shongwe added a brace of tries. 

The World Schools XV, mostly consisting of South African players, is still after day three of the World Schools Festival the only team who made points for the Rest of the World. They have three Italian players in their squad. 

For SACS their lock pairing of Jordan Thomas (captain) and Enos Ndiao tried their best. The team from Cape Town’s fullback, Matthew Hayes, is also a player to watch out for in 2019. 

Scorers: 

Paarl Gimnasium 41 (12) – Tries: Stephan du Toit (2), Stravino Jacobs (2), Dylan Alexander, Curwin Gertse, Jandré Burger. Conversions: Tiaan Swanepoel (3). Hartpury College 12 (12) – Tries: Sam Grimshaw, Jack Brinn. Conversion: Isaac Marsh. 

World Schools XV 25 (15) – Tries: Jarod Taylor (3), Sibusiso Shongwe (2). SACS 15 (3) – Tries: Enos Ndiao, Hlumelo Ntweni. Conversion: Matthew Hayes. Penalty: Hayes. 

Glenwood High School managed to finish the second edition of the World Schools Festival in Stellenbosch unbeaten thanks to a 33-10 victory over the Africa Pacific Dragons.

The Green Machine would’ve bagged an even more comfortable victory over the Dragons, but fatigue from playing their fourth match in seven days was clearly starting to take its toll. 

It will be some tired, but happy Grasshoppers returning back to Durban for the second term next week. Glenwood also managed two victories during the Wynberg Boys’ High Festival over King Edward VII (48-36) and San Isidro of Argentina (33-31). 

Scrumhalf, Nico Steyn, scored another brace of tries against the AP Dragons to finish the festival with four tries in total. Steyn is without a doubt one of the players to watch out for in Glenwood’s team. 

Winger Martino van Wyk must have cemented his place in Glenwood’s starting line-up after yet another impressive performance. The AP Dragons’ inside centre, David Kalekale, scored his side’s only points via two tries. 

Kalekale’s midfield partner, Zion Tanielu, was shown a red card after executing a spear tackle. The World Schools Festival’s rule that if a player receives a red card he could be replaced with another player after 12 minutes of play was also implemented for the first time due to Tanielu’s dismissal. 

In the opening match, the Western Province Invitational came out on top by 33-30 against the Zambezi Steelers in a see-saw battle. The home side led 19-17 at the break and only trailed once in the match.

This was just after half-time when the Steelers’ eighthman, Matthew Oworu, streaked over the tryline for his second try of the match. Owura and the fullback, Tinashe Hombiro, could feel more than happy with their performances on the day. 

For WP Invitational it was once again their flyhalf, Mikyle Vraagom, who impressed with a well-rounded performance. The flanker Michael Beyers also deserves a mention after being sin-binned he return by scoring a valuable try. 

Scorers:  

Glenwood 33 (14) – Tries: Nico Steyn (2), Freddie Slabbert, Mzomeleli Khuzwayo, Martino van Wyk. Conversions: Joe Jonas (4). AP Dragons 10 (5) – Tries: David Kalekale (2). 

WP Invitation XV 33 (19) – Tries: Liam Tattershall, Breyton Maree, Mikyle Vraagom, Michael Beyers, Darren Jonkers. Conversions: Vraagom (3), Anele Madoli. Zambezi Steelers 30 (17) – Tries: Matthew Oworu (2), Tabonga Ngonyama. Conversions: Tinashe Hombrio (2).

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Three capped World Rugby U20 Championship players, Rikus Pretorius, David Coetzer and Phendulani Buthelezi, are among 34 players named in a Junior Springbok training squad that will assemble in Stellenbosch next week.

The squad also includes two players who were involved in the Junior Springbok warm-up games last season, namely David Kriel and Nkosikhona Masuku. All five of them were part of the SA Rugby Academy squad that first got together early in February at the Stellenbosch Academy of Sport (SAS).

The training camp, which forms part of the SA Rugby Academy programme, will run from Monday, 1 April to Thursday, 18 April, and will feature three friendlies as part of the Under 20 International Series. The Junior Boks will face Argentina and Georgian U20s and a senior Namibian XV.

While Buthelezi and Fezokuhle Mbatha has been included in the squad, they will continue with their Vodacom Super Rugby commitments for the Cell C Sharks.

“We have narrowed down the group that we have been working with at the SA Rugby Academy in the last two months because it is easier to work with a smaller squad, but the door remains open for players outside of this group to play their way into contention for places in the squad,” said Junior Springbok coach Chean Roux.

“We have three matches lined up in the U20 International Series and then we will face England and Wales on the Junior Springboks warm-up tour to the UK, so there is still a long way to go before we finalise our World Rugby U20 Championship squad that will travel to Argentina.”

The squad will assemble on Sunday to begin their preparations for their opening match in the U20 International Series against Georgia on Tuesday, 9 April. They will face the Argentina U20’s and Namibian XV on Saturday, 13 April, and Wednesday, 17 April, respectively.

“We are looking forward to these matches because it will be the first real test for the players since the SA Rugby Academy started,” said Roux.

“We had a few training sessions and training games in the last two months, but these matches will expose the players to proper international competition, which will give them a taste of what to expect in Argentina.”

With the team set to play five international friendlies in the lead-up to the World Rugby U20 Championship, Roux believes it would serve as good preparation for his charges going into the international spectacle.

“These matches are vital to prepare the team as well as possible for the challenge they will face in Argentina,” said Roux.

“Apart from exposing the players to the type of competition they will face in the World Rugby U20 Championship, it offers us similar preparation to the Northern Hemisphere teams, who participate in the U20 Six Nations in February and March.

“It will also give us the opportunity to see what works and what doesn’t in terms of our structures, and to ensure that we are on the right track before we depart for Rosario.”

The Junior Springboks will kick off their World Rugby U20 Championship campaign against Scotland on Tuesday, 4 June, before taking on Georgia (Saturday, 8 June) and New Zealand (Wednesday, 12 June) in the pool stages. The semi-finals will be contested on Monday, 17 June, and the final on Saturday, 22 June.

Junior Springbok training squad (in alphabetical order):

Thaakir Abrahams (Cell C Sharks)
Phendulani Buthelezi (Cell C Sharks)
David Coetzer (DHL Western Province)
Caleb Dingaan (Cell C Sharks)
Vusile Dlepu (DHL Western Province)
Kudzwai Dube (Vodacom Blue Bulls)
Celimpilo Gumede (Cell C Sharks)
Jaden Hendrikse (Cell C Sharks)
Francke Horn (DHL Western Province)
Hanro Jacobs (Cell C Sharks)
Sabastian Jobb (Vodacom Blue Bulls)
Andrew Kota (Vodacom Blue Bulls)
David Kriel (DHL Western Province)
Jaco Labuschagne (Vodacom Blue Bulls)
Elrigh Louw (Toyota Free State)
Nkosikhona Masuku (Xerox Golden Lions)
Fezokuhle Mbatha (Cell C Sharks)
Thabiso Mdletshe (Cell C Sharks)
JJ van der Mescht (Cell C Sharks)
James Mollentze (Toyota Free State)
Lunga Ncube (Cell C Sharks)
Jay Cee Nel (Vodacom Blue Bulls)
Sanele Nohamba (Cell C Sharks)
Asenathi Ntlabakanye (Xerox Golden Lions)
Marnus Potgieter (Vodacom Blue Bulls)
Rikus Pretorius (DHL Western Province)
Dylan Richardson (Cell C Sharks)
Evan Roos (Cell C Sharks)
Sibusiso Sangweni (Xerox Golden Lions)
Janko Swanepoel (Vodacom Blue Bulls)
Emile van Heerden (Cell C Sharks)
Joe van Zyl (Vodacom Blue Bulls)
Dameon Venter (Xerox Golden Lions)
Mnombo Zwelendaba (DHL Western Province)

Issued by SA Rugby Communications

With Thursday being a rest day at the World Schools Festival, teams competing at the tournament took the opportunity to explore the area as they took in the sights and sounds of the Western Cape.

In accordance with the festival’s “Spirit of Rugby” theme, players and staff from New Zealand schools John McGlashan College and Napier Boys’ High School, Cape Town-based SACS and the Africa Pacific Dragons travelled to Wellington to visit the Cornal Hendricks Foundation, a non-profit entity founded in 2014 and spearheaded by the Springbok winger after which it is named.

The Foundation supports causes aimed at combatting social ills within the Drakenstein region and surrounding areas, and players from the schools were given a tour of some of the projects they are involved in, before assisting with a training session.

“It was an eye-opening experience,” said Charles Keenan, head boy and first XV member of John McGlashan. “The Cornal Hendricks Foundation is really working hard to break the cycle of what can be perceived as poor living standards in the small community towns. What they are doing is great as it encourages kids to have hopes and dream big. To share our New Zealand skills with them, and to perform the Haka was just unforgettable.”

While Wellington is less than 100 kilometres from SACS’ school grounds, it’s a world apart in terms of conditions that the players experience on a daily basis, as head coach Nicholas Maurer admitted. “We come from a privileged background, and to go out there and contribute in a small way was special” Maurer said that the trip was most definitely worthwhile. 

“It’s about growing our boys from a holistic point of view. Making them better people, which is the whole point of rugby.” 

Members of English side Hartpury College took the time off to spend the day in Cape Town, which was recently voted the world’s best city by readers of British publication the Telegraph. 

“The boys went up Table Mountain and they thoroughly enjoyed it. It’s been a truly great day as this city is spectacular,” said Hartpury’s head coach Wayne Thompson. 

“We also popped into the Stellenbosch Academy of Sport, and that inspired the guys ahead of what promises to be a brutal battle against Paarl Gimnasium.”
That match is the final game of matchday three, which kicks off with a clash between the Western Province Invitational outfit and the Zambezi Steelers from Zimbabwe.

Paul Roos Gimnasium humiliated Southland Boys’ High of New Zealand by 93-5 in the main match of the second day of the World Schools Festival in the Markotter Stadium in Stellenbosch. 

The home side outmuscled and outplayed the visitors from the Land of the Long White Cloud. Winger Andrew Pegg recorded a hat-trick of tries as Paul Roos ran 13 tries past Southland Boys’ High.

Paul Roos already had the game in the bag by half-time with a more than comfortable lead of 45-0. Three players Meiring Ebersohn (hooker), Ruben Labuschagné and Tiaan Pretorius (both centres) managed to cross the tryline twice.  

Pegg had a blinder of a match while the two centres inside of him, Labuschagné and Pretorius, also had a field day. Jarrod Cairns (Nr. 8), Robbie Rodgers (prop) and Ebersohn also enjoyed a very good day at the office.   

Southland Boys’ High lost to Otago Boys’ High in the Highlanders Final of the New Zealand Schools Cup by 7-26 last year. By halftime, the visitors already made 54 tackles of which they also missed 19 tackles. Paul Roos only needed to make 13 tackles by this time not missing a single one. 

Scorers: 

Paul Roos Gimnasium 93 (45) – Tries: Andrew Pegg (3), Ruben Labuschagne (2), Meiring Ebersohn (2), Tiaan Pretorius (2), Cade Croy, Calvyn Louis, Jarrod Cairns, Kade Wolhuter, Dylan de Leeuw, Rohnan Daniels. Conversions: Kade Wolhuter (6), Chris Blommenstein (4). Southland Boys’ High 5 (0) – Try: Allan Callies. 

In a pristine display of running rugby, Grey College showcased what their game is all about by learning Christchurch Boys’ High a rugby lesson for the second year in a row at the World Schools Festival by 73-26 in Stellenbosch.

Grey won last year’s encounter at the festival in Paarl by 66-28. This time around the team from Bloemfontein was quick out of the blocks taking a 21-0 lead after just more than four minutes after the kick-off.

SA Schools prop Jan-Hendrik Wessels crashing over for the first try of the match before winger Franco Knoetze managed to cross the tryline twice before the New Zealanders realised that they have finished their haka.

The replacement winger, Marcell Muller, also managed to score a brace of tries when his coaches decided to let him loose in the second half. Muller weighs 100kgs and is a difficult customer to deal with when the legs are weary in the second stanza.

Grey College stayed true to their ethos that rugby is played by all 15 players on the field. The team from the City of Roses was able to build up an unassailable lead op 35-14 at the break.

Grey College ran 11 tries past Christchurch Boys’ High in the match. They will face Southland Boys’ High in their second match of the festival on Saturday.

A player to watch out for in the future in the visitor’s line-up is their fullback, Callum Simpson. He looked as if he had loads of time every time, he’s gotten the ball in hand.

Scorers:

Grey College 73 (35) – Tries: Franco Knoetze (2), Marcell Muller (2), Jan-Hendrik Wessels, JD Odendaal, Ricardo Fourie, André-Hugo Venter, Danwich Beukes, Tiaan Fourie, Tiaan Jonker. Conversions: Juan-Dee Olivier (5), Knoetze (3), FC du Plessis. Christchurch Boys’ High 26 (14) – Tries: Rusi Samuela, Jake Whalley, Ryan Sheehan, Josh Jennings. Conversions: Ollie Lewis (3).

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Boland Landbou came out on top by 30-25 in a tough arm-wrestle against Napier Boys’ High of New Zealand on the second day of the World Schools Festival in Stellenbosch.

It was a closely contested match with both teams’ goal kickers, CJ Snyman (Boland Landbou) and Henry Williams (Napier Boys’ High), struggling in the swirling wind. Williams couldn’t convert any of his side’s five tries.

Snyman managed to convert one of his side’s five tries and also slotted a penalty with just more than a minute left on the clock to make sure that Napier needed a converted try to bag the victory.

It was clear from early on in the match that Napier had a pack of forwards that would be able to match the boys from Boland Landbou in the physical battle points.

Napier dominated a scrum early on, but a loose ball was pounced on by the South African winger Keagan Wentzel. The latter put his captain and inside centre, Eugene Snyders, away for the opening try of the game.

Boland Landbou’s fullback, Boeta Moolman, danced through Napier Boys’ High’s defence on two occasions to complete his team’s first-half scoring. The teams were deadlocked at 15-all at the break.

Moolman’s second was created by lock Marco de Witt who exploited space like a centre and put his fullback away. Moolman still had to beat the final defender with some nifty footwork.

Napier Boys’ High tries in the first half came through their ability to create space on the outside with winger Bethel Malasia, Austin Soanai and Caleb Turner.

Interesting stats on the game is that Napier Boys’ High enjoyed 65% of the possession and also 60% of the territory. Boland Landbou needed to make a total of 112 tackles in the 60 minutes, while Napier only needed to make 45 tackles.

Napier however missed 16 tackles during the game. Boland Landbou won last year’s encounter against Napier Boys’ High by 59-26 during the inaugural World Schools Festival.

Scorers:

Boland Landbou 30 (15) – Tries: Boeta Moolman (2), Eugene Snyder, Keanan Wentzel, Tarique Pietersen. Conversion: CJ Snyman. Penalty: Snyman. Napier Boys’ High 25 (15) – Tries: Bethel Malasia, Austin Soanai, Caleb Turner, Rob Slabbekoorn, Angus Kilmister.

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The Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool of Pretoria or Affies as they are affectionately known as once again showed moments of what they are capable of as they cruised past the Italian All-Stars by 36-12.

Flanker Adolph Visser recorded a hat-trick of tries in this match on the second day of the World Schools Festival in the Markotter Stadium in Stellenbosch.

Affies’coaches, Jaco Koch and Jan-Hendrik Hattingh, won’t be too happy about their side’s decline in the second half after building up a 31-0 lead at the break. Visser completed his hat-trick early in the second half, but Affies couldn’t manage to capitalise on the unassailable lead in the second stanza.

Affies did however give most of their first-choice players a rest. This also provided a much-needed opportunity for their fringe players to show what they are capable of.

Winger Christiaan du Toit also produced an impressive performance for the winning side. The fullback, Ruben Barkhuizen, also had a hand in a couple of his team’s tries as he caused trouble for the Italians with his pure pace.

For the Italians, their flyhalf, Giovanni Montemauri, was without a doubt their best player on the pitch.

Scorers:

Affies 36 (31) – Tries: Adolph Visser (3), Keegan Potgieter, Christiaan du Toit, Ruben Barkhuizen. Conversions: Nico Muller (3). Italian All-Stars 12 (0) – Tries: Valerio Bizzotto, Giovanni Montemauri. Conversion: Montemauri.

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Paarl Gimnasium didn’t even need their heavyweights to ensure a comfortable 50-24 victory over the Africa Pacific Dragons on the opening day of the World Schools Festival in Stellenbosch.

Gimmies started the game with their second stringers and only had their key first team players sitting on the bench if they were to be needed. One such player Stravino Jacobs was introduced in the midfield after an injury and scored a brace of tries.

Gimmies already managed to build a healthy 24-10 lead at half-time. The No. 8, Joshua Kirsten, also performed well for the team from Paarl and was rewarded with two tries.

In the backs fullback, Matthew Jacobs, and Prevann Isaacs also provided some moments of excellence.

The score-line also flatters the AP Dragons a bit as one of their tries was from an intercept (Zion Tanielu) as well as another by Shane van Wyk was scored off a loose-ball against the run of play.

Scorers:

Paarl Gimnasium 50 (24) – Tries: Stravino Jacobs (2), Joshua Kirsten (2), Delarey Nel, Jacques Moller, Prevann Isaacs, Matthew Jacobs. Conversions: Stephan du Toit (3), Jandré Burger (2). AP Dragons 24 (10) – Tries: Jone Waisake, Tevita Ofa, Zion Tanielu, Shane van Wyk. Conversions: Hoera Stephenson (2).