Grey ‘B’ face Pretoria test
14 Jul 2010
The schools rugby season resumes on Saturday after the long July holiday with Pretoria Boys High hosting Grey College at 3pm.
The playing field has been levelled slightly this year by the interference of Saru’s high-performance programme, which sees a number of the Grey College players, including their top stars, unable to play because they will be in East London where the SA side meet France on Friday.
Boys High have lost just one player to the high-performance squad – speedy winger Richmond Collins – while Grey have seven out: Johan Goosen, Ruwellyn Isbel, Paul Jordaan, Kevin Luiters, William Small-Smith, Neethling Fouche, and Neil Jordaan.
However, Boys High coach Greg Hassenbach has no illusions about the size of the task they face.
‘I guess, in any year, Grey can put out a 2nd XV that is capable of beating most teams, so the side we will be facing will be very strong, even without their stars,’ he told keo.co.za.
‘We only got the side together late last week and have had a few good practice sessions and a game against the Harlequins U19 side that went quite well, so I know the boys will be up for it and will keep trying throughout.’
Hassenbach thinks the long break might do his side good.
‘All the niggles and injuries have had time to heal and everyone is fresh and enthusiastic,’ he said. ‘On the other hand the Grey boys will have had a busy holiday with practices before Craven Week and three hard games there, so they will be less fresh.’
Grey will be travelling up by train for what is one of the biggest schools rugby fixtures on the schools calendar (last year there were 27 rugby games played on the day). Their 1st XV team will, however, arrive in Pretoria on Friday and stay in a hotel.
‘So, while the rest of our sides may benefit from their opponents spending a cold night on the train the night before, the firsts won’t get that advantage,’ Hassenbach said.
By Gauteng correspondent
11 Comments
14 Jul 2010, 13:08 pm
“By Gauteng correspondent” Dragon
14 Jul 2010, 13:09 pm
Rory, is it you?
14 Jul 2010, 13:26 pm
Grey B should still comfortably win. Last year we lost first choice centers Francois Venter and Piet Lindeque to the SA Schools set up – and who was playing then? Paul Jordaan and William Small Smith. Now look where they are (both SA Schools again).
Kevin Luiters was also never the first choice scrummie, so a loss, but Nicol Viljoen has been starting all season.
lastly – Ruwelyn Isebel has been injured since Affies game – so he Inus Keyser is a perfect replacement. He played FS Schools and has been benching for the first team.
Simon, you know what time the game is???
14 Jul 2010, 15:12 pm
@Cheetah Champs(Cheetha Champs)-3: 3pm
14 Jul 2010, 15:25 pm
@Simon(Simon)-4: Who is the Gauteng Correspondent
14 Jul 2010, 16:51 pm
@Simon(Simon)-4: Thanks for the feedback !!
15 Jul 2010, 06:59 am
Cheetah Champs Its Nicol Linde, not Viljoen
15 Jul 2010, 08:03 am
Dont you mean Greg Hassenkamp, he was the coach when I last heard!!
16 Jul 2010, 08:05 am
Can someone give me an informed opinion of rugby at Pretoria BHS?
I have been away from SA for 15 years and haven’t kept up with the old school [where I played rugby too as a Boarder].
I ran into an old Boy the other day who refered me to this site for news, he also warned me that Boys High rugby had ‘deteriorated significantly over the last 10 years’. [he also told me that tennis courts had been ripped up for basketball courts..]
Is this all true? More importantly if so – what went wrong [if it has] ?
16 Jul 2010, 17:52 pm
@Dhale,
PBHS is alive and well and the tennis courts are still in tact. The last two rugby seasons have not been great but to be fair, Boys High have only played around 7 games at home in the last two years.
Don’t make the silly error of judging the school by rugby results.
The new headmaster, Mr Reeler, has just taken control and the boys and the discipline are as good as ever. I have a son at Solomon House and I can promise you Boys High is every bit as good (and maybe even better) than you remember.
Why don’t you come to Boys High tomorow and see for yourself how well behaved the boys are. Grey may win the rugby but I will promise you that Boys High will be better gentleman, hosts and will have more pride in their team.
Boys High still don’t buy players, don’t offer bursaries and play rugby as it is meant to be played at School Boy level.
It is difficult to compete against some schools who have turned the beautiful game of school boy rugby into a semi- professional sport.
One only has to read the above article to get a sense of what I mean. “The Grey first team will travel to Pretoria the night before the game and will spend the night in a hotel.” When Boys High travel to Grey, the spend the night with hosts or in a hostel.
Go Candies – Play with heart, and show Grey that as professional as they are, we will give them a go.
17 Jul 2010, 18:10 pm
If schoolboys are regarded “professional” through sheer hard work, determination and commitment, then Grey is professional.Ten of their regular 1st were absent against Boys High(6 in SA setup,2 injured)and it showed in the match.But congratulations to PBHS with a spirited performance-they offered the strongest resistance to Grey so far this year
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