A Scouts Perspective – Grey PE Festival
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Grey High School PE Rugby Festival
Andre Tredoux – It’s with a great anticipation that 40 rugby teams headed to the Powerade Grey PE Rugby Festival in Port Elizabeth this past weekend. With many of South Africa’s top rugby schools in action it also brought agents, scouts, girlfriends and parents to the picturesque Algoa Bay.
The agents and scouts were there in full force from up North to down south everybody looking for the next Johan Goosen, Jaco Taute or Elton Jantjies.
Saturday morning was a cloudy autumn morning, with the odd rain cloud around. The first game heated up, the morning with Nico Malan taking on the mighty Kearsney. The game started at a fierce pace with Nico Malan, with only 3 grade 12 boys throwing the ball around. The Kearsney heavies were rocked by an early try, with Selvyn Davids playing a big part in making the much bigger and heavier Kearsney defenders gasping at air. Davids is a special talent that is just too small for the fifteen man game. The twin sons of former Springbok scrumhalf Robert du Preez, Daniel and Jean- Luc, playing at lock and flank brought Kearsney right back into the game, with their large frames and good athletic ability, they seem to be Sharks stars in the making.
After Kearsney dominated the middle part of the game leading 22 -8 with about a quarter left in the game, Selvyn Davids sparked the Nico Malan youngsters and with the boys from Botha’s Hill running out of steam the first real shock result of the weekend was complete. Players to watch are Kearsneys outside centre, Sandile Kubeka, the du Preez brothers and it was also good to see Matthew Reece-Edwards son of former Sharks fullback Hugh, back on the field after his big injury from last year. Nico Malan’s eigthman Martin Groenewald is also one to watch.
On Pollock Field HTS Louis Botha showed that they can become a force to be reckoned with in the future. The boys from Bloem did however go down 12 – 13 to Brandwag from Uitenhage on Saturday, before pushing Westville close on Monday with 5 minutes play left the HTS boys were leading 13 -8 before going down 20 -13. Vincent Maruping looks like a superstar of the future, the lock who played in the SA schools sevens team, understands a lineout, has pace to burn and an aggressive streak. The HTS side is disciplined and well coached. Well done Dirkie Groenewald, Ivan Stevens and the management at HTS. That is great development work you gents are doing.
A rain storm hit making the scouts run for cover and with Framesby playing Selbourne it would be more a case of get your flippers and snorkel out. In a titanic battle that resembled a mud bath Joshua van Rooyen the Selbourne fullback kicked four penalties in the worst conditions to seal a 12-10 win, Framesby scored two tries, but there young pivot Ernst Stapelberg who is also a star of the future mist a crucial conversion at the death. Van Rooyen was the standout in the Selbourne effort the young fullback has a Jaco Taute look about him and can be one to watch. Siphesihle Punguzwa the Selbourne captain and eighthman is also a talent, but might have to move to hooker as he is on the short side. He is an aggressive runner and very physical. Framesby were workmen like and well drilled as always. Louis Gerber, the Framesby coach can be proud of his boys.
Paul Roos displayed on day one that they might be a contender for that elusive number one spot. In wet conditions they handled the ball with ease and there offloading was sublime. Westville were disappointing after their good start to the season. Ramone Sameuls the Paul Roos hooker was the standout player. The youngster having moved from the side of the scrum, has found his position, were he can become a star. Having seen him last year at St Johns I always thought he would be too short for a top flank forward. He has it all at hooker, although he will still need a lot of work on his throwing. Stemmet the tighthead is also a bruiser, and I won’t want to meet this young man in a dark alley. Uys the lock has also got what it takes to be the next Andries Bekker. At the back Dalen Goliath stole the show and is a class finisher.
Queens are passionately coached and they rely heavily on the talent of Joshua Sander a big flyhalf, he kicks equally of both feet and he defends really well. Scrumhalf Juan-Philip Smith is also talented and reminds of Robert du Preez, tall and strong. Aubrey Ferreira the fullback was also electric when joying the line. Their opponents Durban High School were disappointing and the horseflies will need to work hard to avoid a disappointing year. Payi there captain and fullback is a class act.
The Kriel twins form Maritzburg College are classy backs, Jesse at fullback and Daniel at 13 are two top players and I look forward to watching them in the future. Ricci Bamber played at 12 on Monday and he is a creative inside centre with a good step and soft hands. Michaelhouse the other Midlands powerhouse had to work hard to down a spirited Nico Malan on Monday; the lads have a strong hooker in Stefan Hartman, and an awesome 13 in Michael Mvelase.
The Grey PE boys are well coached team, with hats off to Rory Duncan in his first year with Grey. They seem to have a good spirit going. The Headboy and captain Lloyd Parker is a beefy front rower and he gets around the park, the two locks are also very busy and the lanky 6 Jordan Turner is also a very good player. But it’s in the backs were the Grey boys are dangerous and Alex Benfield at 12 is dangerous creative player, he creates many opportunities for the sprinters, both the wingers are dangerous, but the stand out of the tournament is Sergeal Petersen. The 2011 SA u17 100m champion according to one of the Grey supporters is a phenomenal rugby player. He had the scouts jumping for their phones, checking their budgets, the boy has everything. He was down as a winger on the program, but played at fullback and that is a position he can dominate in.
Compliments to Grey PE for hosting a great tournament.
Encouraging seeing my top 5 players at the tournament that there are 3 players of colour. Ramone Samuels, Sergeal Petersen, Vincent Muraping, Joshua van Rooyen and Josh Stander, take a bow. Other players that were close : Daniel Kriel, Alex Benfield and Dalen Goliath.
The passion of schoolboy rugby… got to love it.
Keep it real…
Andre Tredoux (UFS Shimlas Talent Scout)
0836527569
You can give us your schools 1st XV Rugby festival information and results to media@schoolrugby.co.za or post to our social pages www.facebook.com/schoolrugby or www.twitter.com/schoolrugby
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