The team to represent KwaZulu-Natal at the upcoming under 18 Craven Week has been named.
Craven Week will take place in Stellenbosch this year, from 13 – 18 July.
Here is the KZN side – congratulations to all the boys named.
1- C. KLOPPER (Glenwood)
2- M. WISEMAN (Michaelhouse)
3- K. MCHUNU (Glenwood)
4- S. QOMA (Westville)
5- J. SESINK-CLEE (Michaelhouse)
6- K. XABA (Glenwood)
7- T. DIXON (Kearsney)
8- M. PALVIE (Glenwood)
9- M. DAHL (Hilton)
10- B. PRETORIUS (Michaelhouse)
11- I. MUKENDI (Glenwood)
12- J. TEDDER (Kearsney)
13- D. DU RANDT (Glenwood)
14- X. GUMA (Maritzburg College)
15- V. FOSTER (Michaelhouse)
16- A. SONGCA (Michaelhouse)
17- H. PRINSLOO (Westville)
18- A. PEVERELLE (Hilton)
19- M. SADIKI (Michaelhouse)
20- R. VD WESTHUIZEN (Pionier)
21- K. MUNANGI (Maritzburg College)
22- J. BOSSR (Glenwood)
Tweet
Well Michaelhouse had a fantastic year, so this is just reward for them.
Always interesting to see who made it from the non-traditional rugby high schools, I see Pionier School is in Vryheid, so good on the talent spotters for keeping an eye out in the rural areas.
Based in the Boland I never get a chance to see these guys play. Last year I was lucky enough to see some of the Academy Week games and 2 guys stuck out of that team like sore thumbs they were so good. Im glad to see that both are in this group now. Keep an eye out for Marco Palvie and Bader Pretorius.
@The Great Couch Shark (Comment 1) : Yeah good to see someone from my old hometown in the squad.
@RedSharkUtd82 (Comment 3) : Mine too, well not really home town but where I was a boarder. Different school though.
@Salmonoid the Subtle (Comment 4) : You went to Vryheid High?
@RedSharkUtd82 (Comment 5) : Yep.
@Salmonoid the Subtle (Comment 6) : Cool so did I
@The Great Couch Shark (Comment 1) : Last point…very good…
Only 22 in the squad?
@RedSharkUtd82 (Comment 5) : @Salmonoid the Subtle (Comment 6) : We used to play in the Vryheid Easter Rugby week every year…
Good luck boys…and enjoy it!!!
@pastorshark (Comment 10) : Ahh ok, I remember the Panasonic rugbyweek we hosted when I was at school there..
@RedSharkUtd82 (Comment 12) : Ah, memories…
@pastorshark (Comment 13) : any idea how this side will match up? any expectations?
Hopefully Gold as DOR will also get involved here at some stage
Not really. My expectations aren’t too high because our schools in general haven’t had a great season against other big guns. But that is not always necessarily an indication of how they will go…
Cant wait for this year’s event
Word around Meadows is that Bader Pretorius has signed with WP unfortunately. Originally from that region.
@money (Comment 17) : I was worried that that could happen.
@money (Comment 17) : I think Palvie is also originally fro the Cape.
@Morné (Comment 16) : I wish I was there…I could visit my alma mater, watch some good rugby and enjoy some of the finer (or should that be “winer?”) things in life…
@Morné (Comment 16) : I think I will just have to have to do something in the area around that time.
@Salmonoid the Subtle (Comment 18) : how many Fly halves do they want?
Coleman, Du Preez, Du Plessis, Thompson, Stapelberg plus Pretorius and whoever else they signed for u19
@Kabouter (Comment 22) : And then they will play Coleman almost exclusively.
Must say Sharks also have some pretty good flyhalves at the moment.
@pastorshark (Comment 20) : @Salmonoid the Subtle (Comment 21) :
Whoever pops in, best make sure you come and have a beer. I will be the oke running around all over the show with a radio.
@Morné (Comment 24) : Mmm…a beer…in Stellenbosch…where have I come across that before…it will come to me…
MAAAAAAATIIIIEEEES!!
Interesting to note six Glenwood in the starting 15 and one Westville, Westville beat Glenwood at Glenwood. How no one from that massive Westville front row made the starting line up surprises the hell out of me!!!
The Craven week has kicked off for our boys…
The Lions get a penalty in the first minute and will take a shot…
The kick is shanked…
The Lions get another penalty further out and will take another shot…
This one is good and the Kick ns lead 0-3 after 4 minutes…
Nice break by our scrummie but he just can’t get the ball to his mate…
Lovely grubber by our centre, but the winger cannot collect a ball that sat up nicely…
This scrum has gone on for the 2 minutes now…
Now the scrum is completed and the Lions show some nice touches…
The no. 13 for us is Matthew Kriel, brother of the two Bulls twins…he put in one beautiful grubber and one great tackle so far!!
Ohhhhh…poor reffing. The KZN boys were away…with a 3-man overlap. Lions player with a deliberate knock down…ref doesn’t card, doesn’t penalise, doesn’t even give the knock. Well, that was pretty ridiculous!!
Nice running by the Natal boys…the hooker has put in two good runs!
Ohhhhhh…great stuff by the KZN boys, but the winger drops it with an open tryline!!
Great bump off by the no.8, great break by the lock and good offload in the tackle by Kriel, but the winger coughs it up…ai!
Sharks score!!
The Lins cleared it but from the resulting lineout we drove it beautifully and scored off the back of the maul…
Great conversion! 7-3 after 14 minutes…
The field has been destroyed by earlier games…heavy underfoot conditions…
Nice pressure defence by the Natal boys…
Our scrum under big pressure, but they get it our well and attack in the backs…
Some nice play again…Kriel ran a beautiful line into the gap, but unfortunately left the ball behind…
Scrum penalty against our tighthead…
The Lions chase play down the touchline with a good kick…
Another penalty to the Lions…ohhh, very harsh decision by the ref…it looked to be a good steal!
The kick is nailed and that makes it 7-6 after 20 minutes…
Another penalty Lions…what is that now? 7 penalties to 0? OK…
The penalty misses touch and the KZN boys kick it back…
Another penalty to the Lions…
Jeepers, he’s pinged him for offside, but he was half a meter behind the last line of feet…
Ah, a penalty to us…nice…
Great hands by the Natal flankers…but the final pass is just forward…
The no.8 has impressed several times…
Almost a tighthead for KZN…
Penalty to KZN at scrum time…
Pretorius is going to take a shot…
Bader nails it perfectly and makes it 10-6…
10-6 after 27 minutes..
Wonderful tackle by the KZN boy…wow!
This time we overthrow the lineout…but do manage to collect and clear…
Nice steal, but our counterattack is quickly snuffed out!
Tighthead for KZN…the hooker has impressed so far…
After several phases we knock it and then concede a penalty. Now we get marched back for backchatting the ref…or swearing at him…
The Lions set up the lineout…
They maul it up then attack hard through several phases…
After plenty of phases the ref checks with his touch judge…and awards the try…
The conversion is good and the Lions lead again by 10-13…
10-13 after 33 minutes…
Good pressure by our boys at the kickoff and now we attack hard deep into the 22…
Poor option by our boys there. We were hard on the attack and then went for a drop goal, which was charged down…ai!
That makes it halftime…10-13…
It’s been a pretty good game so far…relatively even, though the Sharks have had the better of the attacking opportunities…in the second half we just need to take a few more of those opportunities…
We get going again…
The Natal boys do really well to hold up the Lions in a maul…but get penalised…I don’t know what for…
The kick is nailed and it is 10-16…
Wow, our no. 8 is impressive…
Great run by him sets up a big attack…
TMO to check…
Good defence by the Lions holds it up…
Glad to see both Smit and Botes at the Craven week, scouting out the boys at the right age – which is 1 year before the Bulls contract all of them.
Great play by Natal, but no reward…
There was advantage and our boys are awarded a penalty…
Pretorius will take a shot at goal…
He nails it and makes it 13-16 after 39 minutes…
Bader Pretorius has kicked very well…
A lot of slipping on this wet field…and we are penalised again…
The penalty is not kicked out again and a great kick by the Natal fullback chases the Lions back…
A great drive by the Lions and they earn a well-deserved penalty…
The Lions with a creative lineout move are now hard on the attack…
After 9 phases, good defence holds the Lions out and they earn a turnover scrum…
The Lions shove so early the even Andy Cap sees it…but are not blown…
KZN get a scrum penalty and can get a relieving kick in…
We clean up an untidy lineout and kick it ahead, put on pressure and turn it over…
Penalty KZN…good play by the boys there!!
Pretorius takes a shot…
Another clean strike, long kick…but just to the right of the upright…
Sounds like the ref deserves to get “backchatted” hope its his last game of the week. These are still lighties, refs mustnt come and stuff with their bias and stuff it up for them at this stage.
Lovely kick by Natal…out 5m out…
Wow…the ref has a few brainfarts…he has just marched the KZN boys back by 21m…hau!!
Pretorius just misses a monster kick…
Wow…big hands in the ruck by the Lions right in front of the ref…not blown…even Butch saw that!!!
Good clearance by Natal…
Great running by KZN…but again they can’t finish off. Quick take by the scrummie, lovely strong run by the winger…
Our 15 has also done well…some nice touches, nice kicking…
13-16 after 55 minutes…
15 mins to go…
Our boys win another scrum penalty…kicked out right on the corner from the halfway line…wow Pretorius!!
Wow…surely that must be a card or penalty try!!
Wow! Card given but no penalty try! That is bizarre!!!
Really poor reffing…wow…
Big drive on by Natal…collapsed, penalty and yellow card given but no penalty try?!?!
Sharks make a mistake now and the Lions have a scrum…
Now the Lins get the penalty…
Mind-boggling stuff there Mr Ref…
10 minutes to go…
13-16 after 60 mins…
Nice counterattack by KZN ends in a knock…and now that should have been a penalty to the Lions for offside but only a scrum given…
@pastorshark (Comment 112) : Lets hope the EP flyhalf in the next game impresses you even more because I believe Pretorius is going to WP next year and we are getting him.
Oh wow…my word!! I’m going to stop talking about the ref now!
Work to be done by SARU in this department…
Another tighthead by KZN…but they can’t make it count!
Great little pass by the KZN fullback but our winger coughs it up…ai!!
We’ve had all the opportunities to win this in the last 10 minutes but not the composure to wrap it up…
The no. 11 wingers has been impressive…great run…but again the wrong options…
Oh dear…why kick…
We were hard on attack and a poor kick handed the ball to the Lions…
KZN have to run it the length of the field to win this…
And they doooooo!!!!!
Oh wow!!!!
The hooker, who has had a great game, put the winger, who had dropped about everything before now, away…and he ran 65m, beating the fullback with a beautiful inside outside…wow!
The conversion is missed…but KZN win 18-16…
@pastorshark (Comment 135) : I presume he scored?
I was about to write: How did KZN lose this? But they pulled the bunny out of the hat…
@Salmonoid the Subtle (Comment 137) : Yeah…in the corner…
@Salmonoid the Subtle (Comment 137) : He has a hat-full of pace! And a wonderful little swerve, judging by that run!! If he can just catch the ball more often he should be really good…
@pastorshark (Comment 136) : Thank you for the commentary – its well appreciated.
Bader Pretorius got the man of the match. He was good, but I thought our hooker was the MOTM…
@Salmonoid the Subtle (Comment 141) : I’m on holiday…the family was having a lunch time snooze…and I was watching anyway…so no problem…
How did Palvie, 8th man, play?
Best players for KZN…
Backline: Well most of them…good running, good touches in those conditions…they all showed some promise!
Forwards: Definitely numbers 2 and 8! Our props came off second best, but our no. 2 got 3 tightheads! The no. 8 is a big boy with pace and strength and
Best players for KZN…
Backline: Well most of them…good running, good touches in those conditions…they all showed some promise!
Forwards: Definitely numbers 2 and 8! Our props came off second best, but our no. 2 got 3 tightheads! The no. 8 is a big boy with pace and strength and good hands!
The Lions had some good players too…in the conditions there was some good stuff on show, though bits of the second half got a bit scrappy…
@pastorshark (Comment 143) : Where are you holidaying?
The ref wasn’t great…but at the end of the day didn’t affect the result. I reckon KZN deserved the win…even if it was last gasp…
@Salmonoid the Subtle (Comment 148) : Banana Beach…time share…freezing!!! 🙂
EP vs SWD (last year’s final) is the last game of the day…
After 15 minutes in this game it is 5-3 to EP…SWD has missed 2 kicks…otherwise it has been pretty even…
Oh wow…lovely running by EP lesds to try no. 2!
Hugh Bladen calling that lad “the great number 8” is probably a bit much… 🙂
The odds are that Blades wanted to say big and ended up saying great…it happens… 🙂
The coastal sides have had the better of the first round of games with WP beating the Bulls and KZN beating the Lions…
Northern Free State beating Free State was a bit of a shock yesterday!
EP leads 12-3 after 21 mins…
So the family is awake…and we’re going to brave the freezing weather to go for a walk on the beach! Bye…
@pastorshark (Comment 150) : Used to spend great weekends there in the 80’s. I think the spot we stayed at was Bothas Rus or something like that. Right on the beach which is where we braaied all weekend, crayfish included. Im sure its all grown up by now.
Cold, Ill swap anytime – in the Boland with snow on the mountains but still no rain…very worrying.
I know this is way of topic but I just realized the KZN Rugby union is 125 years old this year will they do something diffrent with the jerseys ( I am way to young to know what the origional jerseys looked like) or at least use the old logo on the jerseys for the cc
@pastorshark (Comment 157) : Free State juniors also had a shocking week, lost all 3 I think. Grey Bloem also having an off season. The last time Craven Week was played in Stellies Free State were the top school destroying WP in the final, with the Ebersohn brothers stealing the show. Man they were good on that day.
Stormers just signed JC Janse van Rensburg. As I said earlier, Smal knows which positions need beefing up to enable his team to be complete. We have a huge centre and wing problem yet are not doing much about it. Only new person is Mjekevu and he is brought in as a wing. Smal Smit is going to FS. No confirmation on Frans Steyn. Odwa is leaving. So our only outside centre is Paul Jordaan who just loves injuries. Playing high risk games Gary Gold.
@Salmonoid the Subtle (Comment 160) : Yeah, the lack of rain is a big concern for our little part of the midlands too. They’ve had 70mm on the South Coast in the last week, but we only had 5mm…
Banana Beach is still remarkably un-grownup! There are two time share resorts, but a very quiet place with a quiet unspoilt beach, a great fishing spot and very few people! Which is why we like it!
Here are the results for Craven Week Day 1:
Namibia 38 – 14 Border CD
Boland 52 – 7 Limpopo BB
Border 32 – 28 Pumas
Free State 22 – 41 Griffons
Western Province 20 – 13 Blue Bulls
Here are the results for day 2:
Griquas CD 17 – 12 Zimbabwe (Zim made over 100 tackles & led 12-5 with 5 min to go)
Valke 43 – 27 Eastern Province CD
Griquas 28 – 17 Leopards
KwaZulu-Natal 18 – 16 Golden Lions
Eastern Province 41 – 31 South Western Districts
@GreatSharksays (Comment 163) : You’ve forgotten about Waylon Murray… 🙂
@BR (Comment 161) : I still have an old jersey with an old emblem…
@pastorshark (Comment 168) : always liked the old emblem. Hope they do a jersey with the old emblem, will definitely buy one.
@BR (Comment 161) : Talked to BLK this week. There will be a 125 year jersey for the players but they couldn’t confirm a supporters version yet. The Sharks are quite strict, stricter than the other unions, about what they approve and allow as supporters gear. There was talk earlier this year that it they’re looking at an old style cotton jersey but the manufacturing process for these is very slow compared to the modern sublimated jerseys
@GreatSharksays (Comment 163) : where is odwa going?
@JD (Comment 169) : I wonder whether they’ll do anything! I haven’t heard anything yet…
@Baylion (Comment 170) : Oh, in that case…ok. Thanks for the info. I look forward to seeing it!