Grey College starts the season with a victory over Trio
Grey College will be satisfied with the performances of their teams over the weekend at the 30th annual Hester van der Walt Sports Day hosted by President Steyn at the Gonval Store Park just outside Bloemfontein.
With a total of 60 rugby teams across all high school age grades playing on the day, this event was the perfect way to kick off the 2023 rugby season, allowing the respective coaches to evaluate their players and test out different combinations.
Grey College opted to use the event as part of their trials, fielding three teams on the day. Coach Jannie Geldenhuys and co will be happy with the performances put in by the boys with Grey’s experimental teams all winning their matches.
The senior players from Grey who were absent, fulfilling their summer sporting duties, will have some serious competition when they return to the squads.
Grey College’s provisional first team faced Griffons champions, Hoërskool Trio, for the first time in the penultimate match of the day.
Trio had the dream debut season in 2022, playing their first match ever at the President Steyn Sports Day against Jim Fouché, losing 20-3 in that game, but evolving over the course of the season to ultimately beat JF in the Kovsie League’s Shimla final 22-19.
Grey, however, proved too powerful for the newcomers, beating them comfortably by 38-10.
Vincent Wolhuter (fullback), David du Toit (flanker), Marno Stopforth (lock) and Pieter van der Merwe (Center) all crossed the try line in the first half, with Heinz Stockenström (flyhalf) adding two conversions. Louis Boshoff from Trio managed to convert a penalty to get his team on the board.
As expected, Grey made use of their bench to give all their available players some valuable game time. JJ Theron, Jean-Henri Smit, Martin Botha and Erich Visser all came on in the second half and continued applying the pressure.
Erich Visser also played earlier for the second team, excelling in both games.
Trio scored the first try of the second half, with Haaron Kabeya dotting down the ball behind the try line and Louis Boshoff adding the conversion to raise Trio’s score to 10.
Kabeya produced another couple of moments of magic but the visitors from Kroonstad just didn’t manage to converts these into points on the scoreboard.
As the replacements from Grey began making an impression on the game, however, the boys from Bloemfontein regained control.
Grey College’s second team overpowered HTS Louis Botha by 88-0.
Grey’s third team faced Sentraal’s first team in the opening match of the day, beating the Tralies 26-7.
Sentraal opened the scoring when winger, Pat Cloete, pinched an intercept in the seventh minute and scored. Grey was able to level the scores in the dying moments of the first half.
In the second half, Grey scored three unanswered tries and took control of the game.
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Scorers:
Grey College 38 (24) – Tries: Vincent Wolhuter, David du Toit, Marno Stopforth, Pieter van der Merwe, AN Other, Jean-Henri Smit. Conversions: Heinz Stockenström (4). Hoërskool Trio 10 (3) – Tries: Haaron Kabeya. Conversions: Louis Boshoff. Penalties: Louis Boshoff.
Louis Botha 0. Grey College II 88 (29).
Sentraal 7 (7) – Tries: Pat Cloete. Conversions: Ruan van Niekerk. Grey College III 26 (7).
Other teams:
u16: Grey College 45, Trio 5.
u15: Grey College 46, Trio 0.
u14: Grey College 19, Trio 11.
