Schools Top 20 2015
They were top in 2012, followed by Paarl Gim in 2013 and Grey Bloem in 2014.
This is the last Top 20 for 2015. Four men sat around the table with a sheaf of papers, one of which was blank, for they discarded all that had gone since April and started afresh.
That fresh start was easy enough. Choosing No.1 was the easiest decision of the day. After that there was a lot of grind – working out who won or lost against whom, for we took the quality of the opposition into account as well.
Many schools came into the reckoning, not just those who had been on Top 20s during the year.
Those who had been on Top 20s since April 7 were Affies, Bishops, Boland Landbou, Dale, Diamantveld, Dr EG Jansen, Eldoraigne, the two Greys, Helpmekaar, HTS Middelburg, Jeppe, Maritzburg College, Marlow, Menlopark, Michaelhouse, Monument, Nelspruit, Oakdale, Outeniqua, Paarl Boys' High, Paarl Gim, Paul Roos, Potchefstroom Gim, Queen's College, Rondebosch, SACS, Selborne, Stellenberg, Waterkloof, Westville and Wynberg – 32 schools in all.
Two of these schools were unbeaten – Paarl Boys' High and Michaelhouse. Calibre of opposition also plays a part in the final choice.
It cannot simply depend on who beat whom. If SACS beat Affies and Affies beat Westville and Westville beat SACS, that already complicates matters but it gets more complicated if you take that wheel wider and end up with direct contradictions.
The end result was reached by careful, unbiased consideration, a task made more difficult by the great number of strong school sides in South Africa.
After saying this now for 17 years at the start of Top 20 season, this is not at all absolute. Regardless of what system you use, it cannot be absolute but it does add to interest in rugby in our schools with a bit of extra interest and discussion/argument.
Schools Top 20 2015
1. Paarl Boys' High
2. Paarl Gim
3. Paul Roos
4. Affies
5. Monument
6. Grey College of Bloemfontein
7. Oakdale
8. Outeniqua
9. Selborne
10. HTS Middelburg
11. Dr EG Jansen
12. Eldoraigne
13. Garsfontein
14. Grey of Port Elizabeth
15. Michaelhouse
16. SACS
17. Boland Landbou
18. Nelspruit
19. Maritzburg College
20. Rondebosch
