Jeppe, DHS continue to show ‘Top 10’ credentials

WRAP: Jeppe High School for Boys and Durban High School (DHS) claimed victories on Saturday to consolidate their respective positions in the unofficial rankings, while top dogs Paul Roos Gymnasium extended their winning streak.

The debate around the best school team in South Africa – and indeed the debate around the top 20 sides – continues to rage.

Schoolboy rugby experts continue to compile their own rankings lists, and many of these lists are accompanied by an asterisk or two.

Different schools are subjected to different fixtures and travel schedules, and win-loss records aren’t the sole measure of excellence, especially for teams that don’t play the top dogs – Paul Roos, Grey College, the Paarl heavyweights, Affies, and others – as often as others.

When these ‘lower-ranked’ schools manage to upset the big schools, it prompts another debate about where they should rank on these national lists.

Milnerton, for example, shot up the rankings earlier this year after beating Rondebosch and Bishops. Wynberg moved into the top tier for a spell after beating Paarl Boys in Paarl.

Jeppe scored the biggest upset of the year when they beat Grey College 22-19 at a festival in March. Since then, they have been elevated into the ‘Top 10’ and held to a higher standard.

Their 2024 record reads: played 15, won 11, lost four. They went down 31-37 to Garsfontein in their season opener, and suffered a 19-45 defeat to Boishaai in March – just a week before their big win against Grey College.

In April, they suffered back-to-back losses – a 26-39 defeat to Affies in Pretoria and a 28-38 loss to local rivals KES at home.

The latter result was especially significant, regarding their quest to become the top Johannesburg side. Since then, they have won their next six games – a run that’s included a 40-8 victory against Northwood, another much-improved side, and a 47-31 win over Monument.

This past weekend, Jeppe beat KES 23-13 in the second leg of the annual derby series. The result won’t settle any local debates, but it will give Jeppe the chance to end a good season on a high.

If they beat DHS this week, and subsequently Parktown, they will finish the year in the top 10.

DHS will have similar ambitions. They’ve been the form side in KwaZulu-Natal this season, with the 7-7 draw at Northwood the only ‘black’ mark on their local record. More recently, they beat Northwood 18-11 at home.

DHS came within a score of beating Rondebosch earlier this year and lost by three to Boishaai in May. They should be desperate to finish their season with a fairly big scalp, and the last match against Jeppe will provide them with that opportunity.

Waterkloof deserve credit for their consistency, winning 14 of their 17 games to date.

Many have spoken about the plucky side from Pretoria as a Top 10 contender, and it would have been interesting to see how they fared against the likes of DHS and Jeppe, or even Oakdale if given the chance.

Few have succeeded against the ‘top four’ – Paul Roos, Grey, Paarl Gym, and Affies – and so it would be unfair to dismiss Waterkloof as a Top 10 feature based solely on their losses to Paul Roos and Affies (they went down 28-43 to their Pretoria rivals at home last Saturday).

There is daylight between the top two sides and those ranked (by many) in third and fourth
position.

With regards to the latter, Gimmies have lost to Paul Roos and Grey College, while Affies have lost to Paul Roos, Grey College, and Gimmies. Those ‘top four’ results aside, both sides are unbeaten.

Affies should go on to beat Pretoria Boys in their final fixture and claim the local crown. Having lost two big games, Gimmies will set their sights on winning the local derby in Paarl on 3 August – and should go into that clash as favourites, given that Boishaai has been less consistent this season.

Paul Roos put Bishops to the sword recently, although that 42-7 result also needs to be seen in context. They’re the form side this year, while Bishops are struggling to end a horrendous losing streak.

Paul Roos should go on to beat Stellenberg and Boland Lanbou (at home).

From there, the last fixture against Grey College will determine whether they finish the season unbeaten or not and whether they end the year at the top of every rankings list.