Schools Top 20 - 2018

RANKINGS: The schools season has come to a dramatic conclusion and for the sixth time of the past decade, Grey College of Bloemfontein has emerged as our number one school on our famous Top 20.

This is our final Schools Top 20 for 2018 and it is the hardest one to compose as we go through the schools under the microscope of the whole season’s performances. This is not just a reaction to what went on the weekend before; it is a reaction to the whole season’s matches, as few as 12 matches and as many as 24.

Furthermore, it is not just a reaction to one result. It is quite possible to have a team below a team whom they beat. The wheel turns too much. For example, Oakdale beat Paarl Boys’ High who beat Paarl Gim who beat Oakdale.

The final Top 20 of the past decade:

2008: Grey College & Paarl Gim
2009: Grey College
2010: Grey College
2011: Grey College
2012: Paarl Boys’ High
2013: Paarl Gim
2014: Grey College
2015: Paarl Boys’ High
2016: Paarl Boys’ High
2017: Paarl Boys’ High

Part of our consideration is to take into account the calibre of opposition, not just victories. Our standard of strong opposition is Top 20 ranking. It is possible for a team to be unbeaten in a season without ever playing a strong team. Just being unbeaten is not criterion enough for a top position.

In deciding between two and three, we used two criteria – venue and calibre of opposition.

Glenwood drew with Grey Bloem, in Durban while Paul Roos lost by two points in Bloemfontein to a late penalty at a tackle. Paul Roos played against nine Top 20 teams, Glenwood five. Paul Roos played against four in the top six, Glenwood one. And so it seemed fair to put Paul Roos above Glenwood.

Schools Top 20 – 2018

1 Grey College
2 Paul Roos
3 Glenwood
4 Paarl Gim
5 Paarl Boys’ High
6 Oakdale
7 Transvalia
8 Monument
9 Helpmekaar
10 Garsfontein
11 Wynberg
12 Outeniqua
13 Affies
14 Boland Landbou
15 Selborne
16 Bishops
17 Menlopark
18 Drostdy
19 Jeppe
20 Ben Vorster