The big men delivered. This weekend’s Virseker Noordvaal Cup action showcased the depth of talent in South African schools rugby, with the competition’s unsung heroes, the forwards, dominating proceedings. In a weekend that belonged to the tight five, three hookers stole the headlines whilst Garsfontein consolidated their position atop the standings with another commanding display.
It was almost the weekend of the hookers, and what a spectacle they provided.
The hooker show
Stiaan Theron announced himself in spectacular fashion for Waterkloof, producing the kind of moment that sends coaches into raptures. He intercepted a pass to dot down whilst simultaneously excelling at his bread-and-butter work in the lineouts. It’s the dual threat that separates good hookers from great ones, and Theron delivered on both fronts.
Also read: Waterkloof make it two from two over Menlopark with dominant win
Stefan van der Vyver proved versatility remains a prized commodity in modern rugby. Usually packing down at flanker for Garsfontein, Van der Vyver stepped into the breach as stand-in for Justin Blom and showed he’s a genuine double threat. His throw-ins were laser-accurate, and his workrate around the park was exceptional, the kind of shift that wins selection headaches for coaches in the best possible way.
Despite Garsfontein eventually overpowering their opponents Noordheuwel, the Nories hooker Miguel Elliot refused to be outdone. Elliot impressed with accurate throwing and tireless workrate, proving that individual brilliance can shine even in defeat.
The front-row enforcers
Amongst the front-rowers, the weekend belonged to the tightheads, those cornerstone scrummagers who do the dirty work in the trenches.
Garsfontein’s Ruben Lombard lived up to his “man tank” moniker, dominating the scrums and unleashing hard carries that buckled defensive lines. Dewald du Toit, the Middelburg tighthead, put in a good shift whilst dazzling the crowd with slick handling to exploit backdoor options, the kind of skill set that makes modern props so dangerous.
But the standout front-rower was Helpmekaar’s tighthead prop Karlo Steenkamp, who produced a complete performance in their clash against EG Jansen. Steenkamp did it all on Saturday, carrying hard, scrumming like a seasoned professional, and even stealing a few balls at the breakdown. It’s the kind of all-court game that scouts circle in red pen.
Loose forwards bring the thunder
The loose trio brought their customary chaos and creativity.
Stefan Pieters was on fire for Waterkloof, earning man of the match honours in their clash with Menlopark. His performance encapsulated everything required from a modern loose forward, breakdown dominance, defensive intensity, and ball-carrying grunt.
Llewelyn Vermaak did an amazing job for Helpmekaar against EG Jansen, showcasing the full repertoire. Vermaak stole lineout balls, charged down box kicks, and was rewarded with a try after running a textbook support line to Xander van Niekerk.
Backline brilliance
In the backline, Alexander Griessel was on song for Waterkloof, whilst Buhle Mphalaza was superb for Middelburg as they downed Rustenburg. Mphalaza controlled the game with his educated boot, identifying space brilliantly to keep Rustenburg turning around and chasing shadows. It’s tactical kicking at its finest, using the boot as a weapon rather than an escape route.
Ethan Lourens ran on with the 12 jersey for Helpmekaar, but he played like a second pivot against EG Jansen. Lourens kicked intelligently into space before running clever lines off his twin brother Shaye. The power in his carries knocked the EG Jansen defence backwards more often than not, providing the go-forward ball that allowed Helpies to dominate.
Xander van Niekerk was impressive for Helpmekaar, countering with venom and creating at least two tries with perfectly weighted passes in the counter-attack. His vision and execution under pressure epitomised quality playmaking helping Helpmekaar to a well dserved victory over EG Jansen
One beneficiary of Van Niekerk’s brilliance was Helpmekaar wing Zuan Krige, a genuine double threat who possesses the pace to run around opponents and the size and power to run over them.
But the backline star of the weekend in the Virseker Noordvaal Cup was Yuvrah George, who produced a match-winning performance for table-toppers Garsfontein. The genuine finisher has pace to burn and comes up well in defence to cut out the second pass, proving he’s far more than just a try-scorer. George bagged a brace against Noordheuwel, underlining his status as one of the competition’s premier attacking threats.
