Jeppe rule in Jo'burg

Jeppe surprised Johannesburg with their 28-13 victory over KES in their FNB Classic Clash on Saturday. They sent a report.

The scene. Coming into Saturday’s fixture KES were ranked 11th in the country and we were close to 50th, they had just lost  to Affies and had beaten Maritzburg College. KES are arguably the best boys' school in Johannesburg right now in rugby. They had six boys in Craven Week and three of those boys were selected to go to SA schools trials. As luck would have it, the SA Schools trials were on Saturday in Kempton Park, but in the morning and so we found out that their best players wouldn’t be playing, they had also taken a rest week as a school last week when we played Parktown so the KES team had not had a fixture in close to nine weeks.

By the time visitors and Old Boys arrived at school the Jeppe Under-14A team had beaten KES Under-14 by 30 points, then the Jeppe Under-15A, Jeppe Under-16A, B, C, D and Jeppe 6th rugby sides had all won. On the hockey side the Under-14A, Under-15A, B, C and Under-16A side had won before the 1st hockey side ran out. KES hockey has been as powerful as their rugby winning Aitken and not conceding a goal in their last five matches. Jeppe on the other hand had conceded 12 goals in the last two games. So it looked obvious as to the result. But it wasn’t to be. At halftime we were 1-0 up, then KES drew level, then we went up 2-1 and with one min left a very small error by Jeppe handed KES an equaliser and the final whistle went.

Back to the rugby... KES outweighed our boys by 20kgs per man, and they looked the business, but there was something in the eyes of the Jeppe boys. KES scored first because of some ill discipline in the ruck by the Jeppe tacklers. The tackles were massive bone-jarring, but our backline was slick and fast and by half-time Jeppe had outsung them on the stands and outplayed them on the field and were 7-3 up. Then...from the top of the school three monsters emerged. The KES SA Schools players had done their trials and raced from Kempton to Jeppe to save their school. The entire crowd hushed as these men ran past. They took off their South Africa tops and put on their KES jerseys and ran on for the start of the second half.

The KES SA players made an instant impact on the KES crowd. They were lifted and suddenly KES thought they had a chance.

The visitors however were held by the ferocious tackling of the Jeppe pack. If you had have looked up and over the Jake White field from between the rugby posts you would have seen the moon rising, and instantly known that the day was Jeppe’s.

From the start of the second half onwards Jeppe shouted louder and Jeppe scored first in the second half, and then again, and then again and with two mins left Jeppe was winning 23-6. Then KES scored their only try in front of the spectators and the Jeppe crowd and quickly converted and they were 23-13 behind. Then from that kick-off they knocked on, straight into the hands of our quickest player (Kunene) who put the ball down in the corner. We were up 28-13.  And at that point the referee ended the game and 10 000 people flooded the field. It was epic. Headboy and captain were lifted onto shoulders and the biggest warcry in ages echoed off the school buildings.

The teams

Jeppe: 15 Vincent Dlamini , 14 Eric Mdluli, 13 Sifiso Shabangu, 12 Sandile Sibande, 11 Sibusiso Kunene, 10 Graciano Pienaar, 9 Dudlee White-Sharpley, 8 Denzil Hill, 7 Jason Weitz, 6 Duncan Toner, 5 Kamgelo Qhu, 4 Cameron Wright, 3 Chad Eekhout, 2 Emmanuel Morowane, 1 Andrew Acton.

Replacements: 16 Dylan Serfontein, 17 Bradley van Waardhuizen , 18 Mahlatsi Tloubatla, 19 Dillen Olivier, 20 Shane Robbins, 21 Tsepo Thulo, 22 Taskel Sandows

Coaches: Reg Hammond, Rian van Blerk

KES: 15 Surprise Mayekiso, 14 Godfrey Ramaboea, 13 Brett Thompson, 12 Wanele Moholwana, 11 Alistair McQuire, 10 Calvin Hansell, 9 Brad Janse van Rensburg, 8 Sheldon de Robbilard, 7 Warren Naudé, 6 Keegan Mills, 5 Kyle Brink (captain), 4 Connor Brockschmidt, 3 Titon Haylock, 2 Dudley Stead, 1 Connor Lourens.

Replacements: 16 Ameer Williams, 17 Mlungisi Mackeke, 18 Dylan Pieterse, 19 Kyle Melville, 20 Keen Dry, 21 Rashard Fuller, 22 Zukile Ncube

Coaches: Carl Spilhaus, Grant Kretzmann

Results Down the Years

1935: KES won 20-0

1936: KES won 26-0

1937: KES won 12-3

1938: Jeppe won 14-3

1939: KES won 9-6

1940: KES won 10-0

1941: KES won 8-3

1942: KES won 9-3

1943: KES won 11-3

1944: Jeppe won 11-9

1944: KES won 16-10

1945: Draw 3-3

1946: Jeppe won 9-3

1947: KES won 8-6

1948: Jeppe won 11-3

1949: Draw 0-0

1950: KES won 12-6

1951: Jeppe won 17-3

1952: Jeppe won 22-8

1953: Jeppe won 8-6

1954: Jeppe won 20-6

1955: Jeppe won 14-0

1956: KES won 13-3

1957: Draw 0-0

1958: KES won 16-14

1959: Jeppe won 16-8

1960: KES won 8-6

1961: KES won 12-11

1962: KES won 17-5

1963: Jeppe won 18-0

1964: KES won 22-19

1965: KES won 12-11

1966: KES won 6-0

1967: Jeppe won 16-9

1968: KES won 15-9

1969: KES won 9-3

1970: Draw 5-5

1971: KES won 12-5

1972: KES won 37-0

1973: KES won 15-10

1974: KES won 39-3

1975: KES won 28-3

1976: KES won 57-0

1977: KES won 51-3

1978: KES won 39-6

1979: KES won 22-20

1980: KES won 26-3

1981: KES won 22-10

1982: KES won 18-6

1983: Jeppe won 17-10

1984: KES won 18-15

1985: Jeppe won 18-13

1986: KES won 36-4

1987: KES won 18-10

1988: KES won 17-9

1989: KES won 21-18

1990: KES won 16-3

1990: Jeppe won 12-9

1991: Jeppe won 9-6

1992: Jeppe won 21-0

1993: KES won 22-21

1994: KES won 22-20

1995: KES won 24-22

1996: Jeppe won 12-5

1997: KES won 38-15

1998: KES won 23-3

1999: KES won 30-15

2000: KES won 27-9

2001: Draw 15-15

2002: KES won 38-3

2002: Jeppe won 20-14

2003: KES won 27-7

2004: KES won 12-0

2005: KES won 30-7

2006: KES won 12-0

2007: KES won 40-18

2008: KES won 24-14

2009: KES won 65-10

2010: Jeppe won 17-13

2011: KES won 36-15

2012: Jeppe won 28-13

By Con Purchase