Schools Top 20 - 7 May 2019

OPINION: Not in 20 years of doing the Top 20 have we had a seismic shock of the proportions caused by the 2019 Schools tournament in Kimberley this past weekend.

Just look at the results. We have put last week's ranking in brackets. No brackets means unranked, i.e. not on the Top 20.

Affies (13) vs Drostdy (20), 38-22

Boland Landbou (8) vs Transvalia, 59-15

Framesby vs Menlopark, 29-21

Framesby (9) vs Helpmekaar (5), 18-17

Garsfontein vs Glenwood (16), 39-24.

Garsfontein vs Oakdale (17), 31-14

Grey College vs Outeniqua, 64-7

Grey College (1) vs Paarl Gim (2), 47-33

Menlopark vs Oakdale (17), 32-10

Monument (11) vs Boland Landbou (8), 42-33

Monument (11) vs Drostdy (20), 28-20

Noord-Kaap (13) vs Helpmekaar (5), 34-33

Outeniqua vs Noord-Kaap (13), 50-7

Paarl Boys' High (4) vs Affies (7), 39-12

Paarl Boys’ High (4) vs Glenwood (16), 55-7

Paarl Gim (2) vs Transvalia, 73-7

Stellenberg (15) vs Diamantveld, 22-19

Stellenberg (15) vs Welkom Gim (6), 43-26

Waterkloof vs Diamantveld, 38-5

Waterkloof vs Welkom Gim (6), 39-20

Candidates for promotion are clearly Garsfontein, Waterkloof and Outeniqua with their huge win.

Candidates for demotion are Helpmekaar and Welkom Gim.

Results of Top 20 teams not in Kimberley: Paul Roos were champions of the Sanix Tournaments, Rondebosch beat Wynberg 28-17, KES beat Jeppe 43-31 and Grey PE beat Dale 28-25, while Selborne and St Andrew's did not play. Of those bubbling under, Dr EG Jansen and Hilton did not play, Northwood beat Westville 19-15, Grey PE beat Dale, Wynberg lost to Rondebosch, Dale lost to Grey PE and SACS lost 39-21 to Bishops.

The top four can stay as they are. Paarl Gim lost but then it was to mighty Grey Bloem and third-placed Paul Roos played in Japan and Boys' High played teams lower down the list. Then we get to Helpmekaar and Welkom Gim.

And so we weighed things up and arrived at the following ranking in which Garsfontein make the biggest leap ever.

Top 20 - 8 May 2019

1 Grey College

2 Paarl Gim

3 Paul Roos

4 Paarl Boys' High

5 Framesby

6 Affies

7 Monument

8 Garsfontein

9 Boland Landbou

10 Rondebosch

11 KES

12 Grey High

13 Menlopark

14 Stellenberg

15 Outeniqua

16 Glenwood

17 Noord-Kaap

18 St Andrew's of Grahamstown

19 Selborne

20 Drostdy

Pressure group: Bishops, Dale, Helpmekaar, Northwood, Oakdale, Welkom Gimnasium, Wynberg.