There’s a busy programme awaiting the Eastern Cape’s top girls’ hockey teams this weekend, with sides seeking to further hone their skills ahead of the annual SASHOC Inter-Provincial Tournament, which rolls around in less than a month.
This weekend will see, among others, Westering High School, Pearson, Woodridge College, and Cambridge High in action, all eager to add a tick to the win column.
The two stand-out matches will be late-morning Saturday showdowns, when Diocesan School for Girls Makhanda(DSG) hosts Collegiate Girls’ Highin a clash which is expected to produce fireworks. Meanwhile, in Qonce, Kingsridge(KHS) takes on Clarendon.
The visitors, from East London, will be favoured to win. Almost a month ago, coach Luaan Sedras’s charges claimed gold at the Spar Eastern Cape Schoolgirls Hockey Challenge, defeating Hudson Park 2-1 on penalties after the final had finished deadlocked at 0-0.
Soon after, they were humbled by Eunice Girls High, who hit on all cylinders in a shocking 10-0 thrashing of Clarendon.
After a bye weekend, however, Clarendon returned to action on Wednesday and put on a show against Ooskus Gimnasium (formally known as Grens), scoring nine unanswered goals.
Their record against the Qonce side is solid. Last season, it was one-way traffic as they rocketed to a 15-0 victory.
There will be a lot on the line in the match between DSG and Collegiate in Makhanda. They, together with Pearson, are arguably the most dangerous teams in the province, which has been borne out in their results when they’ve competed elsewhere in the country.
Earlier this month, Collegiate participated in the National All Girls Festival in Potchefstroom and finished in an impressive seventh spot.
Last weekend, during their 150th reunion, they took on Pearson. There was nothing to separate the teams as they shared a goalless draw.
DSG, meanwhile, has put together a nice run of victories. Over the past weekend, they thumped Cambridge High 7-1. The week before that, Stirling High was handed a 7-0 loss, and Hudson Park was beaten 2-1 late last month.
DSG will also be brimming with confidence after claiming top honours in the Spar Hockey Challenge last Sunday, where they beat Kingswood 3-1 in the final.
Both teams have players who have been selected to represent Eastern Province at the annual SASHOC IPT in Bloemfontein. Collegiate’s Alulutho Adams, Tiara Finnis, and Gemma Bouwer feature in the U18A lineup, while DSG has Kayleigh Clayton, Hannah Lowe, Abigail Holderness, and Mike Holder in the same EP squad.
In last year’s meeting, it was the side from Gqeberha that claimed a tight 1-0 win at home.
The eagerly awaited clash will, also, present coaches Geowynne Gamiet and Michael Abrahams with an opportunity to assess where their teams stand in the provincial pecking order ahead of the mid-season break.
FIXTURES
Friday, 17 May
17:20 – York High vs Pearson High
17:30 – Alexander Road vs Westering High School
Saturday, 18 May 10:00 – Outeniqua vs Pearson High
10:30 – Woodridge College vs Union High School
10:50 – Stirling High vs Cambridge High
11:00 – Kingsridge Girls High vs Clarendon High School for Girls
13:15 – DSG Makhanda vs Collegiate Girls’ High
Selborne College skipper, Tre’ Gilbert in action for his side at the KES Hockey Festival. Photo: TeamPhoto SA
Selborne Collegeprides itself on producing not only outstanding hockey players but, also, leaders and characters who will go above and beyond for the school badge on the AstroTurf.
Their 2024 captain Tre’ Gilbert fits that description.
He’s a born leader, a character in the changing room, and a player many others look up to.
Aged 18, Gilbert is humble but confident and his excellence on the Astro has captivated hockey enthusiasts within the Amathole region and elsewhere around the country.
Ahead of his side’s showdown with Dale College in Qonce on Friday, Gilbert sat down with SuperSport Schools Plus hockey writer Avuyile Sawula for an exclusive interview.
In it, he spoke about where his love for hockey began, his achievements on the turf, and his team’s objectives for the 2024 season.
Love for the game
Gilbert was introduced to hockey from a young age. Growing up in East London, he attended Selborne Primary from five years of age. In the winter, he opted for a hockey stick. In the summer, he chose a cricket bat.
At home, both sports were encouraged, but he invested more time and practice towards honing his hockey skills. The inspiration to take the sport seriously also came from his father, Baden Gilbert.
“I played hockey from a young age, for as long as I can remember,” Gilbert said. “It was one of the sports I loved.
“My dad played a massive role in me liking it because he was at Maritzburg College and played pretty much his whole life. It’s something he and I have always bonded well over.
“That’s why it was pretty special for me to get my 50th cap at Maritzburg College against College, and my dad was there to witness it, so that was special,” he shared.
On the turf
He’s a versatile player, able to operate effectively in multiple positions, and in recent years Gilbert’s game has progressed to increasingly higher levels.
Before joining the College, he made his mark representing the Amathole side at under-13 level, when he was in grade six and seven.
When he moved to the high school in 2020, it was at the height of the unprecedented Covid-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, that meant, just like every other schoolboy hockey player in the country, he missed out on a season to sharpen up his game.
In 2022, he debuted for the Selborne College first team, while in grade 10, in a match against St Stithians College at the Hibbert Shield. He also ran out for Amathole at the annual Sashoc IPT.
When questioned about his favourite positions to play, Gilbert said: “In terms of positions, I have played centre-back from primary to high school. I played centre-back for the first team in grade 10, and last year.
“I, also, occasionally play centre-link, provincially and nationally, as I’ve been earmarked as a versatile player. I can slot in wherever needed.
“I must say, though, I probably prefer playing push-up centre-back, where I push up into the mid-field, as an extra player.”
Photo: Supplied
Representing South Africa
In 2023, the Selborne skipper was included in a strong 18-player squad to represent South Africa at the Mirnawan Cup in Malaysia.
The u17 lineup featured the top talent from across the country, including, among others, Paul Roos Gimnasium’s Reuben Sendzul, who led the side, SACS’s Reece Theunis and Litha Kraai, Durban High School’s Lumi Matwele, and Bishops’ playmaker, James Grieve.
In Malaysia, Gilbert and his peers excelled, capturing the silver medal after losing 3-4 against India in the final.
The experience was one he cherished, Gilbert said, because it helped him to shape his game, and it also allowed him an opportunity to learn from some of the best players in the country.
“It was a real eye-opener, just to see the level of intensity and commitment those guys train with,” he commented.
“I saw a culture of hard work, and I wanted to bring that back to the Border region, and to Selborne hockey, and I think that can be seen through our results.
“I learned a lot about the professionalism of the game, as well.
“The tour made a massive difference. I took a lot from my coaches and my peers, and that’s probably my biggest learning curve. It’s helped tremendously to get me to where I am today, in terms of my hockey.”
The Selborne College first team side at this year’s Tony Godding Festival in East London. Photo credits: Shot by Shani Photography
2024 season
The Selborne College side, for a second season running, is led by head coach KJ Friend, assisted by Luke Ferreira.
The team began the season in the best manner possible, racking up a 15-game winning streak, before losing 2-5 to Grey College, a week before the Hibbert Shield.
In Gqeberha, they started poorly but recovered as the tournament progressed to finish in ninth spot, above Clifton College, St Stithians College, and Pearson High.
“I think, at the start of the season, we came out with a bang and plateaued when we played against Queen’s (1-1), and Grey (2-5), and those were disappointing results for us.
“I feel like we went into Hibbert with those games in the back of our heads. But, as the tournament progressed, I think we started finding our game.
“We defeated St Stithians College (6-1), Pearson (2-0), and Clifton (4-0), and our goalscoring ability came back, so it was a good time to peak again.
“We know we need to keep winning if we want to reach our goal of finishing as one of the country’s top five teams,” he concluded.
Selborne will seek to add another victory to their long list of wins this season when they visit Qonce to take on Dale College.
They head into the contest fully aware that the hosts pulled off an upset victory over Queen’s Collegeat the Queen’s reunion in Komani.
Dale will also be highly motivated to shock the favoured Selborne team as it’s their 163rd reunion. However, previous meetings favour Selborne. Last year, they won both home (6-0) and away (7-1).
In other Friday fixtures, Kingswood College hosts Victoria Park in Makhanda, while Stirling High School, and Cambridge reignite their rivalry in East London, and Westering plays Alexander Road.
16:00 – Dale College vs Selborne College
17:00 – Kingswood College vs Victoria Park
18:00 – Stirling High School vs Cambridge High
18:30 – Westering vs Alexandre Road
19:00 – Grey High vs Pearson
Bishops playmaker, Joshua Mettler on the charge for his side during the 175 Bishops Hockey Festival. Photo: Bishops Diocesan College
Bishops Diocesan College, after bouncing back impressively from a few missteps at the Hibbert Shield, will be aiming for two wins in succession when they host a struggling Paarl Boys’ High side on Friday night at the Woodlands Astroturf.
The boys from the southern suburbs were back in action last weekend after finishing in joint fifth position, alongside Durban High School(DHS), at the Hibbert Shield the week before.
Before heading into their game this past weekend, they faced South African College High School (SACS) in a mid-week match.
In that clash, both sides gave it a good go, but the defences were solid.
Bishops created several goal-scoring opportunities but were left to rue wasteful finishing when SACS opened the scoring in the third chukka through Litha Kraai.
However, just as they’ve done in many of their matches where they’ve trailed, coach Ryan Julius‘s side fought back to level the scores, with a David Handley goal earning them a 1-1 draw.
On Friday night, away at Fairmont, Bishops upped their game, delivering a mature performance to boss their opponents and claim a solid 5-0 win.
The goals were spread around, with Thomas Ludlam, Harry Morgan, vice-captain Andrew Raubenheimer, Joshua Mettler, and captain Robert Veldtman all scoring.
“We are in a good position. We are riding a good wave at the moment, and we need to enjoy it for as long as we can,” Julius told SuperSport Schools Plus.
“As a group, our culture and ability to grind out pressure moments is one thing I am incredibly impressed with. I look forward to another opportunity to build on this against Paarl Boys’.”
Before the match against Fairmont, Julius stressed the need for his side to capitalise on the opportunities they create. They need to “bury their chances” or they could find themselves in trouble against top teams, he said.
Julius has echoed the same sentiment this week, emphasising how important finishing from his forwards will be against Boishaai.
“If I can be overly critical, our finishing needs to be more clinical, and our forwards know this,” he said. “So, building on that theme from last week is going to be important for me.
“It’s my job as a coach to come up with a plan that I think would work, but they need to execute it, and I trust them to be able to implement that, come Friday.”
The Paarl Boys’ High first hockey team. Photo: Paarl Boys’ High
In Paarl Boys’ High, Bishops comes up against a side that has been struggling for form in recent weeks.
Last weekend, they were in Bloemfontein to take on Grey College. The hosts won that match 3-0.
Before that, Boishaai went down to Somerset College, Paul Roos Gimnasium, and Wynberg Boys’ High, scoring four times while conceding 15, admittedly against three quality opponents.
Winning at Woodlands would be an unexpected upset for the Paarl side, against another high-quality outfit, but stranger things have happened.
Western Cape Fixtures
Friday, 17 May
16:00 – Worcester Gimnasium vs Strand
18:25 – Fairmont High vs Reddam House
18:30 – Paarl Boys’ High vs Bishops Diocesan College
19:00 – Wynberg Boys’ High vs Durbanville
19:15 – Rondebosch Boys’ High vs Curro Durbanville
19:30 – Parel Vallei vs Somerset College
19:45 – Paarl Gim vs Paul Roos
20:00 – Stellenberg vs SACS
Saturday, 18 May
10:00 – Belville High vs Langa hockey club
10:00 – Rondebosch 2nd vs Brackenfell High
The Fairmont High School girls’ hockey team will take a trip to Stellenbosch, intent on causing a major upset when they take on Rhenish Girls’ High School in one of the big matches in the Western Cape this weekend.
The first push-back on Rhenish’s main Astroturf is at 19:00 on Friday evening.
Despite producing mixed results in recent weeks, Fairmont has impressed hockey enthusiasts with an attractive brand of hockey this season.
The side, coached by Jarryd Curran, has punched above its weight, accruing a number of upset wins on its way to establishing itself as a serious threat to some of the big guns.
They began their season at the York Easter Festival, where they thumped East London’s Cambridge High 4-0, before slotting a whopping nine goals against St Dominic’s.
Their impressive run in George also included a 1-0 win over Outeniqua, a 2-2 draw with York High, and an emphatic 8-1 victory over Victoria Park in their last outing.
“We had a very good pre-season with the group – loads of preseason fixtures and tournaments – and the girls started finding their feet but, all in all, it was good,” Curran told SuperSport Schools, ahead of his side’s showdown with Rhenish.
“We haven’t had the best start to the season in terms of the league. We’ve been unfortunate with two big injuries recently, which might slow down the progress of the team, but we have to look forward and just make sure we get better each game.”
Curran’s side also participated in the Belgotex Sport Easter Hockey tournament and, after an unbeaten run in the pool stages, they finished as the winners of the Plate.
Fairmont captain, Sienna Graser in action for her side during the Belgotex Sport Easter Hockey Tournament in Cape Town. Photo credits: Belgotex Sports
“Yes, using tournaments as preparation was really good,” he said.
“At Belgotex, we went unbeaten throughout but, unfortunately, fell short of the Cup semi-finals due to points in our group.
“But we remained focused on our goal and stayed unbeaten and won the Plate Section.”
More recently, Fairmont’s results have been mixed. In their last four matches, they’ve won two, lost one, and played to a goalless draw against DF Malan.
Their wins, against Stellenbosch High and Westerford, were both by emphatic 5-0 margins.
They did, however, go down 0-3 to Somerset College, the winners of the Belgotex Sport Easter Hockey Tournament, and coach Curran knows exactly what his charges need to work on, if they wish to avoid a similar outcome on Friday.
“It is never easy playing Rhenish, but it’s always good to test ourselves against a well-coached and driven team,” he said.
“It will take a lot of mental strength to beat them. Not only are they physically dominant, but they are also very smart hockey players, so to get into the game we will just have to be smarter than them.
“We will also have to be very disciplined and take our chances, and make sure we are ready for the battle.”
The Stellenbosch side will be tough to beat. They’re enjoying a strong season under the guidance of head coach, Chris Gerber.
Recently, at the National All Girls Festival, they narrowly missed out on Gold, going 2-3 down to Affies Girls in a penalty shootout after regulation time had ended goalless.
Sienna Graser and her Fairmont team will be hard-pressed to stop the confident Rhenish girls in their own backyard. Composure and experience are not lacking in the Fairmont side, however, with several players reaching first team milestones this year.
Camryn Corner, Madison Ackerman and Gabriella Grasso all received their 50th caps for the team earlier in the season.
Tatum O’Brien, Sarah Swanepoel, and Leah Buckley have also joined the 50-club, while Sienna Graser and Kaylin Bastard recorded their 100th caps for the Green Machine.
Other matches
The weekend’s action gets underway at Worcester Gimnasium, who welcome Strand for their final match of the term.
Paarl Girls’ High takes on La Rochelle, while Parel Vallei battles Somerset College in a big derby match.
Rustenburg Girls’ High will host Springfield Convent School, and Herschel Girls School meets Stellenberg High School in a late game.
On Saturday, Melkbosstrand faces Brackenfell, before a big clash between Paarl Gimnasium and HMS Bloemhof.
FIXTURES
Friday, 17 May
15:00 – Worcester Gimnasium vs Strand
17:30 – Paarl Girls’ High vs La Rochelle
18:20 – Parel Vallei vs Somerset College
18:30 – Rustenburg Girls’ High vs Springfield Convent School
19:00 – Rhenish Girls’ High vs Fairmont High School
19:05 – Herschel Girls School vs Stellenberg High
Saturday, 18 May
08:00 – Melkbosstrand vs Brackenfell
10:15 – Paarl Gimnasium vs HMS Bloemhof
Both Paarl Gimnasium and Paul Roos Gimnasium will set their sights on getting back to winning ways when they lock horns in an eagerly awaited Boland Derby in Paarl on Friday night.
The match, to be played on Paarl Gimnasium’s main AstroTurf, kicks off at 19:45.
Last weekend, both produced results away from home which would have disappointed them.
In their most recent match action, coach Jacques Grobler’s Gim side travelled to Rondebosch Boys’ High for a Friday showdown, seeking a boost after the Hibbert Shield.
At the tournament in Gqeberha, Gim, without a doubt, performed below their expectations, finishing in eighth spot after rather unconvincing performances during the knockout stages.
After placing second in their pool, they lost 2-5 to the same Paul Roos in the quarterfinals. Then, they went down 0-2 to Bishops on penalties, before suffering a 1-3 defeat at the hands of Durban High School (DHS).
As much as they were expected to claim the win against ‘Bosch, the boys from Paarl were met by a resilient team that gave little away defensively, and the clash ended in a 2-2 draw.
Juan Swanepoel opened Gim’s account in the second chukka against Rondebosch, but a strike late in the fourth chukka, from Stefan Wiehahn, was needed to rescue a share of the spoils.
Paul Roos, meanwhile, visited South African College High School (SACS) to reprise their meeting in the final of the Hibbert Shield on the Brewery AstroTurf.
They showed great character and composure to claim the Hibbert Shield 6-5 on penalties, after clawing their way back from a 0-3 deficit to tie up matters 3-3 in regulation time, but they couldn’t replicate that brave showing on Friday evening.
They were dominated and outplayed by a SACS side that was intent on avenging their loss. PRG showed positive signs during the first two chukkas, but poor discipline cost them heavily in the second half, and they went down 2-6.
To win, away from home, coach Michael Baker’s team will need to tap into the positivity and big match temperament attitude that took them all the way to the title in Gqeberha.
In the last “in-season” meeting between the teams in May last year, it was PRG who came out victorious with a 2-0 win in front of their home supporters.
To be successful again, Paul Roos will need several players in key positions to deliver the goods. They include Barend Geldenhuys, who has been a lively performer this season. Joshua Smit, who played his 50th match for the first team against SACS, and scored, will be another key player.
Callum van Oudsthoorn, Reuben Gouws, and captain Reuben Sendzul, are others who have the ability to cause the hosts problems.
Gim will not be phased by previous results, and they will head into the match knowing that the result depends on which side better capitalises on their chances.
They will bank on their skipper, LD Nel, finding the back of the net. He’s a proven force at penalty corner time, while Juan Swanepoel has been in prolific goalscoring form, too.
His goal glut has continued, and he was a scorer against Rondebosch in his side’s 2-2 draw last week.
Others who could be key performers include Johan van der Merwe and John Coetzee, who have both been included in the Boland u18 A side for this year’s Sashoc u18 Inter-Provincial Tournament.
Fixtures on the main Astroturf
14:30 – Paarl Gimnasium u16C vs Paul Roos u16C
15:30 – Paarl Gimnasium u16B vs Paul Roos u16B
16:30 -Paarl Gimnasium u14A vs Paul Roos u14A
17:30 -Paarl Gimnasium u16A vs Paul Roos u16A
18:45 -Paarl Gimnasium u19B vs Paul Roos u19B
19:45 -Paarl Gimnasium u19A vs Paul Roos u19A
It was a jovial atmosphere, with a sea of blue and white, as Grey High School put up another impressive performance to thump Queen’s College 6-0 in Gqeberha on Friday night.
The match, part of Grey’s reunion celebrations, was played at Grey’s sister school, Collegiate Girls’ High, in honour of Collegiate’s 150th anniversary.
Entering the clash, the hosts were fresh off an impressive third place finish in the stacked Hibbert Shield, where they pushed SACS all the way in the semi-finals before going down 2-4 from the penalty spot. They claimed bronze with a 4-1 win over Garsfontein.
As for the side from Komani, their last outing before facing Grey was a clash with Dale College at their 166th reunion in April, and they went down 2-3 in that match.
In Friday’s night’s showdown, Grey got off to a swift start, quickly controlling possession of the ball and opening the scoring with just two minutes played. Captain Kian Cambier set up Caleb Humphreys, on the far post, and he tapped in to give his side the lead.
Queen’s, showing good composure, fought to gain a foothold in the match, and their defenders knuckled down to keep the hosts out, for a while…
Grey made it 2-0 through a Xander Elkington drag flick from a penalty corner, but the visitors came close to pulling one back with 30 seconds to play in the opening chukka. However, Grey goalkeeper Kaino Broadhurst was able to clear the danger.
The second chukka was goalless, but Andrew Beynon‘s charges, playing where Beynon enjoyed so much success with Collegiate, created plenty of opportunities to add to their score. However, Queen’s ‘keeper Rowan Miles wasn’t having any of it, pulling off save after save, to keep the score at 2-0.
In the third chukka, Grey tacked on another goal, with Tait striking from a superb reverse stick shot that found the right-hand corner.
Grey made it an emphatic victory in the final quarter, with Tait completing his hattrick, before captain Cambier netted to put an exclamation mark on a 6-0 win.
Next, Grey’s attention will shift to their local rivals, Pearson High, whom they meet on Friday.
In other matches around the province, Graeme College edged Westering High 3-2. Pearson, playing away from home, grabbed a 3-0 win against Kingswood College.
Woodridge College was on the backfoot early on in their game versus York High. They threatened a comeback, but the team from George recorded a 2-1 win.
St Andrew’s College went on a goal scoring spree, thumping Cambridge High 7-1 at the Webster Astroturf in Makhanda.
Eastern Cape results
Westering 2-3 Graeme College
Kingswood College 0-3 Pearson
Stirling High 2-2 Merrifield College
Woodridge College 1-2 York High
St Andrew’s College 7-1 Cambridge High
Grey High 6-0 Queen’s College
SACS’s Litha Kraai charges in between two PRG players during their encounter at the Brewery Astroturf in Cape Town on 10 May 2024. Photo Credits: Ray Chaplin
South African College High School (SACS) playmaker Litha Kraai scored an impressive hattrick of goals to lead his side to a resounding and emphatic 6-2 win over Paul Roos Gimnasium(PRG) at a buzzing Brewery Astroturf in the southern suburbs of Cape Town on Friday night.
Kraai, who has been in superb form for the Cape side this season, scored in the second and fourth chukkas to help his side get back to winning ways.
The highly anticipated clash was the second meeting between the teams in less than a week after they clashed in the final of the Hibbert Shield last weekend.
There, PRG came out victorious, winning (6-5) on sudden death penalties after being forced to fight back from a 0-3 deficit in the first half to end regulation time at 3-3.
On the other hand, SACS entered the match on the back of a 1-1 draw against Bishops Diocesan College during the week.
Just like they did in the Hibbert Shield final, coach Sam Holmes‘s team started the brighter, dominating ball possession and asserting themselves.
PRG, however, had the first opportunity to open the scoring when they received a PC eight minutes into the first chukka. Skipper Reuben Sendzul attempted a variation, linking up with Christo Swanepoel, but SACS’s shot-stopper Noah Venter was equal to the test, making his first save of the night.
PRG went on to score late in the chukka, after Joshua Smit picked up a loose ball outside the circle, drove inside, and smashed it into the bottom left corner to put his team 1-0 up after the first quarter of the contest.
SACS were quickly out of the blocks in the second chukka and equalised with a minute played through the energetic Zachary Redfern.
It was blow-for-blow after that, with both teams keeping each other at bay. However, Kraai, after being restricted by PRG’s defence, gave SACS the lead late in the quarter, scoring with seconds left, to edge his side in front at the break.
Both sides were let down by their discipline in the third chukka, with the umpires sending four players to the dugout, with PRG captain Sendzul and Hano Basson being given their marching orders for dissention and a dangerous tackle respectively. Meanwhile, for SACS, it was Reece Theunis and Kraai for similar offences.
The fourth chukka completely changed the complexion of the match.
With both Theunis, and Kraai momentarily still off the park, SACS scored their third through Head Boy and captain, Stephen Meyer, who struck with a drag flick from a PC to extend his side’s lead to 3-1.
Kraai steps up to take a penalty stroke for his team in their clash vs PRG at the Brewery Astroturf on 10 May 2024. Photo credits: Ray Chaplin
Minutes later, it was a Cohen Williams link-up with Kraai that saw the grade 10 pupil score his second after smartly beating PRG’s shot-stopper Beor van Reenen to make it 4-1.
As the chukka went on, the hosts gained further momentum, and right back, Nick Paxton won a penalty stroke for his side after he was fouled by Van Reenen inside the circle.
The ‘keeper was shown his marching orders. Kraai stepped up against Louan van Zyl and completed his hattrick by depositing the ball into the left-hand corner to give his side a handy 5-1 advantage
PRG’s Seth Paterson found a response for the visitors, but Williams had the final say for SACS, making it a half-dozen for the hosts late in the match, to complete an outstanding performance in front of their home supporters.
“I think I and the whole group are relieved,” head coach, Sam Holmes told SuperSport Schools Plus after the encounter.
“We went through a very stressful week, playing against the top schools at the Hibbert Shield, and it didn’t go our way in the final.
“The guys had to rally tonight, and they did.
“But that’s sport, one day you’re crying in the changing room, and the next day you’re the kings of the world, so it’s a good lesson for the boys, and the coaching staff.”
Holmes admitted that a lot of mental work needed to be done after his side let slip a 3-0 lead at the Hibbert Shield final. He said his team needed to play more freely and enjoy the match.
“We did a lot of work in the week regarding mentality and how we disappeared in the final,” he explained. “We concluded that we were terrified of losing from leading 3-0 up.
“We spent the week looking within, transferring the mindset of fear of losing to being out there, enjoying it, and playing for each other.
“We had to outwork them tonight and it’s not easy to outwork a side like PRG, so I’m proud of the guys,” he concluded.
SACS will next turn their attention to a league match when they travel to face Stellenberg High School next weekend.
Meanwhile, it doesn’t get any easier for coach Michael Baker and his team as they prepare for a trip to Paarl to face Paarl Gimnasium.
Scorers
SACS 6 (2): Litha Kraai (x3), Stephen Meyer, Zachary Redfern, Cohen Williams. Paul Roos 2 (1): Joshua Smit, Seth Paterson.
Western Cape Results
Grey College 3-0 Paarl Boys’ High
Wynberg Boys’ High 9-1 Stellenberg High
Rondebosch Boys’ High 2-2 Paarl Gimnasium
SACS 6-2 Paul Roos
Bishops Diocesan College 5-0 Fairmont
DF Malan 4-1 Punt
Garsfontein in action against Grey High School during the Hibbert Shield in Gqeberha. Photo: Kaarl Seebach
Pretoria bragging rights will be on the line on Friday when Hoërskool Waterkloof welcomes Hoërskool Garsfontein to their astroturf, with the sides set to reignite their fierce rivalry.
The visitors enter the clash high in confidence after an impressive showing at the Hibbert Shield.
In Gqeberha, coach Steve Paulo‘s men produced an upset for the ages when they defeated previously unbeaten Bishops Diocesan College1-0 in the quarterfinals to seal a spot in the last four.
There, they faced a tough and dangerous Paul RoosGimnasium (PRG) side, who hit a purple patch to overwhelm Garsies. PRG subsequently went on to win the tournament.
The boys from Pretoria ended fourth after a 1-4 defeat to Grey High School, but that was an outstanding result as the Hibbert Shield, beyond a shadow of doubt, brought together the strongest field of the year at a boys’ hockey tournament.
This week, Garsfontein shifts gears and comes up against an unpredictable Waterkloof side that had been making progress this season under the leadership of coach Mark Lamprecht.
Lamprecht’s side began their season well at the NWU Eagles Festival in March, picking up wins against St Andrew’s School (3-0), Sasolburg (4-1), and Potchefstroom Gimnasium (3-2).
Last month, they defeated Transvalia 3-2, with Jordan Abbott, Xander Kleynhans, and Adriaan Botha all getting on the score sheet.
Their most recent match, at the end of April, resulted in a 1-2 defeat against Menlopark in the NWU Puk Reeks finals. The hosts face an in-form team, but they will be raring to go and will draw inspiration from their home supporters.
Another clash that’s expected to deliver fireworks in the city is the showdown of Pretoria Boys High and Hilton College, who make the long trek up from KwaZulu-Natal.
Boys High heads into the match after a bye-weekend, having last played competitive hockey against Parktown Boys’ High late last month. In that clash, coach Jacques Klopper’s men took home a 3-0 win.
Before that, they beat St Alban’s College 2-1 and King Edward VII 3-0. They did, however, suffer a 0-1 defeat at the hands of Maritzburg College in Pietermaritzburg.
In Hilton, they come up against a team looking to get back to winning ways after they were dealt a massive blow by Michaelhouse last weekend, going down 2-3 at home.
Before that clash, coach Damian Kimfley’s side drew 4-4 with Kearsney College and thumped Glenwood 5-0.
Hilton will be fully aware of the threat posed by Boys High, who are much improved since the Nomads Festival, where Kimfley’s boys were one of the top performers. Captain Jared Kitto and his team will need to be switched on from the start of the match lest they find the long journey to the South African capital a tough one to stomach.
Fixtures
Friday, 10 May
18:30 – Hoërskool Waterkloof vs Hoërskool Garsfontein 18:45 – Pretoria Boys High vs Hilton College
Paul Roo vs SACS in the Hibbert Shield final in Gqeberha on 4 May 2024. Photo credits: Karl Seebach
The fiercely competitive and thrilling rivalry between two of the country’s top hockey sides, South African College High School (SACS) and Paul Roos Gimnasium, will resume when the giants lock horns at the Brewery Astroturf on Friday night.
The meeting will be the second between the teams in a week after they clashed in the final of the Hibbert Shield,hosted by Grey High School in Gqeberha over the past weekend.
There, both teams enjoyed stellar runs in the pool stages, topping their respective pools, while looking deadly in front of goal.
To progress to the final, coach Michael Baker’s Paul Roos thumped Hoërskool Garsfontein10-0 in the semis, while SACS sneaked past Grey High 4-2 on penalties to set up the showdown.
In the final, SACS dominated the early exchanges to race into a 3-0 lead, but Paul Roos showed character and composure to claw their way back and level the contest at 3-3, which sent the title-decider into a penalty shootout.
There was nothing to separate the sides there, and it went to sudden death, with the Stellenbosch side eventually claiming a 6-5 win.
That defeat was SACS’s first against PRG in almost a year after they went down 2-3 in last year’s Hibbert Shield final against the same opponents, which was their only loss of 2023.
However, it’s in the “in-season” matches where SACS has held the upper hand over their rivals.
Last season, they comfortably won both encounters, home (3-1) and away (8-1).
In hindsight, as this season has shown, past results mean almost nothing, and a spirited Paul Roos side will be aiming to make it two wins in quick succession over their old foe.
To do so, they will need their top players to come to fore when it matters the most in a hostile environment.
Skipper Reuben Sendzul has found his form and rhythm of late and has been in prolific goal scoring form. He will need to be on his game if PRG is to win again.
Barend Geldenhuys is another player that’s been on song for PRG, and his striking and challenging runs will come in handy.
Players like Christo Swanepoel, Ruben Gouws, and Keith Siebrits, who scored in the final, could be impactful performers, too.
From SACS’s side, no doubt, they will be banking on their playmaker Litha Kraai to come up with the goods when it matters the most.
Kraai scored the opener in the Hibbert Shield final, and on Wednesday netted his side’s only goal in their 1-1 draw against Bishops Diocesan College.
But SACS is far more than a one-man team. They are blessed with quality throughout their ranks and players like Reece Theunis, Nicholas Paxton, Stephen Meyer, and Cohen Williams all have the ability to turn a match on its head.
Both goalkeepers, Noah Venter, and Beor van Reenen, performed impressively in Gqeberha, and they will be fully aware that a safe pair of gloves and wide pads on the night could propel their side to victory.
The clash starts at 19:30.
TEAMS
SACS: Andrew Betty, Luc Dicey, Stephan Meyer (Captain), Noah Venter (GK), Joshua le Roux, David Versfeld, Kevin Oosthuizen, Litha Kraai, Reece Theunis, Nicholas Paxton, Matthew Lassen, Matthew Jones, Zachary Redfern, Aidan Hughes, Cole Allam, Regan Wille, Cohen Williams.
Paul Roos: Louán van Zyl, Joshua Smit, Keith Siebrits, Barend Geldenhuys, Christo Swanepoel, Ruben Gouws, Daniel Lurie, Reuben Sendzul (Captain), Beor van Reenen (GK), Hano Basson, Callum van Oudsthoorn. Reserves: Seth Paterson, Logan Lackay, Krisjan Groenewald, Luke Oliver.
Paarl Gimnasium’s skipper, LD Nel on the charge for his side against Grey High School in the Hibbert Shield. Photo Credits: Karl Seebach
Another big match to look forward to in the province is the one between Rondebosch Boys’ High and Paarl Gimnasium.
Gim will make the trip from Paarl set on getting their season back on track after a rather disappointing Hibbert Shield campaign.
Coach Jacques Grobler’s troops did well in the pool stages but lost to Grey High, which set up a quarterfinal fixture against the eventual winners, Paul Roos.
They went down 2-5 in that clash and then lost out Bishops on penalties (0-2) on penalties, which was followed by a 1-3 loss to Durban High School (3-1). In the end, they finished joint seventh with Westville Boys’ High.
In ‘Bosch, they come up against an unpredictable side that caused a big upset earlier this season when they beat PRG 1-0 at home.
However, since that victory, coach Waseem Domingo‘s boys have lost 0-3 to SACS and 0-1 to Wynberg. They’ll be seeking the kind of spirited performance that they produced in week one to stun Paul Roos against Gim.
Western Cape Fixtures
Friday, 10 May
17:15 – Curro Durbanville vs Reddam Constantia
18:30 – Grey College vs Paarl Boys High
18:30 – Wynberg Boys High vs Stellenberg
19:00 – Rondebosch Boys High vs Paarl Gimnasium
19:30 – SACS vs Paul Roos
19:30 – Fairmont vs Bishops
20:00 – DF Malan vs Punt
Saturday, 11 May
08:10 – Stellenbosch vs Fairmont 09:00 – Brackenfell vs El Shadaai 09:25 – Worcester Gim vs Robertson
10:00 – HTS Drostdy vs Durbanville
The Bishops Diocesan first team side in action during their 175 Hockey Festival in March. Photo credits: Bishops Diocesan College
Bishops Diocesan College will set their sights on a return to winning ways when they travel to take on Fairmont High School in a Western Cape League fixture on Friday night in Cape Town.
The southern suburbs’ side will enter the clash on the back of a hard-fought 1-1 draw against South African College High School (SACS) on Wednesday.
Before the clash, Bishops participated in the Hibbert Shield, hosted by Grey High School in Gqeberha last weekend.
There, they finished in joint fifth with Durban High School after they were eliminated in the quarterfinals, losing to Pretoria’s Hoërskool Garsfontein 0-1.
However, in the mid-week match at the Brewery Astroturf, coach Ryan Julius‘s men looked like a rejuvenated outfit and caused SACS several problems with their attacking prowess.
The match was tightly contested, with very little to separate the teams in the opening half, as they went into the break level at 0-0.
The hosts scored first in the third chukka, through Litha Kraai, but Bishops responded late in the chukka with a goal from youngster, David Handley.
It was blow-for-blow in the final chukka, but neither side capitalised on the opportunities they created, and the spoils were shared.
“It was a heated game, very good tactical approach from both teams,” Julius told SuperSport Schools after the match.
“From a Bishops perspective, we started a bit shakily, but we were able to find rhythm.
“When we went down 0-1, I think we showed good fight and character to come back under pressure, and we found a goal through Handley from open play.
“We had a lot of short corners, and there were a lot of chances on both sides to edge ahead in the game, but we couldn’t convert.”
Turning his sights to the forthcoming league action on Friday night, Julius said Bishops would need to work on a part of their game that had been lacking this season, and that’s converting the opportunities they create.
At the Hibbert Shield, Julius’s side scored only nine goals in their five matches. Against SACS, they created several chances, but converted only one.
“Tactically, we were on point, and displayed a good brand of Bishops’ hockey,” Julius said.
“One thing we’re missing is that we need to take our chances. We are creating a lot, and we need to bury those chances, and if we’re not able to, it’ll end up catching up to us.”
On Friday evening, Bishops comes up against a side that has picked up some impressive results over the past two weeks.
Coach Bryce West‘s team last weekend defeated DF Malan 3-0 and shared a thrilling 3-3 draw with Somerset College.
If Fairmont were to win, it would be considered a major upset, but they’ll have the backing of their home crowd for the match, which starts at 19:30.
