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PRETORIA. – Die stryd vir wie die nommer tien-trui van die Suid-Afrikaanse Skole-span sal dra is reeds fel aan die gang.

Affies se losskakel, Ruben Pienaar, het gister agter ‘n sterker agttal sake beheer in sy span se sege van 52-26 oor King Edward VII in Johannesburg. KES se losskakel, Vusi Moyo, is een van die vroeë gunstelinge om die nasionale skolespan se generaal te wees.

Die eerste ronde het egter aan Pienaar behoort wat met aanvallende spel beïndruk het. Moyo se skopvoet was we look witwarm. Sy stelskopwerk was foutloos en sy lang lynskoppe het Affies se pak voorspelers ‘n hele paar keer omgedraai.

Pienaar het ‘n onderskepdrie van ‘n aangee van Moyo gedruk om die sout nog dieper in die wonde te vryf.

Die twee kom Dinsdag weer teen mekaar te staan wanneer die Blou Bulle en die Goue Leeus se voorlopige Cravenweek-spanne teen mekaar te staan kom.

Die Leeus se spelers sal so ietwat gewond wees met Monument van Krugersdorp wat sy rieme behoorlik met 19-85 teen Grey-kollege in Bloemfontein styfgeloop het.

Die span van die Rosestad gaan nie sommer weer vanjaar verloor nie. In sy losskakel, Alzeadon Felix, het hy ‘n Manie Libbok en op heelagter vir Heinz Stockenström, wat skop soos Percy Montgomery in die 2000’s en aanval soos Monty in die laat 1990’s.

Die skrumskakel, Philip McLaren, is ook vining besig om vir himself ‘n naam te maak. McLaren, Felix en die vleuel Pretorius Ekeji het elk twee van hul span se 13 drieë gedruk. Stockenström het tien daarvan verdoel en ook ‘n draai agter die doellyn gemaak vir ‘n persoonlike bydrae van 25 punte.

Gepraat van SA Skole-kandidate – Paul Roos Gimnasium se kaptein en flank, Riley Norton, het waarskynlik sy beste vertoning van sy skoolloopbaan in sy span se oorwinning van 50-25 oor Wynberg Boys’ High opgedis.

Norton het verlede jaar reeds die SA Skole-spanne vir rugby en krieket gehaal. Hy kan vanjaar dalk die eerste sportman word om albei die spanne aan te voer.

Buiten Norton het die binnesenter, Samuel Badenhorst, ook ‘n blink vertoning met twee drieë afgerond.

Paarl Gimnasium het met 43-35 in ‘n opwindende kragmeting oor Oakdale Landbou koning gekraai. Die span se senter Markus Muller was weer op sy stukke. Die Hoër Jongenskool Paarl het vir Rondebosch Boys’ High met 36-28 verslaan, terwyl Boland Landbou met sy vleuel Enslin Claassen aan die spits vir SACS met 40-27 getroef het.

Dr. EG Jansen van Boksburg se afrigter, Rudi Dames, spog vanjaar met ‘n bulspan, maar hy gaan gewis na vanjaar ‘n paar ekstra gryshare hê.

Sy skitterende buitesenter, Juandré Jacobs, het in die doodsnikke vir ‘n drie oorgedraf om Noordheuwel se harte met 34-30 in die SDC Noordvaal Cup se Beker-afdeling te breek.

Dit het Garsfontein lank geneem, maar dit blyk om die Turkoois Bere uiteindelik in Junaid Pasensie ‘n losskakel het om die span vorentoe te neem. Die Bere het op hul tuisveld vir Menlopark met 90-14 gekarnuffel.

Pasensie se stelskopwerk in die tweede helfte was uitmuntend, terwyl sy aanvallende spel asook hoe hy spel dikteer het rigting aan die Garsies gegee het. Hy het 26 punte tot die oorwinning met twee drieë en agt doelskoppe bygedra.

Waterkloof het na ‘n moeilike kragmeting in Rustenburg met ‘n bonuspunt-sege na die Jakarandastad teruggekeer. Die Klofies was met 45-35 baas.

Die Blou Tornado se slot Stephan de Beer was met sy fisieke spel sonder twyfel sy span se beste speler op die dag. Die skakelpaar, Migael Prinsloo en Dennis Obie, verdien ook ‘n klop op die skouer.

Boonop het die loskopstut, Jean Gouws, die eerste drie van sy rugbyloopbaan gedruk.

Al die uitslae: 

SDC NOORDVAAL CUP

Groep 1

Beker: EG Jansen 34, Noordheuwel 30; Waterkloof 45, Hoërskool Rustenburg 35; Garsfontein 90, Menlopark 14; Hoërskool Nelspruit 33, Marais Viljoen 15. Plaat: Oos-Moot 56, Zwartkop 14; HTS Middelburg 35, Montana 7; Hoërskool Klerksdorp 24, Kempton Park 20; Transvalia 31, Hoërskool Middelburg 23. Skild: Wesvalia 36, Hugenote (Springs) 7; Secunda 44, Hoërskool Pietersburg 14; Ben Vorster 29, Jeugland 26; Lichtenburg 24, Heidelberg Volkskool 19. Bowl: Dr. Malan 19, Wagpos 0; Eldoraigne 23, Randburg 17; Potchefstroom Volkskool 24, Merensky 22; Potchefstroom Gimnasium 41, Piet Retief 24.

Groep 2

Blou Bulle: Pretoria-Noord 17, Centurion 14; Bergsig Akademie 50, Wonderboom 23; HTS John Vorster 31, Overkruin 8; Midstream College 40, Hoërskool Tuine 13. Limpopo: Ellisras 20, Ben Viljoen 13; Frikkie Meyer 20, Hans Strijdom 17. Valke: Dinamika 35, Leeuwenhof 10; Oosterlig 48, Hans Moore 27.

Groep 3

Goue Leeus: Allen Glen 24, Riebeeckrand 20; Florida 69, Fochville 0; Bastion 63, Glenharvie 12. Limpopo: HTS Tom Naudé 41, Nylstroom 5. Pumas: Lydenburg 33, Ferrum 28; Standerton 31, Volksrust 20.

Groep 4

Goue Leeus: Bekker 24, Carletonville 18. Limpopo: Northern Academy 47, Louis Trichardt 33; Warmbad 66, Eric Louw 5. Pumas: Morgenzon Landbou 52, Komatipoort 22.

Groep 5

Goue Leeus: Die Wilge 48, Adelaar 3.

KWAZULU-NATAL

Michaelhouse 34, Pretoria Boys’ High 27; Westville Boys’ High 40, Hilton College 26; Northwood 18, Maritzburg College 10; Kearsney College 25, Glenwood 22; St Charles College 28, St Stithians College 20; Durban High School 50, Clifton 0.

NOORDVAAL

Affies 52, King Edward VII 26; Jeppe 67, St John’s College 30; St Charles College 28, St Stithians College 20; St Alban’s College 47, Springs Boys’ High 15; Parktown Boys’ High 29, St Benedict’s College 5; St David’s Marist 16, Northcliff 10; Beaulieu College 29, Stanford Lake College 11.

OOS-KAAP

Grey High School 29, St Andrew’s College 28; Framesby 52, Marlow Landbou 12; Hudson Park 27, Queen’s College 25; Nico Malan 19, Graeme College 7; Kingswood College 54, Muir College 21; Pearson 38, HTS Daniël Pienaar 14; HTS Port Rex 49, Ooskus Gimnasium 6; Selborne College 72, Cambridge 5.

VRYSTAAT

Grey-kollege 85, Monument 19; Jim Fouché 22, Burgersdorp 17; Curro Kathu 61, Daniëlskuil 10.

WES-KAAP

Paarl Gimnasium 43, Oakdale Landbou 35; Paul Roos Gimnasium 50, Wynberg Boys’ High 25; Boland Landbou 40, SACS 27; Hoër Jongenskool Paarl 36, Rondebosch Boys’ High 28; Milnerton 36, Brackenfell 31; HTS Drostdy 52, Swartland 28; Charlie Hofmeyr 12, Hoërskool Stellenbosch 6; Stellenberg 60, Parel Vallei 0; Bosmansdam 41, Collegians-klub 10; Melkbosstrand 14, Tygerberg-klub 10; Labori 13, New Orleans 10.

Grey College put on a mighty performance in Bloemfontein, overwhelming the visiting Wit Bulle from Hoërskool Monument as they ran in 13 tries.

Relive all of the action live on SuperSport Schools

Register now – Link to the game

 A masterful performance by the Free State powerhouse saw them lay down a marker ahead of the Craven Week, which is set to take place at Monnas in June.

The halfback pairing of Philip McLaren and Alzeadon Felix caused the visitors endless problems, combining for three tries to help drive their side to a convincing win.

The big Grey College winger Pretorius Ekeji also dotted down twice in quick succession to help tighten the screws.

The Krugersdorp outfit got onto the scoreboard early in the match through Jason Joubert, and a second by the big lock Nathan Erasmus gave them a glimmer of hope before the break.

In the second stanza, however, it was one-way traffic, and Monument’s only points came through their speedy winger Ernesto Oersen, who turned on the afterburners to score from his own half, completely against the run of play.

Heinz Stockenström had a memorable day for Grey, contributing 25 points to his side’s considerable total.

Both Marcel Coetzee and Thristan Maree, who came into the starting XV in the place of regular starters, Heinrich Theron and Ethan Adams, also crossed the try line, which served to underline the strength in depth of the Bloemfontein side.

After their provincial duties, the Grey College boys will be back in action again on 20 July when they host their sister school from Gqeberha, Grey High, before taking on Oakdale Landbou in Riversdal.

As always, they finish their season with a big derby against their rivals, Paul Roos Gimnasium, who are still unbeaten this year.

Scorers

Grey College 85 (40) – Tries: Alzeadon Felix (2), Pretorius Ekeji (2), Juliun Cosmo, Philip McLaren, Heinz Stockenström, Marcel Coetzee, Ruben Cilliers, Thristan Maree, Pieter van der Merwe, AJ Meyer, Marinus Oosthuizen. Conversions: Stockenström (10). Monument 19 (12) – Tries: Jason Joubert, Nathan Erasmus, Ernesto Oersen. Conversions: Cruz la Moer (2).

Scores

u19 – Grey College II 20, Monument II 12; Grey College III 102, Hoërskool Kathu 1st XV 0; Grey College IV 48, Landboudal II 10; Monument III 14, Grey College V 7; Grey College VI 69, Hoërskool Kathu II 7; Monument V 26, Grey College IX 15.

u16 – Grey College A 43, Monument A 3; Grey College B 79, Hoërskool Kathu A 0; Monument B 24, Grey College C 20; Grey College D 53, LSEN School A 5; Monument C 35, Grey College E 14.

u15 – Grey College A 36, Monument A 12; Grey College B 55, Hoërskool Kathu A 5; Grey College C 70, Landboudal A 0; Grey College D 27, Monument B 24; Grey College E 26, Monument C 12; Grey College F 45, Hoërskool Kathu B 0.

u14 – Grey College A 41, Monument A 29; Grey College B 71, Monument B 5.

The South African u15 girls’ national team will return home with continental silverware after triumphing at the CAF African Schools Football Championship in Zanzibar on Friday night.

Coach Ntombifuthi Khumalo‘s team beat Morocco 5-4 on penalties at a packed Amaan Stadium after the final ended in a 1-1 draw. Afterwards, Khumalo said she couldn’t be prouder of her players.

“I would like to extend my gratitude for the opportunity that allowed these young girls to be in a competition like this, which also helped us to discover such talent,” she said. “The girls showed that they can do so much more if they are given a platform like this to showcase their talent.

“I would like to thank SAFA, CAF, the Motsepe Foundation, the parents, the sponsors and our supporters back home. I would also like to thank the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture, the Department of Basic Education and all the people who were involved in making sure that our kids participated in this tournament.

“Everything went well, they are safe, happy and they are now CAF African Schools Football Championship champions.”

SAFA President Dr Danny Jordaan congratulated the team on their achievement and said they had made the country proud.

The South African u15 girls’ national team follows in the footsteps of Banyana Banyana, who are the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations champions and Mamelodi Sundowns, who are the CAF Women’s Champions League title holders.

The results from around South Africa will be updated here as we receive the results from the various schools.

If your school’s match is not listed below or you would like to send in your team’s results – please contact us via e-mail at hockey@ssschoolsplus.co.za or via WhatsApp at 072 172 5455.

All the Results:

EASTERN CAPE 

[ninja_tables id=”46505″]

FREE STATE/GRIQUALAND WEST

[ninja_tables id=”46507″]

KWAZULU-NATAL 

[ninja_tables id=”46509″]

NOORDVAAL 

 

WESTERN CAPE 

[ninja_tables id=”46510″]

The results from around South Africa will be updated here as we receive the results from the various schools.

If your school’s match is not listed below or you would like to send in your team’s results – please contact us via e-mail at hockey@ssschoolsplus.co.za or via WhatsApp at 072 172 5455.

All the Results:

EASTERN CAPE 

[ninja_tables id=”46511″]

KWAZULU-NATAL

[ninja_tables id=”46516″]

NOORDVAAL 

[ninja_tables id=”46517″]

WESTERN CAPE 

[ninja_tables id=”46520″]

Catch all the action live from around the country on SuperSport Schools (www.supersportschools.com).

The results from around South Africa will be updated here as we receive the results from the various schools.

If your school’s match is not listed below or you would like to send in your team’s results – please contact us via e-mail at rugby@ssschoolsplus.co.za or via WhatsApp at 072 172 5455.

For results from the SDC Noordvaal Cup – please click on the following link – SDC Noordvaal Cup Results.

Or you can submit a result via our website – Submit Result.

All the results: 

EASTERN CAPE 

[ninja_tables id=”46664″]

FREE STATE/GRIQUALAND WEST

[ninja_tables id=”46494″]

KWAZULU-NATAL 

[ninja_tables id=”46498″]

NOORDVAAL 

[ninja_tables id=”46497″]

WESTERN CAPE 

[ninja_tables id=”46504″]

Affies travel from Pretoria to Houghton, Johannesburg, to take on King Edward VII in a highly anticipated match between two powerhouses on Saturday.

Kick-off is set for 13:00.

Catch all the action live on SuperSport Schools (www.supersportschools.com)

Last weekend, KES drew with Westville Boys’ High School in a thriller of a match which saw the school from KwaZulu-Natal snatch a draw with an excellent length of the field try in the final few minutes of the match.

Affies, meanwhile, faced up to Grey College, with the side from Bloemfontein winning by the slimmest of margins, taking the game 31-27. So far this season, the Wit Bulle have also suffered only two other narrow losses, going down 25-30 to Paul Roos Gimnasium and 19-20 to Paarl Gimnasium.

The matchup of the day will be the competition between the two fly halves. Both Vusi Moyo (KES) and Reuben Pienaar (Affies ) played in last year’s fixture, which Affies comfortably won 43-20 in Pretoria. 

Pienaar enjoyed the better day on that occasion. There has never been a doubt about Moyo’s talent, but he struggled last year against the Witbulle. He has since gone back to the drawing board. His place kicking has shown marked improvement, which has added yet another edge to an already dangerous skillset. 

Both teams play an aggressive and running style of rugby, but the Affies’ pack has been garnering praise this season, too, for its dominance. KES will need to blunt the Wit Bulle up front, if they are to be in with a shot at victory.

KES, unfortunately, will be without their starting hooker and South African Schools’ player Esethu Mnebelele. He was heavily bandaged for the Red Army‘s clash with Westville last week, but still came away with a hattrick of tries. His absence is a big loss for the hosts, not only because he is a skillful player, but also because he is a strong leader, who would have relished taking on one of the top packs in the country. 

With the fixture taking place in Johannesburg, and with excellent home support, KES might be able to pull off an upset. Before their draw last week, they had recorded six wins on the trot, including victories over Jeppe and Pretoria Boys High.

They have, in fact, lost only twice all season, but Affies’ three tight losses have come against the top three teams in the country, hence their favourites’ tag.

TEAMS

King Edward VII: 15 Indibabale-Gusha Mboniswa, 14 Mbuso Methula, 13 Olunje Mehlomakulu, 12 Tristan Maugeri, 11 Haniel Monkoti, 10 Vusi Moyo, 9 Regan McGurk, 8 Kebotile Maake, 7 Sam Bruwer, 6 James Kobrowisky, 5 Michael Bownes, 4 Thomas Beling, 3 Nathan Frank vd Merwe 2 Dylan Piek, 1 Connor White. 

Affies: 15 Ruben Groenewald, 14 Nico Grobler, 13 Hendre Schoeman, 12 Janco Purchase, 11 Eagan Roux, 10 Ruben Pienaar, 9 Zirk Meyer, 8 Ruan Lippold, 7 Albert Smit, 6 Stefan McDonald, 5 JD Hattingh, 4 Munting Hamman, 3 Ruan Smuts, 2 Christian Potgieter, 1 Werner Vrey.

FIXTURES 

KES vs Affies

u14A: 09:00 KES vs Affies (John Hurry 1)
u15A: 09:40 KES vs Affies (John Hurry 2)
u16A: 11:00 KES vs Affies (Reds Field)
u19B: 12:15 KES vs Affies (Reds Field)
u19A: 13:30 KES vs Affies (Reds Field)

Jeppe High School for Boys vs St John’s College

u15A: 08:00 Jeppe vs St John’s (White Field)
u14A: 10:00 Jeppe vs St John’s (White Field)
u16A: 11:00 Jeppe vs St John’s (Collard Field)
u19B: 12:10 Jeppe vs St John’s (Collard Field)
u19A: 13:20 Jeppe vs St John’s (Collard Field)

St Benedict’s College vs Parktown Boys’ High School

u15A: 08:00 St Benedict’s vs Parktown (A Field)
u14A: 09:30 St Benedict’s vs Parktown (B Field)
u16A: 10:00 St Benedict’s vs Parktown (A Field)
u19B: 11:15 St Benedict’s vs Parktown (A Field)
u19A: 12:30 St Benedict’s vs Parktown (A Field)

Last year’s champions, Southern Free State, head into the 2024 u18 SASHOC National Week ready to defend their title in front of their home supporters and make it three provincial crowns in three years.

This year’s side has a different makeup to the 2023 team that won four of their five matches and drew one.

Last year’s team was stronger defensively. Though Taheera Augousti was one of the tournament’s top goal-scorers, with five goals to her name, Southern Free State finished with only the fourth-most goals in the tournament. However, they conceded the least. In fact, no team was able to breach their defence in their five outings.

For this year’s event, their coach, Sulette Kotzee has a squad at her disposal which reflects the qualities she seeks. “My style of play is speed and attacking hockey. So, I looked at pacy players and go-getters, players who have forward first mentality,” Kotzee explained.

Someone who encompasses that approach is Eunice’s Bianca Rees-Gibbs. The 17-year-old is one of the most exciting forwards in the game, with the ability to singlehandedly change the course of a match. She has, on several instances, won games for her school and the u16 provincial team with moments of magic.

Rees-Gibbs won’t have to do it all alone, however. Southern Free State has a good number of accomplished attacking players including Anebel Venter, Itumeleng Semoli, Nthati Monyai, Reatile Pitso, and Quincley Norris.

That menacing-looking frontline will be fed by the industrious Georgia Kambanis. Kambanis, Venter, and Rees-Gibbs will bring their chemistry from Eunice to the Southern Free State side.

“We also have Mia Schimper, our workhorse in the middle, who brings a lot of flair to the game, and then Cale Potgieter, who is also an exciting player to watch,” Kotzee elaborated.

The Southern Free State line-up is well-balanced. They have the rock-solid Anriette Otto at the back. Thanks to her skills and organisation, Oranje has been tough to break down this season.

To paraphrase Kotzee, the Southern Free State captain is a sergeant when marshalling the defence, she reads the game well, and regularly picks off the opposition’s forward passes. If teams do manage to squeeze past Otto, they will come face-to-face with her school teammate, Mira Rossouw. She’s been a wall in goal for Oranje.

“We are lucky enough to work with a talented group and have quite a few exciting players. But I’m hoping the whole team will put their hands up and give us exciting and good hockey to watch,” Kotzee shared.

While she is optimistic about her team, she is also cautious. She is quick to acknowledge that the other teams are also stacked with talented players. “It’s going to be a tough competition as many of the provinces have a handful of talented players, so we will have to work very hard to get to our end goal, but it will start by focusing on one game at a time,” she said.

The Southern Free State coach also admitted that there is the pressure of expectations on the girls’ shoulders. “I do think the girls are feeling the pressure as we have won the tournament back-to-back, and it is again a home crowd, so they will most probably feel it is expected for them to win the tournament,” Kotzee said.

She hopes her team will not focus too much on the expectations. “I just want them to play good hockey, play as a team. and enjoy it, and the rest will come,” she concluded.

Southern Free State team: Georgia Kambanis, Khumo Madito, Katlego Maritz, Mia Schimper, Nthathi Monyai, Terrin Muller, Quincley Norris, Anriette Otto, Reatile Pitso, Cale Potgieter, Anné Prinsloo, Bianca Rees-Gibbs, Mira Rossouw, Itumeleng Semoli, Anebel Venter, Tavia Williams.

South African football has an emerging power in TS Galaxy, a club that has been on the rise for a number of years.

Across the board, throughout their teams, the club has been on an upward trajectory. From the academy, up to the professional teams, the Mpumalanga outfit is a regular contender in league and cup competitions.

In the DStv Premiership, TS Galaxy heads into the last round of fixtures sitting fourth on the log, trailing only the runaway leaders, Mamelodi Sundowns, Stellenbosch FC and Orlando Pirates. They could find themselves competing in the CAF Confederation Cup next season.

Their u19 team, too, is in the top five of the highly competitive Gauteng Development League (GDL).

Under the tutelage of coach Esau Mtsweni, Galaxy’s u19s have thrived. When Mtsweni took over the role of head coach last season, he helped propel the team from 14th place up to sixth by the end of their campaign.

SuperSport Schools Plus caught up with Mtsweni seeking to find out more about Galaxy’s successes.

One of the keys that Mtsweni emphasised was the club’s obsession with developing their own style of football. TS Galaxy sides now have an identity that is vividly displayed on the pitch, and it revolves around playing high speed football.

Moreover, Mtsweni said the club is focussed on finding disciplined players and coaches more than it is focussed on talent or the potential of an individual.

“From the players’ perspective, we need disciplined players, players that are committed. The same applies with coaches. We need coaches who are disciplined, committed, and easy to talk to,” Mtsweni said, in an exclusive interview.

“From the playing side, we are a team that likes to play from the back. It’s a must. Whether you lose or you win, you must play from the back. You must have a constructive way of doing things.

“For me, I want my players to play the same. Whether there are five minutes left on the clock or the game has just started, I want the same style and intensity.

“If you check with our first team, as well, they play from the back and are comfortable. For that, you need comfortable players, and if you don’t have those types of players then you need to build it in them to be comfortable on the ball.

“Each and every player must understand his role and have clarity to say this is my job as a fullback, a midfielder or a forward. It takes time, but this is how I need to do things with my players, because they will go up to the DStv Diski Challenge (DDC) and the first team.

“I have a good relationship with the senior team coach, Sead Ramović, because I work with, and I understand, how he does things.

“Most importantly, we work hard and, if you listen to our first team coach talking, you will see that he emphasises that he wants hardworking players. When we don’t have the ball, we press high, and we work hard for the ball.

“We want players that have energy because our team relies on speed. Actually, modern football relies on speed, and we want speed for counterattacks etc. That’s our way of playing football. It’s high all the way, and it doesn’t matter if we lose, as long as we stayed consistent with our style.

“It’s only been three months, but we’ve done really well,” he added.

The rivalry between Galaxy head coach Ramović and Mamelodi Sundowns’ Rulani Mokoena makes for a fascinating matchup whenever the teams meet in the DStv Premiership.

No such rivalry exists between Mtsweni and Downs’ u19 coach Surprise Moriri but, when the teams meet, they always put on a show on the pitch.

Mtsweni says it is no coincidence that TS Galaxy’s games against ‘Downs always entertain as Galaxy targets the Pretoria-based side.

“The target is Sundowns, to say we must match them. I want players who are going to be able to compete against Sundowns because they are the best team,” Mtsweni explained.

“Guys let’s be honest, Sundowns is the best team in the country. Even their u19 team hasn’t been beaten this season. I don’t want to come up with excuses and say they have money, so they can buy the players they want. I don’t believe in that.” Coaches, Mtsweni said, have a huge role to play in developing talent.

“Coach Surprise is doing a great job there. I want my players to match Sundowns, so that, when we promote our players, they don’t get surprised when playing against the best teams.”

On Saturday, Mtsweni’s team welcomes Remember Elite Sports Academy (RESA) to George Lea Park for the 14th round of GDL fixtures.

Mtsweni says his team’s approach will be consistent. It’s about playing at high speed.

“From our side, we don’t change anything. Our football methods are the same and our principles stay the same,” he said.

“I try not to change things because of how the other teams play. I will treat RESA like Sundowns. Every game is the same with us,” he concluded.

When Michaelhouse hosts Pretoria Boys High on Saturday, a thrilling encounter is expected, while Hilton squares up against Westville. Kearsney is away at Glenwood, who will be celebrating their Old Boys’ Day, while Maritzburg College faces a tricky tie at Northwood.

When Michaelhouse and Boys High met last year, PBHS ran out 4-0 winners. But that was a different side. Most of the players who played in that match have matriculated.

Another important part of the narrative is that Michaelhouse was not coached by Nick Bérichon, who, having previously coached at Garsfontein until the end of 2023, will have very good knowledge of Boys High’s hockey.

With regards to their form, Michaelhouse has won one and lost one in their last two games. They went down 0-2 away to Maritzburg College but then bounced back to win by the same margin against St Charles at home.

Bérichon hopes that the half-term break, which provided his team with a well-deserved rest after a busy run of matches, will not reset his charges to last year’s principles, which he is working to replace with his own approach.

Justin Collins’ Northwood hosts Maritzburg College on the Durban school’s Old Boys’ Day. The rivalry was dominated by College for many years. In fact, when Northwood won 3-1 in 2022 it was their first win over College.

Last year, the teams settled for a draw. This year, Kyle Emerson’s charges will be looking to undo Northwood’s momentum against them.

However, that will not be an easy task, especially with Northwood playing on home turf. Collins’ team is playing confident hockey and they’re in good form. In their previous three matches, they drew at Kearsney and then followed that up with wins over Jeppe and Glenwood.

Led by Trent Jessop up front, Northwood fired seven goals past Jeppe and Glenwood and conceded only one once.

College has been playing well on the ball, dominating possession, and pressing hard when not in possession, over the past few weeks. Emerson and his charges have done their homework on Northwood and have been practicing ways to nullify the threat brought by Collins’ boys, who usually employ a sharp-edged counterattacking game.

“The focus will remain on our game and ability to keep the ball,” Emerson said. “We know that Northwood plays well with and without the ball, so the game should see two disciplined teams playing to their strengths, and it will come down to who can take their opportunities on the day.”

Westville is at home against Hilton. They’re a tough nut to crack with home field advantage, and they’re well marshalled by KZN Coastal central defender Owen Slack.

Hilton, too, takes their lead from their skipper. Jared Kitto will be a key player for them if they’re to overturn the Griffin on their home turf.

Kearsney takes a short drive to the 3 Schools Astro in Durban for a meeting with Glenwood. Braydon Naidoo’s team is going through a rebuilding phase and aspiring to reach the heights of their predecessors, and they will be keen to impress in front of their old boys. Kearsney, though, presents a serious obstacle.

“They are tough competition, defensively well-drilled. They have a good programme running. You have to respect them, otherwise they will hurt you. But we will take the fight to them,” Naidoo said.

For his part, Kearsney coach Ashley Kemp has expressed his desire for his boys to maintain the good run that has seen them win a few matches on the bounce. He is not taking their opposition lightly.

“They have a good programme running and have a few talented players,” Kemp said. “I am looking forward to the fixture. It should be a competitive match.”

Fixtures

Saturday
Michaelhouse vs PBHS
Westville vs Hilton
Northwood vs Maritzburg College
Glenwood vs Kearsney.