Durban Girls College, St Mary’s DSG (Kloof),St Anne’s, and St John’s DSG are among the teams that will take to the astro on an action-filled Saturday that promises high-quality hockey action.
While the matches will add valuable points to their league standings, most teams will use the encounters to assess their readiness for the upcoming St Anne’s Cup, which most of them marked down as a tournament they intend to win. The first of those is DGC.
ChardinayPenniston’s team is enjoying a good run. They are still unbeaten since their defeat to St Mary’s Waverley at the St Mary’s Waverley Festival, which they went on to win. Lifting the St Anne’s trophy will hand them their second title of the season.
This week, DGC showed why they have been on such a winning streak by scoring seven goals against Thomas More and Maris Stella. Neither team was able to breach the well-oiled DGC defence. One of Penniston’s team’s ambitions for the season is to lift the title at the St Anne’s Cup, and a win against Epworth will embolden them as they prepare for the tournament.
St Mary’s celebrated the return of their captain, Georgia Pollock, with a 4 – 1 against Our Lady Fatima. Pollock has been on the sidelines for an extended period after she suffered an injury during their preseason tour trip to the Netherlands. Against Our Lady Fatima, Elizabeth Anderson led the scoring with a brace, then Alex Bowyer and Georgia Short scored a goal each.
Carla AnnMackay’s charges will be looking to make it two wins in four days when they take on Danville. A win against Danville will give them a boost as they look forward to the St Anne’s Cup. Like DGC, St Mary’s has their scope fixed on winning the tournament.
However, before St Anne’s can train their attention to the upcoming tournament they will be hosting, they have to contend with a familiar foe. They go up against St John’s in a great traditional Inlands derby. The two sides are so competitive that it is impossible to separate them going by their last three results. St Anne’s and St John’s have won one match each and drew the third. The winners of tomorrow’s encounter will not only carry victory with them but also bragging rights.
“They have a great hockey program, and we are expecting a good contest,” St Anne’s Morne Odendaal shared.
Fixtures:
St Mary’s vs Danville, DGC vs Epworth, St John’s vs St Anne’s, Witteberg vs Goudveld
HTS Middelburg se Rooibulle is oorgehaal om vir die afgelope twee jaar se teleurstellings te vergoed wanneer hulle Saterdagmiddag teen hul tradisionele vyande, Hoërskool Middelburg, op dié se tuisveld, in die SDC Noordvaal Cup se Plaat-afdeling, te staan kom.
Die Middies het, sedert die twee spanne weer vir die eerste keer in 2022 teen mekaar gespeel het, die oorhand geniet. Hulle het verlede jaar met 21-3 en in 2022 met 31-15 die botoon gevoer oor die Rooibulle. Voor 2022 het hulle laas in 2017 ontmoet, met die Rooibulle wat naelskraaps met 10-5 koning gekraai het.
Albei spanne het reeds vanjaar beïndruk en vroeg na vore getree as sterk aanspraakmakers op die Plaat-titel.
Die Rooibulle sal egter heelwat aandag moet skenk aan dissipline in hul eie halfgebied, met die tuisspan se losskakel en skerpskutter, Matthew Abbey, wat lyk asof hy by die week meer akkuraat raak met sy korrelwerk pale toe. Abbey en heelagter, Crawford Joubert, sal ook fyn dopgehou moet wanneer hulle op loop sit met die bal, met verál Joubert se teenaanvalle wat amok kan saai onder die verdediging.
Die besoekers beskik nietemin oor uithalerspelers in eie reg, soos die woelige flank en kaptein, Toy Engelbrecht. Engelbrecht, wat ook uitblink as ‘n sewesspeler, se vermoë om spasie aan te val maak van hom ‘n uiters gevaarlike kalant.
Agterlangs wag binnesenter, Johnny dos Santos, op die Middies se middeveld. Dos Santos het vanjaar reeds menige verdediger in die stof laat byt met sy venynige aanvalslyne en kragtige barslopies.
In Kempton Park wag daar ‘n hoogs interessante stryd tussen Hoërskool Kempton Park en Hoërskool Zwartkop. Die tuisspan het nog nie vanjaar op alle silinders gevuur nie en sal Saterdag die kans wil aangryp om momentum te bou vir die res van die reeks met ‘n eerste sege in vanjaar se kompetisie.
Hulle sal heelwat staatmaak op losskakel, Stian de Villiers. De Villiers, tesame met sy twee ervare senters, Tiaan Delport en Tian Aucamp, sal die Kempies deurgaans op die voorvoet wil plaas.
Die Zwarries se held van verlede naweek, Milton Naudé, sal weer op regtervleuel in aksie wees. Naudé moes verlede naweek inderhaas die beseerde Denlison Metcalfe vervang, waarna hy ‘n briljante driekuns behaal het in die span van Centurian se sege van 44-31 oor Hoërskool Klerksdorp.
Die spanne:
Hoërskool Middelburg t. HTS Middelburg om 16:00 in Middelburg
Hilton College is no stranger to intense competition. Last year, they scored a commanding 39-15 victory over Pretoria Boys High(PBHS) at home. They also produced another outstanding season. However, their journey this year has been less consistent and marked by both triumphs and setbacks.
Kick-off this weekend takes place at 13:15 on the prestigious Brooks Field, at PBHS.
In their recent derby clash with their arch-rivals, Michaelhouse, Hilton fought tooth and nail but fell short, succumbing to a narrow 23-24 defeat. It was their second loss to ‘House in succession after having not lost to the Balgowan boys since 2016.
The match, fiercely contested, came at a cost as Hilton suffered several injuries, leaving key players’ Ross Brown, Stewart Falconer, and Ivan Jjuuko all sidelined for the forthcoming match against Boys High, coach Brad McLeod-Henderson said.
On the other side of the pitch, Boys High enters the fray with determination and ambition. While their run-out last weekend against HTS Middelburg may not have been an official fixture with a visible scoreboard, it provided valuable opportunities for players across different age groups and teams to showcase their skills.
In an interesting move, PBHS tried out Jeffrey Singo on the flank. He started the season at loose-head prop.
In their previous outing, Boys High beat Parktown Boys’ High School 36-5 away from home in a scrappy affair.
The coaching staff at Boys High has taken some time to analyse Hilton’s loss against Michaelhouse. Assistant coach Wian Geldenhuys said: “We are aware of Hilton’s kicking game, and I hope the referee will manage the breakdown well.”
In a boost for the home side, Stephen Adams will start a game for the first time since he injured a knee against Paarl Boys’ High on 1 April. He made a brief appearance off the bench against Parktown and made his presence felt by going over for a try.
“We are really looking forward to this weekend,” Geldenhuys said. “The boys are just about ready and can’t wait.”
Meanwhile, St Alban’s College will square off with Northcliff High School in Johannesburg on Saturday, with an early kick-off at 11:15.
St Alban’s recently returned from an overseas tour and will be looking forward to playing some rugby on home soil again. Their fixtures featured matches against schools and clubs from Spain and France.
The Hoops won two out of their four games, which included a narrow 10-5 win over St Jean De Luz Olympique and a 14-12 victory against Emak Hor Rugby, both from France.
Captain Patrick Weir has had a strong start to the season and will be eager to set the tone for Saints as they face some big matches in the coming weeks.
Their international experience would have opened up the players to different cultures, both on and off the rugby field. Lessons learnt on the tour will also, no doubt, help the players to advance their rugby education, and touring helps to further enhance bonds. It will be interesting to see what that impact in action when St Alban’s takes to the field.
Northcliff recently beat Sutherland High School 63-19 in a strong outing for the Johannesburg school. Flyhalf Matthew Hunt kicked well on the day, slotting two penalties and six conversions.
Only twice this season has Northcliff conceded more than 20 points. They’ll need their defence to be on point again to withstand the St Alban’s challenge.
An exciting weekend lies ahead.
TEAMS
Pretoria Boys High School: 15 Tumisho Motswi, 14 Itu Baloyi, 13 Ntsako Ndlovu, 12 Rickus Wessels, 11 Ompfuna Tsanwani, 10 Seth Venter, 9 Cole Williams, 8 Katlego Shebu, 7 Jeffery Singo, 6 Panyaiotis Ellinas, 5 Tshepiso Shikhibana, 4 Stephen Adams, 3 Ofentse Moeng, 2 Marnus Wessels, 1 Matthew Parrott.
Hilton College: 15 Xola Bakana, 14 Sebastian Gaboreau, 13 Khazimla Makali, 12 Daniel Sweeney, 11 Requilme Adonis, 10 Liyema Nela, 9 Zander Vorster, 8 Hanu Pieterse, 7 Dylan Neill, 6 Oliver Mattison, 5 Kieran Hunt, 4 Trent Chubb, 3 Ben le Roux, 2 Josh Grant, 1 Oliver Proudfoot.
Northcliff High School: 15 Dylan Koopman, 14 Bheki Ngwenya, 13 Sivenathi Ngqungwana, 12 Matthew Verrydt, 11 Luke Roos, 10 Matthew Hunt, 9 Alerick Rachstein, 8 Frank Devenish, 7 Chad Matthews, 6 Vianney Nteumange, 5 Rhema Nwogwugwu, 4 Declan Diesel, 3 Mihlali-Yethu Nqabeni, 2 Luke Hammond, 1 Miguel Smith.
St Alban’s College: 15 Ngaa Chikarango, 14 Tumelo Mohale, 13 Enzo Olivier, 12 Sihle Msiza, 11 JJ Steenkamp, 10 Everett Gosling, 9 Joshua Verster, 8 Daniel Bouwer, 7 Thabiso Mbembele 6 Patrick Weir, 5 Helgard Hendriks, 4 Tim Garnett, 3 Neo Gama, 2 Craig Milne 1 Andreas Philippou.
FIXTURES
Pretoria Boys High vs Hilton
u14A: 9:00 – Pretoria Boys High vs Hilton (Dorey Near)
u15A: 10:00 – Pretoria Boys High vs Hilton (Oehley Far Field)
u16A: 11:00 – Pretoria Boys High vs Hilton (Oehely Near Field)
u19B: 12:10 – Pretoria Boys High vs Hilton (Brooks Field)
u19A: 13:15 – Pretoria Boys High vs Hilton (Brooks Field)
Northcliff vs St Albans
u14A: 10:00 – Northcliff vs St Albans (C Field)
u15A: 8:00 – Northcliff vs St Albans (B Field)
u19B: 9:00 – Northcliff vs St Albans (A Field)
u16A: 10:00 – Northcliff vs St Albans (A Field)
u19A: 11:15 – Northcliff vs St Albans (A Field)
Michail Damons of South Africa in action during The Rugby Championship U20 Round 2 match between Australia and South Africa at Sunshine Coast Stadium on May 07, 2024 in Sunshine Coast, Australia. (Photo by Albert Perez/Getty Images)
Zachary Porthen resumes the captaincy of a reshuffled Junior Springboks starting line-up for Sunday’s final Under-20 Rugby Championship match against Argentina at the Sunshine Coast Stadium in Bokarina on the eastern seaboard of Queensland in Australia.
Porthen was not considered for the previous encounter with Australia because of a hand injury, but he is back in the starting line-up to lead a Junior Bok team showing a number of changes for their third and final fixture of the new Sanzaar competition.
Only four players in the starting team will run out in the same positions they played against Australia – JF van Heerden (lock), who captained the SA U20s against Australia, Tiaan Jacobs (No 8), Litelihle Bester (left wing) and Jurenzo Julius (outside centre).
Another three players will again start, but in different positions – Bathobele Hlekani (flanker/lock), as well as Josh Boulle and Phillip Albert van Niekerk (utility backs).
Amongst the forwards, there is a new-look front row consisting of props Ruan Swart and Porthen and hooker Juan Smal. Van Heerden forms the tweaked lock combination with Thomas Dyer, while Hlanki, Sibabalwe Mahashe (flankers), and Jacobs (No 8) form the loose trio.
In the reshuffled backline, Bruce Sherwood moves from his regular midfield position to fullback, Joel Leotlela comes in for Boulle at right wing, with Boulle shifting to inside centre. Van Niekerk moves from inside centre to flyhalf and the scrumhalf jersey is handed to Ezekiel Ngobeni with Asad Moos now playing off the bench.
Liyema Ntshanga, Casper Badenhorst (front rankers), and JC Mars (utility back) were retained on the replacement bench, while Adam de Waal and Michail Damon were not considered for selection due to injuries.
Junior Bok head coach Bafana Nhleko said the team wants to show an improvement in their performance and play to their potential, which was not the case in their draw with New Zealand and defeat to Australia.
“We all realise the quality of play in the two previous two matches was not up to our standards and it’s the small margins that keep hurting us,” said Nhleko.
“Growth is about applying the learnings and I hope we can showcase the ability we have within the group.”
According to the SA U20 coach, his team wants to shake off their frustrating inconsistency and error rate: “Up to now we’ve not been able to string together significant passages of play to get rewards, thus releasing pressure for the opposition and we have not managed the game well when we have taken the lead in both games.
“Despite those shortcomings, we still managed to keep ourselves in contention right until the end of both games, which proves our fighting spirit and parts of our ability.
“We have worked hard to rectify those areas and have prepared well, now the players must go out and show what they can do. Argentina demonstrated their ability against Australia especially at set piece and they, just like us, would want to bounce back from their disappointment against New Zealand, so we must show the right attitude to meet that challenge,” added Nhleko.
The match kicks off at 13h30 (05h30 SA time) and will be broadcast live on SuperSport. Australia and New Zealand play the final tournament fixture.
Maritzburg College will host Michaelhouse in a blockbuster hockey encounter to celebrate their Reunion Day, while Clifton hosts St Charles for their Centenary Old Boys’ Day celebrations on Saturday.
Michaelhouse coach Nick Bérichon, a College old boy, returns to his alma mater wearing the colours of the opposition, and is chasing a cherished victory on College’s hallowed Pape’s Astro.
It is not an improbable outcome. Michaelhouse is coming off an inspiring 3-2 win over HiltonCollege at Hilton last weekend. In that encounter, West Mitchell-Innes opened and closed the scoring in a match where the home team refused to let go and kept fighting back.
“We have taken confidence from our actions in both the attacking and defensive circles versus Hilton last week, so we are looking to be even better in both those departments,” Bérichon shared with Supersport Schools Plus ahead of Friday’s showdown.
College, on the other hand, will not only have home advantage but they’re also coming off a 2-1 win over St Charles. As they have done for most of the season, they dominated possession in that match. It is an approach that they are not about to relinquish. The only thing coach Kyle Emerson has bemoaned recently was his charges’ wayward finishing.
“We should have put the game to bed with many chances,” he commented after their win. That has been a recurring theme for his side.
Bérichon is expecting College to bring the fight to his charges, but he is certain his team will be up for it. “Reunion Day is a big day for College, so we know they won’t be taking one step backward. That is motivating us to bring our absolute best in our preparation and on Saturday,” he said.
College’s opponents from last week, St Charles College, travel down to the Riverside Sports Club in Durban to face Clifton College.
Matt Coombes’ charges will be pursuing a reversal of their fortunes since the teams last met on Saints’ Old Boys’ Day on 20 April, when Clifton scored a 3-1 win.
Clifton’s coach Calvin Price is expecting a serious examination from the Pietermaritzburg school: “Traditionally, yes, they are a strong unit and always challenge us. We beat them on their Old Boys Day and definitely know they will come out firing this weekend on our Old Boys’ Day,” Price said.
With loyal home support, the Clifton 1st XI will be spurred on by their Old Boys, who will be celebrating 100 years of their school’s existence.
FIXTURES
Saturday
Maritzburg College vs Michaelhouse
Clifton College vs St Charles College
Sentraal t. Fichardtpark, 2024 | FOTO: Kulu Ferreira
Hoërskool Sentraal is vasbeslote om hierdie naweek hul sukses in 2022 te laat herleef wanneer die FNB Classic Clashes-kragmeting met Jim Fouché weer op eie bodem plaasvind.
JF was verlede jaar tuis met 38-17 baas, maar die laaste keer wat hulle vir Tralies voor dié se tuisskare aangedurf het, het die bloktruie met 29-26 geseëvier. Later daardie jaar het die twee spanne weer ontmoet in die Stadsliga-eindstryd, met die Green Machine wat laaste gelag het met ‘n sege van 19-14 om die titel te verower.
Die Tralies se seisoen het vanjaar stadig begin, maar ‘n puik vertoning teen Hoërskool Kalahari verlede naweek sou hul selfvertroue ‘n hupstoot gegee het op die vooraand van Saterdag se groot stryd teen hul bure. Lee-Yagin Arendse en Pat Cloete is twee van die tuisspan se gevaarmanne wat ‘n taamlike impak kan maak.
Jim Fouché beskik self oor meer as genoeg skietgoed, met Franco Oberholzer en Breyten de Wee aan die spits van hul aanslag. JF het in hul vorige kragmeting, ook met ‘n Bloemfonteinse mededinger, vir HTS Louis Botha met 47-10 afgestof, nadat hulle vroeër met 15-24 die knie moes buig teen Fichardtpark.
Die Fichies is ook hierdie naweek in aksie teen Landboudal.
Na ‘n moeilike begin tot hul seisoen, lyk dit of die Fichie Leeus weer hul ritme gevind het nadat hulle verlede week spiere gebult het teen Kalahari met 62-17. Die Lanties bied nietemin altyd ‘n strawwe toets, en die span van Jacobsdal het reeds vanjaar met Hoërskool Burgersdorp (26-6) en Sentraal (43-12) afgereken.
Die stryd tussen die twee skrumskakels behoort interessant te wees, met Devanté Claasen wat die Fichies-aanval bestuur en Craven Crause wat ook sy stempel sal wil afdruk vir Landboudal. Crause en kaptein, Divan Vorster, het verlede jaar hul skool met onderskeiding in die Barbarians-span by die VKB Reitz-week verteenwoordig, terwyl Claasen verlede jaar Cravenweek gespeel, saam met Fichardtpark se eerste SA Skolespeler ooit, Jaco Grobbelaar.
Sentraal t. Jim Fouché om 14:20
Sentraal: 15 Jayden Betty, 14 Lee-Yagin Arendse, 13 Pat Cloete, 12 CJ Hertzog, 11 Louis Harm Fourie, 10 SJ Coetzee, 9 Schalk Linde, 8 Chris Kachelhoffer, 7 Percy Reynolds, 6 CJ Cloete, 5 Jandre Jardim, 4 Steven Smith, 3 EJ van der Berg, 2 Marnus Earle, 1 Van Zyl Hetzel.
Jim Fouché: 15 Christian Strydom, 14 Kay Dinn Langley, 13 Justin Groenewald, 12 Heinrich Hattingh, 11 Bendré Vermaak, 10 Breyten de Wee, 9 Brenden de Wee, 8 Franco Oberholzer, 7 Qian Moller, 6 Brenden Weyers, 5 Milan Marais, 4 JW Stone, 3 Jandré Opperman, 2 Ian Nel, 1 Tristan Russle.
Kearsney College captain Matt de Oliviera lets out a roar of delight after scoring to snatch a draw for his side against Paul Roos Gimnasium.
Kearsney and Westville will set Friday night alight with a local derby on the Mason Astro in Botha’s Hill. Meanwhile, in Bloemfontein, Grey College will aim to provide their home supporters with high-quality entertainment when they go up against Paarl Boys’ High.
Kearsney and Westville are close neighbours and with that comes a local rivalry. For years, the institutions have fought for bragging rights. Westville owns a better recent head-to-head record, having won 2-1 in 2022 and 2-0 in 2023.
It is a run that Matthew Mendes de Oliviera and his teammates are determined to halt. The Kearsney captain, who is enjoying a good run of form, has scored for his side in their past two games, and will hope to find the gaps Westville’s opposition capitalised on last week at the Hibbert Shield.
Westville produced mixed results in Gqeberha. They finished the competition with a 2-3 loss to Bishops, which left the Griffin in joint seventh place with Paarl Gim.
Before the Hibbert Shield, they had produced two good results, thumping Glenwood 5-0 and finessing a 3-3 draw against Maritzburg College after chasing the game for most of the contest.
AshleyKemp’s charges, on the other hand, fought their way back against Northwood to walk away with a 1-1 draw in a mist-enveloped contest last week. In an exciting finish, De Oliveira scored with three minutes remaining to give the home supporters reason to cheer.
Kemp, who is familiar with Westville coach CamMackay’s work, is expecting a tough encounter. The Westville gaffer wears three other hats. In addition to his work at Westville, he also trains the SA u16 boys’ team and also coaches the KZN outdoor and SA men’s indoor teams.
“They have a coach that is pretty good at what he does. He produces well-drilled teams,” Kemp said of Mackay. “We expect his team to be nitty gritty, scratching and biting for every 50/50 ball.
“Westville always seems to find an extra gear when they play against Kearsney. It will be an exciting encounter,” Kemp told Supersport Schools Plus.
In the Free State, Grey College hosts Paarl Boys’ High. WayneCoetzee’s side is playing confident hockey and is fresh off of two high scoring victories.
FIXTURES
Friday
Kearsney vs Westville Boys’ High
Grey College vs Paarl Boys’ High
The Jeppe High School for Boys and Northwood School 1st XVs have clashed 47 times. Jeppe holds the edge with 25 victories, while Northwood has claimed 16 wins and six matches have ended in draws. They meet again in Durban on Saturday.
Jeppe’s narrow 9-8 victory in 2022 and their commanding 50-17 win in 2023 serve as reminders of the unpredictability and excitement that the fixture can deliver.
The Johannesburg boys have enjoyed a strong season, but so, too, has Northwood, and it’s always tough to travel long distances. There is not much time to settle in.
Kick-off takes place at 13:00 on Northwood’s Reece-Edwards Field.
With two strong teams set to go head-to-head, Saturday’s encounter promises to add another exciting chapter to the rivalry.
Northwood is enjoying a fine season, and they head into the contest fresh off a neat 34-24 victory over Kearsney College, set up by a dominant first-half performance, which had the Knights 22-3 ahead at the break.
They’ve lost only once all season, going down 22-24 at Michaelhouse. Their results also include a 10-7 win at Hilton College and a 7-7 draw with a very good Durban High School (DHS) team at home.
In their most recent action, Jeppe played two matches at the Standard Bank Grey Rugby Festival. They won both comfortably, with their defence excelling. On the first day, they outplayed Graeme College 29-3. Two days later, this past Saturday, they followed that up with a convincing 33-5 victory over St Andrew’s College.
In a change to the pack, Jeppe will start Joseph Zulu at hooker on the weekend, with Bonga Nxumalo shifting to the bench.
It should be a fascinating clash, starting up front, where both schools boast abrasive and powerful packs. There will be plenty of support for Jeppe, but the Reece-Edwards cauldron should be electric with loud support for the home team, which has gone viral this year. Expect the crowd to go wild when the cheerleaders bang out Drake’s Nonstop, with a South African twist of flavour added in.
Up on the Highveld, St Benedict’s College hosts an in-form King Edward VII, who recently beat Jeppe in the first of their two annual clashes. KES has been hit hard by a tummy bug this week, coach Marco Engelbrecht revealed, with a number of notable players set to miss out as they recover from the illness.
Bennies will be bolstered by the return of their captain Jason Cutler from injury. He will be eager to make a telling impact on home soil against the Red Army.
St Benedict’s have struggled this season, however, and have been on the receiving end of some hefty defeats against the likes of St Stithians College and the Eastern Cape’s Graeme College at the St John’s Easter Festival earlier in the season. Despite KES missing some players, Bennies will be the underdogs. The Red Army has been formidable this season.
With an overwhelming 80-0 victory over Parktown Boys’ High, which was followed by victories over Pretoria Boys High and Jeppe, KES has momentum and confidence on their side. They’ll be chasing a sixth successive victory.
The breakdowns will be a key area of contestation that the team in red will seek to exploit.
They feature a new-look front row, which includes props Michael Anthony and Kenny Prins packing down with hooker Dylan Piek, who has already featured in the starting lineup this season, with Esethu Mnebelele missing out due to an injury.
KES will be hoping to see the talented Tristan Maugeri, who was instrumental in the team’s success last year, shift gears and add some fire to their backline.
Bennies’ coach Andrew Barnes recently completed an advanced coaching course in New Zealand during the April holidays and will be eager to put his tactics and newfound knowledge to the test against KES.
St Stithians College hosts Parktown Boys’ High School. Saints are likely the slight favourites, but Parktown has shown encouraging signs of improvement in recent weeks. Thrashed by 80 points by KES, they subsequently lost to Pretoria Boys High by 31 points. The Candies went down to KES by only 10 points. That’s progress.
Kick-off at St Stithians is at 11:50.
Saints travelled down to Grey High School last weekend where they played in the Standard Bank Grey Rugby Festival, winning one and losing one. They beat Die Brandwag 16-12 but were well beaten by Queen’s College, going down 19-54.
St Stithians will be without their first-choice flyhalf Chris Anderson but will turn to Josh Meyer to deliver the goods from the kicking tee, which he did in Gqeberha.
Parktown has some size in their squad, which will challenge Saints, while their flying winger Kabelo Jwili is a dangerman.
Last weekend, Parktown was also in action at Grey High. They lost 17-25 to St Andrew’s College but won 20-13 against Ithembelihle.
TEAMS
Jeppe High School for Boys: 15 Sanele Simelane, 14 Lindelani Nkambule, 13 Kuthadzo Rasivhaga, 12 McMillen Mongwana, 11 Leruo Dithagiso, 10 Matthew Coetzee, 9 Talent Sithole, 8 Risima Khosa, 7 Nathan Claassen, 6 Grady Ngui, 5 Luke Cannon, 4 Lagan Leisher, 3 Luca Trevisan, 2 Joseph Zulu, 1 Andre Poulton.
St Stithians College: 15 Cullen Bradford, 14 Hlelo Ngwenya, 13 Gabriel Hore, 12 Tyler Maclennan, 11 Sicelo Sakawuli, 10 Josh Meyer, 9 Aphelele Ngcuka, 8 Tashinga Chingonzo, 7 Ryan Zvinavashe, 6 Ross Turner, 5 Francois Botes, 4 Luke Thorrold, 3 Keabetswe Mapukana, 2 Jean-Antony Eblen, 1 Branden Lightfoot.
FIXTURES
Northwood High School vs Jeppe High School for Boys
u14A: 8:00 – Northwood vs Jeppe (Reece-Edwards Field)
u15A: 09:00 – Northwood vs Jeppe (Reece-Edwards Field)
u16A: 10:15 – Northwood vs Jeppe (Reece-Edwards Field)
u19B: 11:30 – Northwood vs Jeppe (Reece-Edwards Field)
u19A: 13:00 – Northwood vs Jeppe (Reece-Edwards Field)
St Benedict’s College vs King Edward VII
u14A: 10:30 – St Benedict’s vs KES (C Field)
u15A: 07:30 – St Benedict’s vs KES (A Field)
u16A: 08:30 – St Benedict’s vs KES (A Field)
u19B: 12:15 – Krugersdorp High School (u19A) vs KES (A Field)
u19A: 13:30 – St Benedict’s vs KES (A Field)
St Stithians College vs Parktown Boys’ High School
u14A: 09:30 – St Stithians vs Parktown (Baytopp Field)
u15A: 08:30 – St Stithians vs Parktown (Baytopp Field)
u16A: 10:30 – St Stithians vs Parktown (Baytopp Field)
u19B: 10:55 – St Stithians vs Parktown (Dlamini Field)
u19A: 11:50 – St Stithians vs Parktown (Baytopp Field)
Dit is die vraag wat op almal se lippe sal wees wanneer die Klofies en Hoërskool Garsfontein in die SDC Noordvaal Cup se Beker-afdeling kragte meet.
Vanjaar bied waarskynlik vir Klofies die beste kans in jare om hul Pretoriaanse eweknieë te troef. Die tuisspan het nog slegs een keer vanjaar, teen Paul Roos Gimnasium, met 24-47 hul rieme styfgeloop.
Waterkloof het verál beïndruk by die onlangse Wildeklawer-toernooi, deur in albei hul wedstryde, teen Hoërskool Outeniqua (51-32) en Marlow Landbou (52-24), meer as 50 punte te kon aanteken.
Dit het egter teen ‘n duur prys gekom aangesien Klofies klaarblyklik vir die res van die seisoen sonder hul ster-losskakel, Franco Cronjé, moet klaarkom, nadat hy ‘n ernstige besering opgedoen het in Kimberley. Die giftige Dennis Obi skuif oor van linkervleuel om Cronje in die nr. 10-trui te vervang, terwyl Jaiden Badenhorst kans kry op linkervleuel.
Die Garsies kan egter hoegenaamd nie afgeskryf word nie. Die Bere beleef tot dusver ‘n ietwat tentatiewe begin tot die seisoen en het reeds vyf keer in ses wedstryde vanjaar die knie moes buig. Dit is ongewoon dat ‘n Bere-span só sukkel, maar dan moet bygevoeg word dat dié nederlae teen van Suid-Afrika se grootste honde was.
Die Bere kon vanjaar nog net in sy eerste kragmeting van die seisoen teen Jeppe (37-31) aan die wenkant wees. Die laaste keer wat die Garsies vier keer op ‘n streep verloor het, was toevallig in 2010 toe hy onderskeidelik teen Oos-Moot (8-32), Waterkloof (0-102), Centurion (14-59) en Wonderboom (14-17) die onderspit gedelf het.
Die reuse nederlaag destyds teen Klofies was ‘n belangrike draaipunt in die Bere se rugbyprogram.
Flank en kaptein, Luann Olivier, sal slaggereed wees om van voor te lei met sy energieke spel, wat herinner aan dié van ‘n Kwagga Smith of JC Pretorius, en hou ‘n besliste bedreiging in met sy bedrieglike vaart en goeie voetwerk in gebroke spel.
Die Bere se agterlyn, onderleiding van losskakel, Luan Ferreira, het vanjaar reeds aangedui dat hulle uiters gevaarlik kan wees wanneer hulle aan die gang kom. Die vlugvoetige heelagter, Junaid Passensie, en sneller op buitesenter, Ruan Enslin, sal verál fyn dopgehou moet word deur die Klofie-verdedigers.
Enslin se tweestryd met Klofies se buitesenter en kaptein, Riwan van Aswegen, beloof om vir groot opwinding te sorg, met albei wat ook die Blou Bul-keurders verder wil laat kopkrap oor wié vanjaar die nr. 13-trui by die Cravenweek oor die kop moet trek.
Hoërskool Menlopark het ‘n reuse taak op hande wanneer hulle Saterdag na Krugersdorp opruk om Hoërskool Monument aan te vat.
Die Parkies het verlede jaar in die laaste ronde wedstryde van die SDC Noordvaal Cup ‘n hewige drag slae van 7-111 teen die Wit Bulle op die lyf geloop.
Die Parkies betree die stryd met hope selfvertroue en het hul seisoen aansienlik beter afgeskop as wat verlede jaar die geval was. Hulle moes nietemin ‘n paar aanpassings maak.
Ruben Herbst, wat normaalweg op regtervleuel te siene is, skuif na losskakel om die beseerde Logan Botha te vervang, met Ruben Fourie wat op regtervleuel inkom. Leskin Samuels skuif na buitesenter, met Wynand van Wyk wat op binnesenter by Samuels aansluit.
Die Wit Bulle het besluit om geen veranderinge aan te bring vir die stryd teen die Parkies nie, en nie die momentum wat hulle tot dusver opgebou het onnodig te versteur nie.
Die spanne:
Hoërskool Waterkloof t. Hoërskool Garsfontein om 12:30 in Pretoria:
Waterkloof: 15 Ronan Bastiaanse, 14 Malcolm George, 13 Riwan van Aswegen, 12 Happy Makate, 11 Jaiden Badenhorst, 10 Dennis Obi, 9 Migael Prinsloo, 8 Marko Kok, 7 Lendrey Janse van Vuuren, 6 Divan Botha, 5 Alrich Uys, 4 Stephan de Beer, 3 Jedri Swart, 2 Ruan Jacobs, 1 Juan Gouws.
Garsfontein: 15 Junaid Passensie, 14 Eben Koekemoer, 13 Ruan Enslin, 12 Wihan van der Berg, 11 Junaid Swart, 10 Luan Ferreira, 9 Derrick Kuhn, 8 Aiden King, 7 Thinus Oosthuizen, 6 Luann Olivier, 5 Jacques Swart, 4 James Schnetler, 3 Luan van der Berg, 2 Justin Blom, 1 Ethan van Dyk.
Hoërskool Monument t. Hoërskool Menlopark om 13:20 in Krugersdorp:
Monument: 15 Hanu Fourie, 14 Kealan Milton, 13 Jason Joubert, 12 Theuns du Plooy, 11 Ernesto Oersen, 10 Cruz La Moer, 9 Hanno du Toit, 8 Vince Robberts, 7 RJ Barnard, 6 Jamaal Feldman, 5 Nathan Erasmus, 4 Jacques Botha, 3 Wikus Meyer, 2 Keenan Myners, 1 JC Oosthuizen.
Menlopark: 15 Divan Nel, 14 Ruben Fourie, 13 Leskin Samuels, 12 Wynand van Wyk, 11 Stefan van Niekerk, 10 Reinhardt Herbst, 9 Gustav Schaffner, 8 Rocco Myburgh, 7 JN van Wyk, 6 Justin Lottering, 5 Mattheus Prinsloo, 4 Keagan Pretorius, 3 Ruwan van Aarddt, 2 Declan Pelser, 1 Chrisjan Brits.
Noordheuwel t. Hoërskool Rustenburg om 13:10 in Krugersdorp:
CECIL PARSONS, tighthead prop of the Griffons will once again be one of the stalwarts for the team during the Craven Week. PHOTO: Shaun Roy/Gallo Images
It’s no surprise that the Griffon selectors named ten players from Welkom Gimnasium in their provisional Craven Week side for the prestigious tournament later this year in Krugersdorp.
This year’s Craven Week presented by Stadio will be hosted at Monument in Krugersdorp from 24 until 29 June.
Four players who represented the Griffons at last year’s edition in George – Cecil Parsons (tighthead prop), Buhle Ngxabayi (loosehead prop), Jayden Auld (lock) and Lungile Samson (prop) are named in the provisional squad.
Another six players represented the Griffons at the Academy Week in Johannesburg last year. They are Jan Coetzee (hooker), Oyama Frans (lock), Rylen Kirsten (flank), Kenyon Moerat, Kganya Molapo (hooker) and Revaldo Farmer (scrumhalf).
JC van Rhyn (outside centre) and Reabetswe Olifant (flanker) are players who made the grade from the Grant Khomo Week team of 2023 straight into the Craven Week side.
The Griffons will face the Free State in their opening match in Krugersdorp. The last time these two sides met at the week was back in 2015 in Stellenbosch when the Purple People Eaters came out on top by 41-27. Gift Dlamini and Richman Gora were two of the Griffons’ stars in this famous victory.
The Purple People Eaters will be coached by Roean Bezuidenhout (Welkom Gimnasium) with Taro Maarman (Hentie Cilliers) and Andries Kruger (Hentie Cilliers) as his assistants.
Maarman represented the Griffons’ senior side in 145 matches, while Kruger also boasts a total of 51 appearances for the senior side.
The team manager is Frans Crous (Goudveld-Hoërskool) who has coached the Griffons’ Grant Khomo Week-side for the last couple of years.
Maritzburg College will host Michaelhouse in a blockbuster hockey encounter to celebrate their Reunion Day, while Clifton hosts St Charles for their Centenary Old Boys’ Day celebrations on Saturday.
