CC: Brits vs Rustenburg

On Friday night in Brits in the North West Province there will be a floodlit FNB Classic Clash between Brits and Rustenburg.

In 2010 Rustenburg won 13-0 in the wet and last year 51-24 in the dry, but this year may just be Brits's chance to change fortunes.

Brits have six back from last year's encounter - wing Dean Stokes, who was a centre last year, flyhalf MC Venter, scrumhalf Franswa Ueckerman, flanks Berto Kleynhans and Heino van der Merwe and prop Norman Nesbit.

Rustenburg have just two back - Hugo Richter, who has moved from wing to outside centre, and Berto van Wyk, the captain.

Brits have three players in the shadow Leopard side for Craven Week - Bertho Kleynhans, MC Venter and Franswa Ueckermann. Centre Berto van Wyk is the Rustenburg player in the side.

To Rustenburg's advantage they have played against sterner opposition but then took big defeats at the hands of EG Jansen, Monument and Oakdale but won well against Marais Viljoen and Florida.

In fact it is a match difficult to call, probably too dicey to bet on.

The teams:

Hoërskool Brits: 15 Ideon van Niekerk, 14 WJ Smith, 13 Dean Stokes, 12 Ruben Faber, 11 Ernst Meintjies, 10 MC Venter (captain), 9 Franswa Ueckermann, 8 Roland Lombaard, 7 Heino van der Merwe, 6 Berto Kleynhans, 5 Melco Voster, 4 Marno Cronjé, 3 Ivan Labuschagne, 2 Herman van den Berg, 1 Norman Nesbitt.

Hoërskool Rustenburg: 15 Zander le Roux, 14 JP Van Staden, 13 Hugo Richter, 12 Berto van Wyk (captain), 11 Dewald Pretorius, 10 Roelof Sauerman, 9 Jaco Snyman, 8 Tiaan Bezuidenhout (vice-captain), 7 Dylan Swanepoel, 6 Waldo van der Walt, 5 Walt Steenkamp, 4 JD Swart, 3 Xander Brummer, 2 Eric Vermaak, 1 Tiaan Janse van Vuuren.

Replacements: 6 Dandré Botha, 17 Duard Engelbrecht, 18 Wiaan Lewis, 19 Ockert Fourie, 20 Corrie Olewagen, 21 Ryno Coetzee.

Date: Friday, 25 May, 2012

Kick-off: 19.00

Venue: Hoërskool Brits

Expected weather conditions: Clear with a high of 24°C, dropping to a chilly 7°C. If you are going, wrap up.