CC: Rondebosch vs Bishops
This Saturday at Rondebosch Boys' High, Rondebosch play Bishops in an FNB Classic Clash, always an enthusiastic match, always a happy occasion for schools rugby.
The two schools are just some 400 metres apart, and 19 Bishops rugby teams will walk that short distance along Tullyallen Road for their matches. They play twice a year and have been doing so for years and years. Wrack your brain to find an unpleasant incident in all that time. Unpleasantness has been rare in 180 series of matches between the two great schools in a century of playing each other. They are after all the same kind of people.
It has been a tough season for both sides in which, for the first teams, defeats outnumber victories, as is not unknown even with the best of sides and more likely with schools' sides which change so much every year. But for both these great rugby schools the season has been unusually disappointing, not that that will make this particular occasion any less special.
Bishops have given their side lots of chances - two festivals and 14 matches of which they have won just three. Rondebosch have played nine matches in South Africa, winning just three. In addition Rondebosch went on tour to Wales and Ireland, winning all four of their matches. They beat Bridgend College and Ysgol Gyfun Ystalyfera in Wales and Ballymena Acadamy and Galwegians RFC in Ireland.
Results against common opponents:
Brackenfell: Rondebosch won 46-10, Bishops 61-0
Boland Landbou: Rondebosch lost 34-24, Bishops 36-16
Paarl Boys' High: Rondebosch lost 24-3, Bishops 80-5
SACS: Rondebosch lost 36-17, Bishops 21-8
Wynberg: Rondebosch lost 18-13, Bishops 26-14
Provincial representation: Neither side has a player picked for Craven Week. For Rondebosch Graham Geldenhuys, son of the great Villager and Western Province loose forward, Piet Geldenhuys, is a lock in the Western Province Academy side. Bishops have two players in the Academy side - prop Tahriq Allen and outside centre Herman Share.
Rondebosch have two other sons of former Western Province players in Tim Hillock, son of Steve, and Duncan Geldenhuys, Graham's brother. Ant van Ryneveld is interesting. His great-grandfather played for rugby South Africa. His grandfather played rugby for England and captained South Africa at cricket.
Predictions: There will be many predictions and it is not unknown that there is a wager or two But it is a match on its own, taking no regard of a season's results, no regard even of venue for in the last six matches, the home side has not won.
The teams:
Rondebosch: 15 Matthew Steel, 14 Justin Nortier, 13 Tim Hillock (vice-captain), 12 Alex Mather, 11 Devon van Rensburg, 10 Tyren Lee, 9 Luke Houba, 8 Levi Calthorpe (captain), 7 Lakheni Songca, 6 Ronnie Melck, 5 Duncan Geldenhuys, 4 Graham Geldenhuys, 3 Brett Paulse, 2 Bobby Wallace, 1 Kyle Whyte.
Coach: Clinton van Rensburg
Bishops: 15 Greg Alexander, 14 Keenan Jacobs, 13 Herman Share, 12 Chris Cockburn, 11 Ant van Ryneveld, 10 James van Heerden, 9 Sean van Rensburg, 8 Jo Miller (captain), 7 Karl Steinhagen, 6 Justin Holliday, 5 Floris Groeninx, 4 Seb Remmelzwaal, 3 Tahriq Allen, 2 Jordan Artus, 1 Cuan Hablutzel.
Coaches: Dave Mallett, Kevin Foote, Gareth Hayden
Date: Saturday, 16 June (2012)
Kick-off: 12.00
Venue: Rondebosch Boys' High
Expected weather conditions: Partly cloudy with a high of 21°C, dropping to 13°C.
Referee: Francois Pretorius (Western Province Referees' Society)
Rondebosch vs Bishops Programme:
Rugby A
08.15: Fourth XV
09.30: Third XV
10.45: Second XV
12.00: First XV
Meadow A
10.15: Under-16A
09.00: Under-16B
Meadow B
08.30: Under-15C
09.30: Under-15B
10.30: Under-15A
Meadow C
09.30: Sixth XV
10.45: Fifth XV
North
09.00: Under-16C
10.15: Under-16D
Lower Desert A
08.30: Under-14C
09.30: Under-14A
10.30: Under-14B
Lower Desert B
09.00: Seventh XV
10.15: Under-14D
Range
09.45: Under-15D
Results down the years:
1911: Bishops won 18-0 & 25-0
1916: Bishops won 13-0 & drew 13-13
1917: Bishops won 5-3 & Rondebosch won 14-3
1918: Bishops won 16-0 & drew 0-0
1921: Bishops won 6-0
1923: Rondebosch won 9-8
1925: Rondebosch won 22-3
1926: Bishops won 10-9 & 6-3
1928: Bishops won 8-3 & 15-3
1929: Bishops won 7-3
1930: Bishops won 15-9 & 12-9
1931: Bishops won 11-3 & 16-9
1932: Bishops won 9-3 & 15-0
1933: Bishops won 11-6 & drew 3-3
1935: Bishops won 6-3
1936: Bishops won 49-0 & 37-3
1937: Drew 0-0 & Bishops won 6-3
1938: Rondebosch won 8-3 & Bishops won 16-6
1939: Rondebosch won 8-0
1940: Bishops won 25-3 & 11-8
1941: Bishops won 13-9 & Rondebosch won 8-3
1942: Bishops won 16-4 & 10-3
1943: Bishops won 21-0 & 31-3
1944: Rondebosch won 21-14 & 6-0
1945: Rondebosch won 6-0 & Bishops won 11-8
1946: Drew 3-3 & drew 3-3
1947: Bishops won 6-3 & Rondebosch won 9-6
1948: Rondebosch won 17-13 & Bishops won 13-6
1949: Bishops won 23-0 & 17-6
1950: Drew 14-14 & Rondebosch won 17-6
1951: Bishops won 8-0 & 17-0
1952: Rondebosch won 6-3 & drew 3-3
1953: Rondebosch won 6-3 & 13-3
1954: Rondebosch won 11-3
1955: Bishops won 9-6 & 8-6
1956: Bishops won 11-0 & Rondebosch won 9-6
1957: Rondebosch won 5-0 & drew 3-3
1958: Rondebosch won 8-0 & 8-6
1959: Bishops won 10-0 & Rondebosch won 3-0
1960: Drew 3-3 & Rondebosch won 12-3
1961: Rondebosch won 5-0 & 13-6
1962: Bishops won 3-0 & drew 6-6
1963: Rondebosch won 11-0 & 9-6
1964: Rondebosch won 13-0 & 13-0
1965: Drew 0-0 & drew 3-3
1966: Rondebosch won 14-3 & 12-3
1967: Drew 3-3 & Rondebosch won 20-0
1968: Rondebosch won 6-0 & drew 8-8
1969: Rondebosch won 11-6 & 25-3
1970: Rondebosch won 14-0 & 11-9
1971: Rondebosch won 8-3 & 24-3
1972: Rondebosch won 13-4 & 13-4
1973: Rondebosch won 13-12 & Bishops won 16-13
1974: Bishops won 9-3 & 18-4
1975: Bishops won 27-3 & 22-6
1976: Bishops won 14-13 & 22-12
1977: Rondebosch won 15-12 & 33-7
1978: Drew 6-6 & Bishops won 8-6
1979: Bishops won 9-0 & 24-0
1980: Rondebosch won 22-12 & Bishops won 10-3
1981: Bishops won 12-6 & 7-6
1982: Bishops won 18-6 & Rondebosch won 12-6
1983: Rondebosch won 18-10 & Bishops won 16-6
1984: Rondebosch won 7-0 & 15-11
1985: Bishops won 12-3 & Rondebosch won 16-9
1986: Bishops won 14-4 & 13-3
1987: Bishops won 12-7 & 15-3
1988: Bishops won 10-3 & 13-3
1989: Bishops won 58-10 & 7-4
1990: Bishops 14-7 & 9-0
1991: Bishops 12-9 & 21-9
1992: Bishops 34-3 & 27-6
1993: Bishops 28-10 & 19-5
1994: Rondebosch won 6-5 & 19-9
1995: Rondebosch won 7-6 & 11-10
1996: Rondebosch won 17-7 & 6-0
1997: Rondebosch won 18-0 & 31-11
1998: Bishops won 20-0 &15-7
1999: Rondebosch 16-15 & Bishops won 24-9
2000: Rondebosch 22-19 & 27-17
2001: Bishops won 17-0 & 18-0
2002: Bishops won 52-8 & 41-25
2003: Bishops won 18-5 & 78-19
2004: Bishops won 27-8 & Rondebosch won 26-22
2005: Bishops won 31-6 & 14-12
2006: Bishops won 71-3 & 75-22
2007: Bishops won 48-27 & 27-24
2008: Bishops won 20-8 & 47-15
2009: Rondebosch won 16-10 & Bishops won 10-6
2010: Bishops won 38-10 & the sides drew 19-19
2011: Rondebosch won 34-18 & Bishops won 37-12