End of term thrillers in WP

The last Saturday of the second term in the Western Province sees all eight of the Premier A big boys in action against each other.

Paarl Boys’ High visit Paul Roos (to be televised live), Paarl Gim host Boland Landbou, Wynberg welcome SACS and Bishops amble the few hundred metres to fierce rivals Rondebosch, the last two of these being traditional derbies of many years’ standing.

Three weeks, even ten days ago, Boishaai would have been favourites to silence the Maroon Platoon on their hallowed Markötter turf. Now, however, circumstances have transpired ever so slightly to tip the odds in the hosts’ favour.

No-one would have denied the Brug Street boys a quiet week after they had dominated perennial superstars Grey (Bloem), but they actually seemed to step up a gear, albeit against a hapless Bishops team. Only after they had racked up 61 points did they take their collective foot off the gas and then only for about twenty minutes.

Come last Saturday, things didn't go quite the Streeptruies’ way out at Windmeul. Not that they were bad, just a little off their game, infringing in the rucks and conceding turn-over ball. The Paarl faithful will be holding their breath that this did not mark the start of a delayed hangover, so to speak.

Over the same period Paul Roos inflicted a convincing defeat on form-team Wynberg and then had the luxury of what amounted to little more than a light training session against off-colour De Kuilen on 9 June, winning 55-0, but, more importantly, giving several key players a day off. What a luxury it is to have a kicker of the calibre of Marcus Geldenhuys to do duty when Jason Worrall is putting his feet up!

Worrall is going to be as key a factor in his team’s fortunes in this cracker, as Jean-Luc du Plessis will be for the visitors. What a pity the selectors were the only ones who couldn't discern the magic these two sublimely talented youngsters, Worrall at 15 and du Plessis at 10, produced playing together for WP B in the trials games against Boland!

There are some intriguing duels to look out for. WP scrumhalf Pieter Schoonraad, who has enjoyed a few great weeks, should have quite a battle on his hands against his provincial deputy SP Ferreira. However, that looks insignificant when compared to the point Boishaai hooker Craig Corbett will be hell-bent on making.

Last year Corbett was second choice behind Chad Solomons, who, diplomatically, was spectacularly unspectacular in Kimberley. Same selection this year, which is quite fascinating when one notes that Solomons is not even the Eikestad outfit’s first choice at hooker, to the extent that he’s been playing at loosehead (on those occasions when he plays for the First XV)!

Then there’s also the much-anticipated clash between Boishaai’s Ryno van der Merwe and the Young Maties’ Ramone Samuels on the side of the scrum, plus Danté van der Merwe versus Dalen Goliath on the wing.

This is the last big Winelands challenge in the Paul Roos season. Don’t expect them to hold back!

Gim welcome a somewhat deflated Boland Landbou to their Kriel field, happy in the knowledge that, in young Wyatt Murphy, they have a more than capable replacement for SA Under-20 pivot Handré Pollard.

Not that they need be unduly worried: Landbou have had more than enough backline problems to sort out this week, not least a worrisome tendency to panic under pressure.

Up front, you can never write off one of WP’s country cousins so you could be forgiven for expecting the key to Gim’s success in this match to depend on the numbers from scrumhalf Lotter Pretorius upwards.

Wynberg and SACS have been serving up entertaining fare this year, losing only to opposition based outside the Mother City.

These two constitute the oldest two schools in the country, something of which everyone will be well aware on Saturday up at Hawthornden.

Both sides’ major strength is paradoxically the fact that neither really has one - both are finely-honed fifteen man units. SACS may just hold a slight advantage at half-back, particularly given the stop-press news that veteran ’Berg campaigner flank Sikhumbuzo Notshe has had to withdraw from the game.

Passion is going to dictate the winner here, but homeground advantage may prove crucial.

Normally the first Rondebosch vs Bishops clash of the season would be the main attraction of the local season.

Not so this year. Both are down on their luck, with Rondebosch having of late been saddled with a crippling injury list on top of that. What they were able to put in the field last weekend was dismissed with contempt by the Dr Jekyll Tygerberg team. Fortunately, several of the casualties will be fit for Saturday with the return of the accurate boot of flyhalf Tyren Lee especially welcome.

That Bishops can actually take some heart from only losing 14-26 at home to Wynberg last weekend just about says it all. A lot will depend on centre Herman Share if this game is to provide a measure of redemption for the Platinum Blues.

Doubtless the crowds will be there, but whether the players can rise to the occasion is another question entirely.

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What of the next four weeks, you ask? SACS will be going on a three-match tour of Zimbabwe at the start of the holidays, but locally there’s only the increasingly-popular Swartland Festival out in Malmesbury on Thursday, 12 July and Saturday, 14 July to look forward to. More about that next week. Oh, and there’s the Academy Week in Wellington.

In closing, a request. Please keep us up to date with any games your school may have against the usually large number of UK teams touring these parts in July, either at the website e-mail, tstoops@mweb.co.za or tony@stoopstats.co.za.

Western Cape schools fixtures for Saturday, 16 June:

(Home teams first)

Bellville vs HTS Drostdy

Brackenfell vs De Kuilen

Paarl Gym vs Boland Landbou

Paul Roos vs Paarl Boys’ High

Rondebosch vs Bishops

Strand vs Jan van Riebeeck

Tygerberg vs HTS Bellville

Wynberg vs SACS

By Tony Stoops