Farmers meet in Riversdale
The two agricultural schools - Oakdale of Riversdale and Marlow of Cradock - get on really well. It's always a fun meeting with lots of serious rugby.
The Marlow teams arrive on Thursday night. When Marlow comes to Oakdale, the two staffs - a big band of men for ten rugby teams and so on - go fishing together down at the sea at Jongensfontein. Next year when Oakdale go up to Marlow, the Marlow staff will take them hunting.
That's fun, but then comes Saturday and the serious business of rugby, the sport which has both these comparatively small schools in thrall.
This is a match that Oakdale would be expected to win, not just because they are at home.
Season So Far
Oakdale have won 12 of their 16 matches, Marlow six of their 13 matches. Marlow have not played any team currently ranked on the FNB Top 20, Oakdale seven. Marlow's best result was probably drawing - last week - with St Andrew's of Grahamstown, Oakdale's beating Paul Roos. Oakdale have also beaten Outeniqua, Diamantveld and Welkom Gim.
History
History is not on the side of the Wolramme either. The last time they won was in 2009. Oakdale have now won six in a row. Last year, in Cradock, Oakdale won 51-15.
Achievers
Marlow's players are eligible to play for Eastern Province Country Districts, Oakdale's for South Western Districts>
Craven Week
Marlow: Keanan Murray, Stefanus Mentz, Vaughen Isaacs, JJ Human
Oakdale: Zinedine Booysen, WP van Heerden, Xavier Swartbooi, Jay-Cee Nel, Alex Wallace, Nicolus van Eeden, Darren Adonis, Nicolai Weber, Jacobus Smit, Daniël Victor, Diane Bleuler, André Posthumus
Academy Week
Marlow: Rechard Engelbrecht, CJ Vorster, Nelus van Wyk, Enrico Saptoe, JH Swart, Nevaldo Fleurs, Ruan Pretorius.
Oakdale: Marko van der Merwe, Ruan Lamprecht, JC Lourens, Stiaan Wasserman, Mikyle Roelofse
Some of the players on those lists will not be playing on Saturday.
Television
The match will be broadcast live (at 13.00) on Supersport's channel 205.
Teams
Oakdale: 15 Pietie Uys, 14 Alex Wallace, 13 Nicolus van Eeden, 12 Jay-Cee Nel, 11 Luke Hertz, 10 Xavier Swartbooi, 9 Zinedine Booysen, 8 WP van Heerden (captain), 7 Janu Krause, 6 Stiaan Wasserman, 5 JC Lourens, 4 Daniël Victor, 3 André Posthumus, 2 Marko van der Merwe, 1 Dian Bleuler
Marlow: 15 Enrico Saptoe, 14 Shawn Snyman, 13 Nelus van Wyk, 12 Ruan Pretorius, 11 Vivian Kapp, 10 Vaughen Isaacs (captain), 9 André Smith, 8 Dirkie Ferreira, 7 Lourens Oosthuizen, 6 JJ Human, 5 Herman Greeff, 4 Keanan Murray, 3 Marno Beyl, 2 Awalde Grobler, 1 Rechard Engelbrecht
Rugby Programme, 30 July 2016
De Eike
08.30: Under-15A
09.30: Under-16A
10.35: 3rd XV
11.40: 2nd XV
13.00: 1st XV
Populierbos
08.30: Under-16B
09.30: 4th XV
10.35: Under-15B
Donkerbos
08.30: Under-14B
10.00: Under-14A