Grey go to Stellenbosch

Grey College of Bloemfontein take their huge contingent of over 500 boys down over the mountains to the wet Cape to play against Paul Roos Gymnasium in a Mutual & Federal Premier Interschools match on Saturday.

It is a special occasion each year as the two great schools meet. For Grey it is a particularly sentimental time as it means the last time they will wear the proud jersey.

The match will be televised live.

Season so Far

Neither Grey nor Paul Roos have been up to their usual high standards this year. After all Grey have lost twice. Once is bad enough for the team which has ruled South African schools rugby for so many years.

At present Grey are ranked fourth on the FNB Top 20 and Paul Roos have just dropped off the rankings. For both schools that is rare indeed.

Grey have played 18 matches, winning 16 and losing to Outeniqua and Affies, both ranked above them. They have played seven FNB Top 20 teams

Paul Roos have played 16 matches, winning six, drawing two and losing eight. They have played eight matches against Top 20 sides, losing six of them. The other teams they have lost to are San Isidro of Buenos Aires and Boland Landbou.

Representative Players

Paul Roos players are eligible to play for Western Province, Grey for the Free State. It's no exaggeration to say that Grey are the Free State. That Free State were slightly less powerful than usual is probably because Grey have not been quite as dominant.

Paul Roos, too, have had fewer representative players than usual though their representation is not nearly as good as Grey's.

Paul Roos have had 19 SA Schools players, Grey 87!

Both have made a great contribution to Springboks rugby, Paul Roos from the beginning, Grey especially in recent years. Paul Roos have the most Springboks but Grey have the record in one squad - 10 in 2013.

SA Schools this year

Grey: EW Viljoen, Ruan Kramer

Paul Roos: Daniel du Plessis

Those three players will be helping SA Schools to beat Wales and so will not be playing in the Premier Interschools match in Stellenbosch.

Craven Week

Grey: EW Viljoen, Henry Immelman, Stephen Rautenbach,  Julian Delicado,  Heinrich Sander, Andries Kriek, Marius Louw, Casper Fourie, Ruan Kramer,  Andrew du Plessis, Martin Wipplinger, Ruben Terblanché, De Wet Bezuidenhout.

Paul Roos: Daniel du Plessis, Herchelle Jantjies

Academy Week

Grey: Callie Janse van Vuren, Alexander Jonker, Dian Badenhorst, André Swarts. Wayne Wessels

Paul Roos: Jacques van Zyl, Mitch Lingeveldt, Aidynn Cupido, Edwill van der Merwe

All 18 of the Grey players do not make it into Saturday's team.

Star players and the year's results suggest that Paul Roos have a high mountain to climb.

Teams

Paul Roos: 15 Muller Brink, 14 Joel Heugh, 13 Tristan Cramer, 12 Matt Gallow, 11 Edwill van der Merwe, 10 Reinhardt Fortuin, 9 Calvin Nel, 8 Michael Meyer, 7 Christo van der Merwe (captain), 6 Mitchell Carstens, 5 LohannLouw, 4 Daniel Buitendag, 3 Jerome Korf, 2 Jacques van Zyl, 1 JP Botha

Replacements: 16 Arnold Scholtz, 17 HW Barnard, 18 Mitch Lingeveldt, 19 Jacques Oosthuizen, 20 JL Eigelaar, 21 Chris Smit , 22 Aidynn Cupido, 23 Reinold Benade

Grey College: 15 Henry Immelman, 14 Theo Ferreira, 13 Johan Nel, 12 Carel Durow, 11 Charl Pretorius, 10 André Swarts, 9 Heinrich Sander, 8 Alex Jonker, 7 Marius Louw (captain), 6 Luan Reynders, 5 De Wet Bezuidenhout, 4 Casper Fourie, 3 Callie Janse van Vuuren, 2 Martin Wipplinge, 1 Andrew du Plessis

Replacements: 16 Ruben Terblanche, 17 Stephanus Lingenfelder, 18 Kassel Rothmann, 19 HJ Prinsloo, 20 Dian Badenhorst, 21 Julian Delicado, 22 Stephen Rautenbach

Date: 17 August 2013

1st XV kick-off: 14-15 (Televised live on Supersport1 - 201)

Venue: Markötter Field, Stellenbosch

Expected weather conditions: Rain. 70% chancve of rain with a high of 15°C, dropping to 6°C.

Referee: Divan Uys (Western Province Referees' Society)

Results Down the Years

1967 Grey won 22-3

1977 Grey won 20-10

1988 Grey won 16-9

1989 Grey won 28-7

1990 Grey won 17-9

1991: Paul Roos won 20-3

1992: Grey won 20-6

1993: Paul Roos won 27-4

1994: Paul Roos won 31-29

1995: Grey won 21-10

1996: Grey won 18-10

1997: Paul Roos won 12-8

1998: Grey won 23-15

1999: Grey won 29-26

2000: Grey won 42-13

2001: Grey won 15-6

2002: Grey won 19-8

2003: Grey won 18-17

2004: Grey won 24-23 and Paul Roos won 21-18

2005: Grey won 16-11

2006: Paul Roos won 16-11

2007: Grey won 40-14

2008: Grey won 47-15

2009: Paul Roos won 9-3

2010: Grey won 41-29

2011: Grey won 36-35

2012: Grey won 33-23