Interjol in Upington

This is the Klein Interjol. The second match next term is the Groot Interjol. Klein or Groot there will be big occasion in the town (pop. 75 000) on the fringes of the Orange River, a green belt between two semideserts.

For Hoërskool Upington it is a special year as the school is celebrating its 120th birthday.

Experience

In bygone days Upington was the centre of a rugby union called Northwest Cape. Now it is a part of Griqualand West but sends a team to youth weeks as Griquas Country Districts.

Last year of the 22 players at Craven Week 15 were from these two schools.

Duineveld have four of those Craven Week players back - prop Stefan Hanekom, scrumhalf Etienne le Roux, and centres Adri du Plessis and Jaques Page.

Uppies have none back from that team but three back from the side that played in this match last year - Dirkie Steenkamp, Teuns van Zyl and Lumart van der Merwe. In addition to their Craven Week quartet, Velties have two others who played last year - Rudolf Oberholzer and Ruan Visser.

That would suggest that Duineveld have the stronger side, though Upington have dominated the Classic Clashes. Duineveld won in 2010 but since them Upington have ruled the roost.

Season so Far

Duineveld have been playing somewhat stronger opposition than Upington and still doing better.

Upington beat the Rooiskool of Kroonstad but lost to Tygerberg, Augsburg, Overberg, Hermanus and Fichardtpark.

On the other hand Duineveld beat Marlow, Landboudal of Jankempdorp and Louis Botha, losing to Diamantveld (21-15) and Jim Fouché (19-17).

Perhaps this is Velties' year.

First XV:

Upington: 15 Corné Potgieter, 14 Devan Walters, 13 Janno Lategan, 12 Dirkie Steenkamp, 11 Jan Kotzé, 10 Iwan Lombard, 9 Connie de Jager, 8 Nakkie Duvenhage, 7 Johannes Terblanché, 6 Jaco Koegelenberg (captain), 5 Ettiene Noeth, 4 Hanlu Kotzé, 3 Phillip Marais, 2 Lumart van der Merwe, 1 Theuns van Zyl

Replacements: 16 Waylen Cloete, 17 Jeandré Simon, 18 Reuben Bester, 19 Piet Janse van Rensburg, 20 Jaco Jordaan, 21 Jeraldo Kock, 22 Byron Coetzee

Duineveld: 15 Connie Conradie, 14 Sebastian Jobb, 13 Jaques Page, 12 Adri du Plessis, 11 Hannes Honiball, 10 Quinton Opperman, 9 Etienne le Roux, 8 Johan Geldenhuis, 7 JC Esterhuizen, 6 Ruan Visser, 5 Rudolph Oberholser, 4 Jovan Oosthuizen, 3 Stefan Hanekom, 2 Juan Pretorius, 1 Zean Augusteyn

Replacements: 16 Pierre Rudolph Becker, 17 JL Agenbag, 18 Vlok van Zyl, 19 Hannes du Plessis, 20 Brendan Gagiano, 21 Henlu Liebenberg, 22 Louis Kotze

Date: May 14,  2016

Venue: Hoërskool Upington

Expected weather conditions: A clear day after rain, with a high of 20°C, dropping to 5°C