NJ Maree - Captain of St. Johns

St. Johns skipper NJ Maree is expecting a physical onslaught from their local rivals St. Stithians in their FNB Classic Clash on Saturday.

The lanky 1.94m lock organises the line-outs for his team and he is aware that if St. Johns are to claim a victory at home then they will have to be spot on in the set-pieces against a "well-drilled" St. Stithians side.

"I would say that our pack is our main strength, and the set-pieces are always a big factor. It is always a big game against St. Stithians so we will have to dominate up front," he explained.

Although he has not captained a rugby team at St. Johns before, Maree's role in controlling the line-out makes him an obvious leadership figure, and he is intent on leading from the front against what is a "physical" St. Stithians outfit.

St. Johns have had mixed results this year, having lost a few games they would liked to have won, and their record against St. Stithians has not been great over the years, so Maree knows that it will take a big effort if they are to claim victory in front of what is expected to be a big crowd at home on Saturday.

The St. Johns skipper is trying to decide whether to take a gap year in Zimbabwe next year or to study in Stellenbosch, but for now he is completely focused on getting one over his school's "biggest rivals" on Saturday.