Ominous Selborne head for Grey

Match preview

Grey High marched up from Port Elizabeth to East London and beat Selborne. That is no guarantee that they will beat then in the return match in Port Elizabeth.

Of all the top school sides in South Africa Selborne are the most unpredictable.

500 boys from Grey High march the 300 km up the road north from Port Elizabeth to East London to face Selborne College The 1st XV match is an FNB Classic Clash

Grey would be expected to win They are unbeaten while Selborne have won only twice after a string of five defeats But then

But then one of Selborne's victories was over the mighty Affies That was a turn-up, but not as big as last year's when they played Grey went up to Selborne unbeaten It was their last match They returned crestfallen, the chalice of a record dashed from their lips by Selborne

If any team can kill giants, Selborne can and do it in the most unpredictable way.

They started the season losing to Kingswood, SACS, Rondebosch, Paul Roos and Nelspruit, but their first win of the season was over high-riding Affies. They drew with Queen's who are having a great season, and then beat St Andrew's just after St Andrew's had become the first team to beat Grey PE this year. Most recently they clobbered a good Dale side 20-0.

Grey know not to take Selborne lightly. Last year the great PE side were unbeaten and went to East London for the very last match of the season and lost 20-11 to Selborne.

The teams met earlier this year and Grey found it hard.

Brendan Grant, the Grey coach says: "We are certainly not taking it easy. We have too much respect for Selborne for that."

It will be a busy weekend as about 500 East Londoners come to Port Elizabeth. Of all the activities the 1st XV rugby match will count most.

The following are results against common opponents this year:

SACS beat Selborne 29-20 and lost to Grey 64-0
Dale beat Selborne 8-7 and lost to them 20-0 and lost to Grey 42-16
Grey Bloem beat Selborne 38-13 and Grey 22-16
Paul Roos beat Selborne 39-0 and drew with Grey 14-14
Nico Malan lost 24-15 to Selborne and 70-15 to Grey
Queen’s drew 6-6 with Selborne and lost 43-17 to Grey
Graeme lost 17-13 to Selborne and 19-10 to Grey
St Andrew’s lost 24-22 to Selborne and beat Grey 21-20

Selborne had two players in the Border Craven Week side - Qhawe Magwentshu and strong Jeffrey Williams.

Eastern Province played in the main match on the last day of Craven Week. Grey had seven players in the side - David Wannenburg, Morné van der Westhuizen, Jacques Naudé, Stephen de Villiers, Kirwan Frieslaar, who played for the SA Academy side, Marlin Ruiters and Matthew Tayler-Smith. In addition Warren Bell played in 2004 but was Under-19 this year and hence too old to go to Craven Week.

You would bet on a Grey victory but you would hesitate.

Teams

Selborne College: 15 Qhawe Magwentshu, 14 Momelezi Mangisa, 13 Onge Ngambu, 12 Jeffrey Williams, 11 Anda Titi, 10 Glen Warner, 9 Gary McFarlane, 8 Luvuyiso Lusaseni, 7 Ryan Connellan, 6 Michael Green, 5 Bradley Cannon, 4 Thomas Smit, 3 Chris Meier, 2 Matthew Kleinenberg (captain), 1 Devan Sadie

Grey High: 15 Warren Bell, 14 Peter Furstenburg, 13 Ross Goedhals, 12 Wade Roos (vice-captain), 11 William Heydenrych, 10 Matthew Tayler-Smith, 9 Marlin Ruiters, 8 Stephen de Villiers, 7 Kirwan Frieslaar, 6 Monte Taljaard (captain), 5 Jacques Naudé, 4 Morné van der Westhuizen, 3 Greg Bonner, 2 David Wannenburg, 1 Michael de Neuilly-Rice

Date: 13 August 2005
Kick-off: 15.00
Venue: Philip Field, Grey High, Port Elizabeth
Expected weather conditions: Overcast with a high of 19°C and a wind - it is PE after all - from the south of 10 km/h
Referee: Johann Meuwesen (Eastern Province)

Results down the years:

1972: Grey won 9-0
1973: Selborne won 20-4
1974: Selborne won 10-6
1975: Selborne won 22-21
1976: Grey won 17-11
1977: Grey won 21-4
1978: Selborne won 26-19
1979: Selborne won 22-13
1980: Selborne won 18-12
1981: Grey won 24-7
1982: Grey won 12-10
1983: Grey won 29-9
1984: Grey won 18-6
1985: Selborne won 7-6
1986: Selborne won 15-10
1987: Grey won 12-6
1988: Selborne won 12-10
1989: Grey won 27-3
1990: Selborne won 17-9
1991: Grey won 7-0
1992: No match
1993: Grey won 16-15
1994: Selborne won 50-6
1995: Grey won 18-17
1996: Selborne won 10-8
1997: Selborne won 20-10
1998: Selborne won 31-10
1999: Selborne won 23-22
2000: Grey won 28-0
2001: Grey won 28-12
2002: Grey won 16-15
2003: Grey won 20-14 and 38-13
2004: Grey won 18-16 and Selborne won 20-11
2005: Grey won 16-3