Preview: KES vs PBHS
It's the first FNB Classic Clash of 2012 - King Edward VII school of Johannesburg and Pretoria Boys High, both noble schools, each with a similar ethos.
It will be a great day in Houghton - 26 rugby matches between the two schools apart from hockey matches.
The two schools are about the same age but the Pretoria side has been playing rugby for longer as Johannesburg's schools did not take to the game till cushioning kikuyu came to the grounds. The two schools have been playing each other since 1932. And the two schools are similar in size - Pretoria about 1,500, KES about 1,250 boys.
The two schools meet twice a year. When KES won 19-9 at home last year it was the first time they had beaten Pretoria Boys High since 1996. And then the powerful KES side did the double winning 31-15 in Pretoria.
For KES, from the last FNB Classic Clash last year, Brett Thompson, Cyle Brink and Malcolm Marx are back again this year though Malcolm Marx has shifted from flank to hooker. He is big and strong and regarded by some as the KES star with great possibilities as a rugby player. In addition Connor Brockschmidt, Dudley Stead, Brad Janse van Rensburg and Godfrey Ramaboea were on the bench last year.
The only Pretoria Boys player back in the side from the last FNB Classic Clash last year is flank Ngoako Ralepelle, though Jan van der Merwe, Cedrick Kabaya, William Scott, Paul Makgaba, Warrick Dunkley, Cameron Anthony and Nathan Smith were all on the bench. In fact, the whole of last year's bench is in this year's side. Ngoako Ralepelle is Chiliboy Ralepelle's youngest brother and there are those at Pretoria Boys who would rate him the best of the four brothers who have played for school.
Cameron Anthony is the son of Paul Anthony, who is so well known in rugby circles and was for some years the Pretoria Boys coach. Paul and his twin played in the First XV when at Pretoria Boys.
Prospects for the game? The season is only just starting and so anything would be pure thumbsuck. Pretoria Boys believe that their young team are underdogs for the 1st XV match that will not stop their 12 buses travelling happily from Pretoria to play rivals whom they like.
For Pretoria Boys it is their fourth biggest clash of the year. They take 30 teams to Affies across the road, 28 to Maritzburg College and 27 to Grey College. It's a wonderful rivalry.
The teams:
King Edward VII School: 15 G Ramaboea, 14 Z Ncube, 13 B Thomson, 12 W Maholwana, 11 B Janse van Rensburg, 10 M Engelbrecht, 9 A McQuire, 8 S De Robillard, 7 D Stead, 6 K Melville, 5 C Brink, 4 C Brockschmidt, 3 C Lourens, 2 M Marx, 1 D Smith (captain).
Pretoria Boys High: 15 L Stevenson, 14 C Ndonga, 13 C Anthony (captain), 12 N Smith, 11 W Dunkley, 10 K Twiname, 9 K Pieterse, 8 M Schiff, 7 P Makgaba, 6 N Ralepelle, 5 D van Straaten, 4 W Scott, 3 S Barber, 2 J van der Merwe, 1 C Kabeya.
All the fixtures - vs Pretoria Boys at King Edward VII
Main Field
08.00: 5th KES vs Pretoria Boys
09.00: 4th KES vs Pretoria Boys
10.00: 3rd KES vs Pretoria Boys
11.00: 16A KES vs Pretoria Boys
12.00: 2nd KES vs Pretoria Boys
13.15: 1st KES vs Pretoria Boys
Hurry 2
08.00: Under-15E KES vs Pretoria Boys
08.45: Under-15D KES vs Pretoria Boys
09.30: Under-15C KES vs Pretoria Boys
10.15: Under-15B KES vs Pretoria Boys
11.15: Under-15A KES vs Pretoria Boys
12.15: Under-15F KES vs Pretoria Boys
13.00: Under-14G KES vs Pretoria Boys
Tutty
08.00: Under-14B KES vs Pretoria Boys
08.45: Under-14F KES vs Pretoria Boys
09.30: Under-14E KES vs Pretoria Boys
10.15: Under-14A KES vs Pretoria Boys
11.15: Under-14D KES vs Pretoria Boys
12.00: Under-14C KES vs Pretoria Boys
Hurry 1
08.00: 7th KES vs Pretoria Boys
08.45: 6th KES vs Pretoria Boys
09.30: Under-16B KES vs Pretoria Boys
10.30: Under-16C KES vs Pretoria Boys
11.15: Under-16D KES vs Pretoria Boys
12.00: Under-16E KES vs Pretoria Boys
12.45: 8th KES vs Pretoria Boys