SACS and Wynberg meet
Match Preview
The traditional end-of-season clash between arguably the two oldest schools in South Africa, Wynberg Boy’s High and the South African College High School (SACS), promises a hard-fought affair and certainly one brim full of emotion.
It is the final 15-a-side game of the season, and both schools will want to end on a high after somewhat disappointing seasons. Both schools have lost their last two matches and desperately need a win to avoid ending the season with a clean sweep of losses to their traditional Southern Suburbs rivals.
SACS have gone down 26-7 to Bishops and 17-3 to Rondebosch. In both games they have been decimated by injury but the team has shown admirable spirit in difficult circumstances. SACS have been without inspirational No.8 and skipper Kevin Dolley for the last few weeks and lost their best back, flyhalf Carl Lewis, in the first minute against Bishops. This is on top of injuries to at least three other first-choice players.
Wynberg are coming off a narrow 10-nil loss to Rondebosch in very muddy conditions and a 31-3 defeat at the hands of Bishops. Like SACS, Wynberg have lost more than they have won in 2005, but when compared Wynberg’s defeats against the same opposition have tended to be closer. Wynberg are blessed with magnificent forward coaches in Piet van Schalkwyk and Dave Schenk and their packs are always well drilled. Out back they will look to their skipper and centre Zinande Dimbaza to spark things for them.
To their credit, like SACS, Wynberg play all-comers, as well as being part of arguably the most competitive schoolboy league in the world. Putting together a string of wins is nigh impossible and it is easy to get into a losing cycle when regularly faced with the likes of Paarl Gym, Boishaai, Paul Roos and Boland Landbou.
In terms of raw emotion, for all the Grade 12 (Matric) pupils this will be a huge event in their lives as it will be their final game for their school and the 1stXV. All of them will want to remember their last game for the school against their traditional inter-schools rivals as a victorious one.
The Wynberg fields are in magnificent condition given the amount of rain we have had in the Cape but if the weather remains inclement it could become a bit of a lottery.
Given their form it is almost impossible to pick a winner. SACS won the first game thanks mainly to home-ground advantage, wanting it more on the day and possibly an air of complacency of the part of the ‘Berg. All these factors will be reversed come Saturday and everything points to a very even contest with Wynberg maybe holding a slight home ground advantage.
NOTE: The game has been moved later than normal to accommodate the early morning Tri-Nations test and will kick-off at 13.40.
Teams:
SACS team: Andrew Theron, Ryan Halvorsen, Michael Kretschmer, Jarryd Harris, Roland Heidemann, Jody Kriel, Mark Spence, Che Arenz, Khotso Micha (captain), David Brits, Freddy Liesner, Talmor Sabu, Kieran Snellink, Sizwe Stemele, Ian Meiklejohn
Wynberg Team: Shadley Van Schalkwyk, Wesley van Tonder, Stefan Swanich, Zenande Dimbaza (captain), Zahier Isaacs, Eric Raymond, Tim Vann, Chad Scott, Gavin Pretorius, Marco Mackaiser, Mbasa Qukula, Mauro Nicolli, Lyall Johnson, Ryan Smit, Grant Kemp
Date: 27 August 2005
Kick-off: 13.40
Venue: Wynberg BHS
Expected weather: Scattered clouds with a high of 17°C and a wind from the south of 10 km/h
Referee: JP Doyle (London Society of Rugby Referees)