As usual this season, last weeekend threw up some surprises and talking points for schoolboy rugby followers. One could set a timer for the previous sentence every week this season. It has been sensational!
Clifton’s win over Kearsney was a result not many saw coming, and Queen’s beating Selborne in East London would have ruined a few predictions too! SACS going down at home to Durbanville will have raised eyebrows on the Western Cape circuit, easily the most competitive in the country. Oakdale won the battle of the SWD and Affies continued their good season with a solid win over Jeppe. In the Premier Interschools clash, Grey College took full advantage of a catalogue of errors by Monnas.
So, onto this weekend, as we near the end of the term for the government schools around the country.
In the Western Cape, Bishops will be desperate to snap their two-match losing streak when they face Boland Landbou on the Piley Rees. In Stellenbosch, Paul Roos welcome Rondebosch who wil be disappointed with their defeat to Wynberg last weekend. SACS go into their match away to Paarl Gym on a hiding to nothing and this could be a blowout! Comfortably the match of the weekend also takes place across town in Paarl when Boishaai meet Wynberg, who almost out of nowhere have won 6 on the trot, including a memorable win over Bishops. This is the #clashoftheweekend, match report to follow next week.
Moving to the Eastern Cape, a number of schools are not in action this weekend. Queen’s face St Andrew’s on the Rec, a notoriously difficult place for teams to go. Meanwhile in Gqeberha, Framesby host Brandwag in a hotly contested fixture.
In KZN, there are 3 private vs government clashes in what could be an intriguing weekend in the last outpost. In a perhaps underwhelming fixture considering the records of the two sides this season, Kearsney are at home in Botha’s Hill to Maritzburg College. Both sides will have a point to prove after last weekend. In the Midlands, Hilton play host to Glenwood in what could be a cricket score as the Glenwood 2022 side has struggled this season. Finally, Westville are up against Michaelhouse in Durban in what should be a tight encounter, with both sides having a couple of Craven Week players to add some spice to the encounter.
Finally, in Gauteng there is a lot of action this weekend. Affies are up against Menlopark, in another fixture this weekend that could result in a hiding, although funnier things have happened this year! The Bulls v Sharks clash at Loftus may cause havoc with traffic in the area! Saints welcome Jeppe to Baytopp and this could be a long day for the men in white.
Bishops v Boland Landbou
Bishops’ season has started to unravel somewhat, losing two in a row on the hallowed Piley Rees, mitigated perhaps by injuries to key players. They remain a quality side and this should be an entertaining game between two good sides who look to give the ball air.
Boland Landbou ran Paarl Gym very close in their last match, but will have bad memories of their last visit to the southern suburbs, when they shipped 61 points to Wynberg. They did manage 40 of their own however, and morale in the Bishops side may be flagging so perhaps there could be another upset on the cards.
Winner: Bishops
Paarl Boys’ High v Wynberg
This should be a cracker of a game and is the featured #clashoftheweek. Boishaai dismantled Bishops last weekend in the wet and are in great form, having done similar to Paul Roos the week before. With two consecutive away wins under their belts, they will face a stern test from Wynberg in Paarl, who could be the strongest side in the southern suburbs based on recent results.
Wynberg will travel to Paarl full of hope of claiming another big scalp. They are on a fine winning run and will be sure to front up to the pack of Boishaai, where Boishaai have struggled against similar sized forwards.
Winner: Paarl Boys’ High
Paul Roos v Rondebosch
In Stellenbosch, Paul Roos face Rondebosch and the home side will be eager to put the disappointment of their last outing against Boishaai right against a southern suburbs contender. Paul Roos have had an inconsistent season but should have too much for Rondebosch on the Markotter.
Rondebosch are looking to prevent a hattrick of defeats but will have to play out of their skins to defeat the Maroon Machine. Rondebosch have a decent pack this season and they will need to nullify this threat from Paul Roos if they are to have any chance of victory.
Winner: Paul Roos
Paarl Gym v SACS
Paarl Gym have suffered two narrow defeats to teams they would have expected to beat this season, but other than that have been impressive once again in 2022. They are a well rounded team and are facing a weak SACS side this year. This could be a cricket score.
SACS travel to Paarl on Saturday to face Gym and it will be a nervous drive for them. They have had a poor season, perhaps reaching its nadir last weekend losing at home to Durbanville. They would probably have chosen any fixture other than Paarl Gym away to rectify that result.
Winner: Paarl Gym
Queen’s College v St Andrew’s
Queen’s scored an excellent, if surprising, win last weekend against old foes Selborne in East London. They have also received news this week that 7 of their boys have been included in the Border Craven Week side and deserve to go into this match full of confidence, especially with home ground advantage against a College side low on morale after last week’s hammering by Grey on their Reunion.
St Andrew’s hardly fired a shot last week against Grey and will face a team full of confidence on Saturday. College could not cope with Grey’s pack and they will need to match Queen’s up front if they are to produce a result to take back to Makhanda.
Winner: Queen’s
Framesby v Brandwag
In a big match in Gqeberha, Framesby have home ground advantage against Brandwag this weekend. These are two of the traditional Afrikaans powerhouses in the Eastern Cape and this should be a hard fought battle.
Both sides have strong packs and this battle, as usual, will decide the outcome. Framesby lost to Marlow two weeks ago and will be returning to action against a determined Brandwag side.
This match could determine Brandwag’s season and they will be fired up to beat their arch-rivals on their home turf.
Winner: Framesby
Kearsney v Maritzburg College
In years gone by, this would have been a potential clash of the weekend, but these sides have struggled this season, summed up by their results last weekend.
Kearsney were shocked by Clifton and College were put away with ease on their Reunion on Goldstones by the formidable Hilton side.
This match will serve as potential for temporary redemption, but cannot mask what has been a below season for both teams. This is a tough one to predict as neither side will have much confidence going in, home ground advantage may swing it.
Winner: Kearsney
Westville v Michaelhouse
Westville ran the strong DHS side closer than many would have expected last weekend and are at home after three consecutive away matches. They had a good win over Glenwood earlier this season and will need to recapture some of that form when they face a Michaelhouse side that is well drilled and well rested.
Michaelhouse did not play last weekend after the much publicised incident in the hockey on the Friday night and will be primed for this clash in Durban on Saturday. Both sides have a couple of players in the Craven Week squad and will be looking to perhaps settle a few scores before the squad gets together in the next few weeks. This should be a good battle.
Winner: Michaelhouse
Hilton College v Glenwood
Hilton College have had a brilliant year to mark their 150, summed up last week in winning comfortably on Goldstones on College’s Reunion. They made a few uncharacteristic errors but the result was never seriously in doubt. They will be relishing playing an under par Glenwood side at home this weekend.
Glenwood have had a season to forget by their standards and go into this game having had a week off which is a blessing as they will need to put in their best performance of the season just to prevent being on the end of a hiding. There can surely be only one winner here.
Winner: Hilton
Affies v Menlopark
Affies have had a good season thus far, despite a somewhat surprising defeat to Pretoria rivals Garsfontein earlier in the season. They will want to prevent a similar fate this weekend against a Menlopark side that have only won once this season. Affies will be at home and they should make light work of this Menlopark side, but this season has made predictions treacherous
Menlopark will be licking their wounds from another defeat last weekend against Noordheuwel, but if they could choose to produce one good game this season it would surely be this one! They are massive underdogs for this fixture, having lost 6 in a row but may just be able to rouse themselves for one big upset.
Winner: Affies
St Stithians v Jeppe
Saints have struggled this season and have been on the wrong end of a few big scorelines. They have had a week off and go into this game with Jeppe hoping to stay competitive for the full 70 minutes. They face an uphill task, but are at least at home on Baytopp.
Jeppe had a tough encounter with Affies last week but this weekend should be a different story. They may struggle in getting to the same intensity against a struggling Saints side but any Jeppe team would love to show no mercy to the men from Sandton.
Winner: Jeppe
