Schoolboy Rugby Preview - 6 April 2024

Most schools are back in League action after the 'Festival Season'

Rondebosch prop Matthew van der Merwe on the charge against Rustenburg.

Photo credit: IOL

After a bumper 'Festival Season' which took in Graeme's expanded Rugby Day, Wynberg's annual Festival, a Kwagga Day and then the Bishops 175 which coincided with Noord-Suid, we have just been entertained by the four main Easter Festivals for 1st XVs and their 16A cousins at Paarl Gim, Jeppe and Maritzburg College.

Focus now turns to the bread and butter of SA SBR, the annual derby days for the month of April, before the brief hiatus for Wildeklawer and the Grey High Festivals on the first weekend of May.

There are a few massive clashes this weekend which will go a long way to determine the pecking order come the end of the season. As is tradition, we start in the EC, work our way around the country and end with the Western Cape.

Eastern Cape

The return of schools from various Festivals around the country begins with a rather low-key set of fixtures this weekend, with no big traditional derbies to look out for.

Pearson v Selborne

In a fixture that started last year, Selborne face a tricky trip to PE this weekend to face Pearson in Summerstrand. Pearson shocked Selborne last year in EL in a victory surely no one could have predicted.

Selborne faced two opponents from Pretoria at the KES Easter Festival. They went down to Pretoria Boys’, but then thumped admittedly weak opposition in the form of Eldoraigne. They are a bit of an unknown quantity at this stage.

Pearson made EC rugby followers stand up and notice when they beat the Queen’s ‘Dream Team’ at the Graeme Rugby Day. This optimism in what the season could produce was tempered somewhat with consecutive defeats to more fancied Natal opposition in Westville and DHS.

Should Pearson win for a consecutive year, it would be a big surprise and perhaps say more about the Selborne side in 2024 than Pearson.

Prediction: Selborne by 7

Muir v Grey High

Muir host Grey High on Saturday in Uitenhage, the return of something approaching a full fixture. Muir have had a woeful start, losing to Daniel Pienaar in the inaugural Tinarha Cup clash and then following that up with a chastening defeat to Cambridge at the Graeme Rugby Day.

Grey started the season well, in despatching a weak Hudson Park side but then flattered to deceive somewhat at the Bishops 175 Festival in Cape Town. They were involved in a dour 7 - 3 win over SACS and were then outkicked by Hilton who ran away with it at the end. They need a response from that defeat as they start a run of three consecutive away trips. The Grey pack should overwhelm Muir and the backs may not see much ball, or need to, in order to get back to winning ways.

Prediction: Grey High by 20

KZN

Staunch Westville defence paved the way for a shock win over Monnas at Kearsney.

Photo credit: SA Rugby Mag

*None of the top three privates in KZN are in action as they are on holiday.

DHS v Westville

The DHS Horseflies are at home to the inconsistent Westville side in what promises to be an entertaining clash. DHS suffered a narrow defeat at Kings Park to the touring Rondebosch side, but bounced back in emphatic fashion to record an impressive set of results at Kearsney, going unbeaten and only conceding seven points across the long weekend!

Westville ran Michaelhouse close earlier this year, but never really challenged Rondebosch. They then produced one of the surprise results of recent years when they held on for a famous win over Monnas on Monday. They are good at the breakdown, and have some pace out wide which could test the resolute DHS defence.

Prediction: DHS by 10

Glenwood v Maritzburg College

Glenwood host Maritzburg College in the first Premier Interschools clash of 2024, live on the SuperSport Schools channel. Traditionally this has been a humdinger of a fixture, but it looks as though Glenwood may have a long season ahead, while College have a powerful (and star-studded) pack that look to dominate at set piece.

The Green Machine beat Marlow at the Kearsney Easter Festival and were competitive against the excellent Dr EG Jansen side but then succumbed to Nico Malan in a result unimaginable a few years back.

College, despite being heavily favoured this year, have already lost twice - to Kearsney and Boland Landbou, and they were very fortunate to win at the death against SACS at St John’s this past weekend. College are unlikely to underestimate Glenwood though, having gone down to a classic heartbreak hotel at the end of 2023.

Prediction: College by 10

Bulls

Affies after their win over Helpmekaar in Braamfontein in March.

Photo credit: SA Rugby Mag

Garsfontein v Affies

One only has to look at the number of comments on the Garsfontein v Affies preview post on SBR blog to see that there will be plenty of needle in this match at lunchtime on Saturday. Affies have lost in the last two years against Garsfontein and are perhaps slight favourites going into this one, despite playing away from home.

Affies were highly rated going into the season, and are still a proper outfit, despite their loss to Paul Roos in a game they perhaps should have won. They have quality inside backs and a powerful pack whose set piece game is strong.

Garsfontein have had a poor start to the season by their recent standards. They snuck past Jeppe at home and then lost both their fixtures at Noord-Suid, to Oakdale and a nail-biter to Boishaai. They have recent history in their favour and home field advantage will surely play a part too. This should be brutal.

Prediction: Affies by 5

Lions

Jeppe v Saints

In years gone by this fixture has been a massacre but Saints showed against St Andrew’s on the opening day of their Easter Festival that this year’s crop may be made of sterner stuff. That being said, St Andrew’s haven’t pulled up too many trees to date this year.

Jeppe’s win over Grey College at Noord-Suid was both memorable and deserved and this group will be able to dine out on that victory for the rest of their lives. Jeppe were clinical at KES Easter Festival too, thumping EC opposition in the form of Queen’s and Brandwag.

Jeppe (away) isn’t a fixture that normally fills Saints with hope and this may be a tough afternoon.

Prediction: Jeppe by 25 points

KES v St John’s

Another Easter Festival host to cause a surprise on Day 1 was St John’s who would have been left disappointed by only being able to draw to Kingswood, as they led comfortably at the break under the lights. This solid outing was then shown up as they were demolished by Nelspruit 38 - 13 on Saturday!

Their clash with KES is the definition of a local derby, with the schools separated by just a few hundred metres.

KES were outplayed by Boishaai on Saturday but bounced back in emphatic fashion in front of a large home crowd as they ran Bishops ragged to register an impressively comfortable 45 - 8 victory on Easter Monday. They have class all over the park and should run out easy winners over their neighbours on Saturday.

Prediction: KES by 25

Western Cape

Paarl Gim v Boland Landbou

What a game to kickstart the WP league, the toughest in the land! Paarl Gim welcome Boland Landbou, with Gim having the distinct advantage of being able to rest since Noord-Suid, whilst their opponents on Saturday played three fixtures over the long weekend at St John’s.

Gim look ominous again in 2024, as they have not been tested to this point in their opening three fixtures. They were able to play touch against Pretoria Boys’ on their way to a 75 - 10 drubbing of the hapless Candies. Gim have a brutal run of fixtures in the next three weeks as they face Boland Landbou, Affies and Grey College in consecutive weekends. This will be a stern test of Gim’s credentials.

Boland started the season well, in an impressive ‘test match’ win away to Outeniqua in George in trying conditions. They were brilliant in their win over Maritzburg College at St John’s, showing a real clinical edge, but then let themselves down in falling to a surprise defeat to Hilton on Saturday. They got back on the horse by humiliating Hans Moore on Monday and will take confidence going into this huge clash that they can match Gim up front.

Prediction: Gim by 5

HJS v Oakdale

In a quirk of the fixture list, the other Paarl giant also faces Landbou oppoisition as Boishaai welcomes Oakdale to Brugstraat. Boishaai have perhaps flown a bit under the radar in the pre-season but their results and performances to this point have shown that will be a force to be reckoned with in 2024.

Oakdale have clearly benefited from their experience at the World Schools Festival in Thailand in December, allowing them to get a march on their opposition by a few months. Their strong u16 side from 2023 has supplemented the matrics and their defeat of Garsfontein at Noord-Suid showed that they are bound to be up there in the rankings come August.

Both sides are unbeaten and this will separate the wheat from the chaff.

Prediction: Boishaai by 6

Stellenberg v SACS

Stellenberg and SACS meet for the first time since 2018 as the men from Newlands make the trip to the northern suburbs. Stellenberg are in their second season in the WP A League but have had a torrid start to 2024, losing all three of their opening fixtures. That being said, it was Gim, Noordheuwel and Affies! They will have a decent pack and are always tough to overcome at home.

SACS surprised friend and foe on the second day of the Bishops 175 Festival when they scored at the death to defeat much fancied Michaelhouse. They then carried this momentum through to the St John’s Festival, where they thumped Graeme 31 - 7 on the opening day. They were terribly unlucky to lose to Maritzburg College on Saturday, relinquishing the lead in the final minutes and being in College’s 22m when they made an unenforced error at the breakdown. SACS didn’t play a third game at the Festival and this extra couple days rest will stand them in good stead for this examination.

Prediction: SACS by 7