Grey College will be looking to build on its recent form as they face Paarl Boys’ High at home in a King Price Derby Series encounter.

Catch all the action live on SuperSport Schools (www.supersportschools.com) or on DStv channel 216. The match kicks off at 14:00.

The team from Bloemfontein found some of their rhythm back during the annual Absa Wildeklawer Festival with comfortable victories over Noordheuwel (34-12) and Jeppe High School for Boys (54-14) respectively.

It was much-needed victories as Grey went into the tournament after uncharacteristically suffering three defeats on the trot.

More important than the two victories during Wildeklawer is the manner in which Grey secured the wins. Especially their loose-forwards Niel du Randt, Henru Erasmus and Xander de Beer finding their feet and getting Grey past the advantage line.

Erasmus will miss the encounter against Boishaai due to injury. Boishaai’s flanker, Steven Muller, is a former learner from Grey and captained the school’s u14A, u15A, and u16A sides. So the battle between the loose forwards promises to be fierce.

Boishaai’s head coach, Sean Erasmus, will also have had a wry smile arriving in the City of Roses, as it has been a cold and wet week. “If there could fall a bit of rain before or during the game, it would feel like we are back at home. It is a bit chilly here in Bloemfontein, but it is always difficult to play Grey at home,” said Erasmus.

Last year, Boishaai defeated Grey by 25-10 in a very wet and muddy Brugstreet Stadium in Paarl. Erasmus boasts with two victories in Bloemfontein against Grey College. Something not even many schools can boast about. The last being the 46-31 victory in 2017.

Since that defeat, Grey have only lost once on their home turf, which was last year’s defeat of 31-43 against Paarl Gimnasium.

The team from Paarl suffered a 37-40 last-minute defeat against the Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool of Pretoria during the main match of the final day of the Absa Wildeklawer Festival. Their only other defeat this season came against Garsfontein (28-31) during the NMI Toyota Noord/Suid-tournament.

The battle between the two half-back pairings could be decisive in the outcome of the match. Grey College’s Christoff Crous (flyhalf) and Jonathan Drysdale (scrumhalf) will be in a tactical war with Boishaai’s Liam de Villiers (scrumhalf) and Daniel Meisenheimer (flyhalf).

Crous missed out on selection for Craven Week, while Drysdale made the Free State team for the tournament to be hosted in Gqeberha later this year.

Source: Google

The teams: 

Grey College: 15 Lamla Mgedezi, 14 Caden Janse van Rensburg, 13 Eddie Mabena, 12 Ruan Roux, 11 Jaco Oosthuizen, 10 Christoff Crous, 9 Jonathan Drysdale, 8 Niel du Randt, 7 Arno de Bruin, 6 Xander de Beer, 5 Prestan Bennet, 4 Alexi Tyropolis (captain), 3 Hennie Bredenhann, 2 AJ Hendriks, 1 Frans-Paul Troskie.

Paarl Boys’ High: 15 Dante Davids, 14 Dirk Farmer, 13 Wian Delport, 12 Jeneal Davids, 11 Aleit Stander, 10 Daniel Meisenheimer, 9 Liam de Villiers, 8 Chris Nel, 7 Luhan Hattingh, 6 Steven Muller, 5 AD Faul (captain), 4 Trichardt van Tonder, 3 Bates Winshaw, 2 JP Norton, 1 Max Malan.

Referee: Ashton Ockhuys.

Source : Hannes Nienaber