KES aiming to break Jeppe’s hold in derby clash
A fierce rivalry reignites this Saturday when King Edward VII School (KES) makes the short trip to Jeppe High School for Boys for the next chapter in one of South Africa’s most iconic schoolboy hockey fixtures.
Both teams have enjoyed strong seasons, and a high-quality game is in the offing.
Since their first meeting in 1960, the KES and Jeppe 1st XIs have clashed 66 times. The edge belongs to Jeppe, who have picked up 31 victories to KES’s 16, while 19 matches have ended in draws.
Of greater concern to KES will be the fact that Jeppe has won nine of the last 10 meetings between the schools, going back to 2019. Their most recent win, a 4-2 victory, came when the sides clashed earlier this season. KES will take hope, though, from their shock 3-2 win of 2024.
KES skipper Fynn Campbell considers the weekend’s showdown as more than just a regular fixture. His side has been putting in the work on and off the pitch in preparation to rise to the occasion.
“We’ve trained three times this week, starting with a fitness session. Throughout the week, we’ve also done some team bonding before practices to get our heads into the game for Saturday and to get the vibes up,” Campbell revealed. “We want to play as a brotherhood in order to be victorious.”
As Saturday draws nearer, Campbell admitted his emotions have been rising. “The feeling I feel personally through my body is nervousness but also excitement,” he said.
“In my opinion, KES versus Jeppe has to be one of the greatest schoolboy fixtures ever. It’s always a real battle, not only focused on physical strength, but also mental strength.”
In preparation for the game, KES has put in plenty of homework. “We’ve watched quite a lot of video on them,” Campbell explained. “We’ve played against and with them before, so we know who their key players are and who their weaker players are.
“But I believe if we focus on our game and not too much on our opponents, we’ll be fine and come out on top. At the end of the day, we can only control the controllables – our play and our approach.”
After securing that crucial win over Jeppe last year, and a 2-0 victory over Pretoria Boys High last weekend, the KES camp if full of confidence.
“Winning always boosts your confidence,” Campbell acknowledged, “but we know what challenges lies ahead. We can’t get ahead of ourselves, but we’ll definitely take that confidence into the game on Saturday.”
Ahead of the big game, Campbell also highlighted the fact that Saturday’s derby will carry special meaning for KES’s players who are in matric.
“Of course, there’s always a sense of pressure for any game, not just Jeppe,” he said. “But I’m definitely more excited for this derby than any other game. It’s my and the matrics last KES vs Jeppe fixture, and we are going there to make a statement.”
