Bish/Bosch derby takes Nite Series centre stage

Southern suburbs’ bragging rights will be on the line on Wednesday when Bishops Diocesan College faces Rondebosch Boys’ High in round two of the SACS Nite Series in Cape Town.
The highly anticipated Bish/Bosch clash takes place at the SACS Aquatic Centre and could be a humdinger as it brings together two teams in red-hot form.
Bishops and ‘Bosch opened their respective Nite Series campaigns with victories against Wynberg Boys’ High and Reddam House Constantia a week ago.
Coach Jabulani Sibiya’s troops thumped Wynberg 15-6 while ‘Bosch, under the guidance of coach Jared Wingate-Pearse, outscored Reddam House Constantia20-10.
Then, the sides headed off to Makhanda to contest the annual St Andrew’’ College (SAC) Shield from Thursday to Sunday.
They were drawn in different groups and both ended up topping their pools. That meant they avoided one another in the playoffs.
It was, however, ‘Bosch who reigned supreme. They beat St John’s College 12-7 in the final to claim the silverware. Bishops, meanwhile, finished in third place after defeating Selborne College 9-4 in the bronze medal match.
The Nite Series showdown couldn’t have come at a better time with the rivals playing at a high level.
They last met in the Bishops Water Polo Tournament, with Rondebosch sneaking a tight 2-1 victory.
There are plenty of interesting matchups to look forward to. At the back, goalkeepers, Michael Mafunda and Joel O’Brien, will have key roles to play. In front of them, both sides boast strong defences. Bishops will look to Timothy Young to set the tone for them, while Dante Moore and James Pinnock will need to be at their best for ‘Bosch.

Up front is where the match could be won or lost.
Bishops will bank on Matt Fenn to have another scorcher after netting eight times in round one’s win over Wynberg. Owen Cross also impressed in that high-scoring victory.
As for ‘Bosch, they are spoilt for choices in attack, with Noah Reiback, who has been in prolific form of late, a dangerman for them.
Jack Robinson is another player to keep an eye on. He scored seven of his team’s 20 goals against Reddam.
While individual brilliance could prove to be the difference, team effort within both camps will be the key to victory.
Teams
Rondebosch Boys’ High: Joel O’Brien, Ryan Lawlor, Zack Labuschangne, James Pinnock, Dante Moore, Kieran Bennewith, Rupert Robinson, Matthew Galpin, Luke Burger, Noah Reiback, Jack Robinson, Joshua Ripsold, Ben Gray.
Bishops Diocesan College: Michael Mafunda, Luke Cartwright, Harry Ford, Owen Cross, Jack Grout, Timothy Young, Noah Edmunds, Milo Letschert, Heath Blackwell, Daniel van der Heever, James Malan, Matt Fenn, Alex Laspatzis.
Fixtures
17:00 – Bishops Diocesan College vs Rondebosch Boys’ High
17:50 – Paul Roos Gimnasium vs Reddam House Constantia
18:40 – SACS vs Wynberg Boys’ High
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