Clinical edge could decide King Price Derby Series clash between Selborne and St Andrew’s College
In a clash featuring no shortage of game-breaking talent, the side that shows the greater clinical edge on attack could emerge victorious when Selborne College hosts St Andrew’s College in their King Price Derby Series encounter in East London on Saturday.
Both teams have experienced mixed fortunes this season, making this traditional Eastern Cape derby an important opportunity to build momentum as the business end of the school rugby season approaches.
Catch all the action live on SuperSport Schools (www.supersportschools.com) or DStv Channel 216.
Selborne returns to action after an unexpected break. Their highly anticipated fixture against Grey College in Bloemfontein last weekend was cancelled due to a swine flu outbreak, giving them an extra week to prepare for one of their biggest home matches of the season.
St Andrew’s, meanwhile, arrive in East London after a narrow 15-14 defeat to Queen’s College in Komani, a match in which they enjoyed plenty of possession but were unable to convert enough opportunities into points.
St Andrew’s coach Jonny Mallett said the performance highlighted the importance of precision in key moments.
“The Rec ground is always a difficult place to play. We had a lot of possession and created opportunities to score, but Queen’s defended very well,” he said.
“We’re looking forward to the game against Selborne and are expecting a physical contest. We’ve had a few injuries in the past couple of weeks, but it’s also an exciting opportunity for some players who have been knocking on the door.
“Selborne have been very good at home, and we know we will have to be brilliant on the day to get the result we want.”
Selborne coach Roy Godfrey is equally eager to see how his side responds against opponents who dominated the corresponding fixture in Makhanda last year, winning 40-10.
“I think our season has been a bit up and down,” said Godfrey. “We’ve had some tough away games against Rondebosch and Drostdy, while the matches we lost against Dale and Framesby were by only a few points.
“Other than that, we’ve played well at home, beating Graeme and Queen’s. St Andrew’s pose a different threat because they like to keep the ball and play an expansive brand of rugby.
“We’re very excited about the game. St Andrew’s beat us comfortably last year, and the fixture before that was cancelled because of rain, so we’re looking forward to what should be an entertaining contest.”
With both teams possessing dangerous attacking weapons and eager to make a statement, supporters can expect another fiercely contested derby where small moments and finishing ability may ultimately determine the outcome.
The teams:
Selborne College: 15 Edward Malinzi, 14 Zweletu Njoholo, 13 Iviwe Kabale, 12 Aaron James, 11 Sabelo Vuso, 10 Riley Hansel, 9 Connor Fowles (captain), 8 Travis Enslin, 7 Daniel Rushmere, 6 Lwandle Bacela, 5 Mozesh van der Byl, 4 Ayden Freitag, 3 Daniel Naude, 2 Josh McKay, 1 Luthango Ngese.
St Andrew’s College: 15 Will Stevens, 14 Max de Wet, 13 Avu Bangazi, 12 Caleb Pennington, 11 Qhawe Madikizela, 10 David Chorley, 9 Ethan Hayes, 8 Warrick Campbell, 7 Jack Hegarty, 6 Kyle Schwechheimer, 5 James Badenhorst, 4 Harry Horwood, 3 Entle Ngcaba, 2 Ross Faber, 1 Stuart Stern.
