Daunting task for Glenwood as they travel to Bloemfontein
The future of the annual inter-schools between Grey College and Glenwood High School hangs in the balance, but this won’t take anything away from the main match between the first XV’s on Saturday.
It will be a sad day for schools’ rugby in KwaZulu-Natal if their top rugby school, Glenwood High School, won’t continue their annual inter-schools against the best the Free State and South Africa has to offer.
Glenwood only sent three open teams to Bloemfontein.
Grey College will be the favourites for the main match as captain, George Cronjé, and lock Danwich Beukes makes comebacks after sitting on the sideline due to injuries the last couple of weeks.
Franco Knoetze is moved to fullback and could keep the visitors’ defence busy all day long. Knoetze was the top try scorer of the Academy Week in Bloemfontein scoring seven tries in the Free State’s first two matches of the tournament from inside centre. He was then called-up to the Craven Week side for the final day in Bloemfontein due to injuries and scored two tries against the Golden Lions.
Knoetze has scored 15 tries this season so far for Grey College. The home side’s winger Marcell Muller will be looking for a hat-trick of hat-tricks. He has scored a hat-trick of tries in each of Grey’s last two encounters against Waterkloof and Grey High School respectively. Muller has crossed the tryline a total of 16 times this year for his school’s side.
Glenwood’s halfback pairing of Jordan Hendrikse and Nico Steyn will be key performers for them. Hendrikse made the SA Schools’ A-side, while Steyn is without a doubt one of the best scrum-halves at schoolboy level in South Africa.
If Glenwood’s captain and outside centre, Joe Jonas, as well as the winger Marthino van Wyk get the ball in hand with some space to work with they could produce some magic for the visitors.
These two teams played to an exhilarating 25-all draw in Durban last year. Last year was the first time since 1965 that Glenwood managed to finish a season unbeaten.
The teams:
Grey College: 15 Franco Knoetze, 14 JD Odendaal, 13 Ian Small-Smith, 12 Lesley Botha, 11 Marcell Muller, 10 FC du Plessis, 9 Tiaan Fourie, 8 George Cronjé, 7 Janco Cloete, 6 Deon le Roux, 5 Danwich Beukes, 4 Hendré Kramer, 3 Petrus Naudé, 2 André-Hugo Venter, 1 Jan-Hendrik Wessels.
Glenwood: 15 Steven Gibb, 14 Marthino van Wyk, 13 Joe Jonas (captain), 12 Bani Holtzhausen, 11 Katlego Thinyane, 10 Jordan Hendrikse, 9 Nico Steyn, 8 Ethan Smit, 7 Henk Gouws, 6 Bandile Mdletshe 5 Ivan Walker, 4 Cade Esterhuizen, 3 Blaine Golden, 2 Sikholise Nanto, 1 Ruan Olivier.
Kick-Off: 13:30