Giants collide as Gim hosts SACS in Paarl
South African College High School (SACS) and Paarl Gimnasium will aim to keep their momentum rolling and continue their superb seasons when they face off in the match of the weekend in Paarl on Friday night.
The clash gets underway at 19:45. Catch all the action LIVE on SuperSport Schools.
They’ve both been performing like well-oiled machines and have already compiled an impressive list of results in 2024.
Gim won the Belgotex Sport Easter Hockey Festival late last month and they’ve kept the pedal to the metal ever since then, racking up one good result after another.
In the past three weeks, coach Jacques Grobler‘s side has faced some gruelling challenges, which has tested their squad depth, fitness levels, and ability to dig deep in crucial moments.
They began their Western Cape campaign with a resounding 5-1 win over Outeniqua, with captain LD Nel scoring a hattrick at home.
After that, Grobler’s charges took their talents to Pretoria, where they faced Affies in a massive inter-schools’ clash. There, they scored a comfortable 3-0 win, with Juan Swanepoel netting twice before Nel got his name on the scoreboard for a second week running.
Last weekend, they were a minute away from defeating Grey College, but the visitors scored in the final minute to snatch a 1-1 draw.
SACS, on the other hand, have been a juggernaut this season, and their run of dominance began at the Founders Festival at Kearsney College last month.
Soon after that, they began league action in the Western Cape, powering their way to one-sided wins over Fairmont High School (6-0), and Parel Vallei (7-0).
Last weekend, they further asserted their dominance against Rondebosch Boys’ High and Grey High School on successive days.
On Friday, coach Sam Holmes’s side beat ‘Bosch 3-0, before recording an emphatic 5-2 victory over Grey at the Brewery.
Blessed with quality and depth in all positions, they’re in outstanding form, with players like Litha Kraai, Stephan Meyer, Reece Theunis and Matthew Lassen having caught the eye in recent weeks.
They have reason to be confident ahead of the clash, too, after winning 6-2 against Paarl Gim in 2023. Admittedly, the SACS lineup is very different this year, but the vast majority of the team played together under Sam Holmes in the u16 ranks, where they dominated opposition from all corners of South Africa.
It promises to be an enthralling clash, but Gim goes into the game as the underdog, and it would be a big upset if they win. Given their quality, that’s not out of the question, however.
Western Cape Fixtures
Friday, 26 April 2024
18:00 – Fairmont High vs Pinelands
18:15 – Bishops vs Wynberg
18:15 – Stellenberg vs DF Malan
19:00 – Rondebosch vs Reddam House
19:30 – Paarl Gimnasium vs SACS
19:30 – Parel Vallei vs Outeniqua
Saturday, 27 April 2024
10:15 – Durbanville vs Khayelitsha Hockey Club
10:45 –Worcester Gimnasium vs Brackenfell
10:50 – Somerset College vs Strand
11:15 – Belville High vs Westerford
