Grey High braces for Paul Roos onslaught

Grey High will embark on the school rugby version of the Masters golf course’s Amen Corner when they host the formidable Paul Roos Gimnasium team in a King Price Derby Series encounter in Gqeberha on Saturday.

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The main action on the Kolisi Field at the Mill Park campus will kick off at 14.30, the first step in the home team’s most challenging period of the 2026 season.

Following their clash with the Western Cape powerhouse, Grey will go into their annual Standard Bank Festival with seriously tough fixtures lined up against Michaelhouse next Saturday, 25 April, and Pretoria Boys’ High, two days later.

If they can emerge from that period with their reputation intact, it will be a major plus for the rest of the season after some modest results, by their standards, in their 2025 campaign.

But first, Grey High’s focus will be on the Stellenbosch outfit, who had strung together some impressive wins this season before having the wind knocked out of their sails by the high-flying Stellenberg last weekend, losing 10-20.

That should only serve to fire up the Maroon Machine for another terrific SA schools derby, albeit one that they have dominated.

Grey High last beat Paul Roos in 2017 when they produced a remarkable fightback, scoring 14 points in the last 12 minutes to triumph 22-20.

Since then, Paul Roos has called the shots, and it will take a massive performance from Grey captain and centre Ciaran Killian and his teammates to reverse that trend this weekend.

That is just one match on a day of fascinating Eastern Province schools clashes, which includes Pearson facing their hardest match of the season against Outeniqua in George, where kick-off takes place at 13:20.

The Summerstrand side has stitched together four wins out of four so far, but they will have their unbeaten run properly tested by the Kwaggas.

A huge showdown looms in Kariega when Brandwag hosts Muir College in a classic town derby.

Both sides are coming off close defeats last weekend, so they will have every incentive to regain the winning feeling in their Tinara Cup clash.

In Gqeberha, Framesby and Nico Malan will go hammer and tongs in a match that is always a fierce contest, while Daniel Pienaar should have too much ammunition for the gutsy Otto du Plessis outfit.

TEAMS

Grey High vs Paul Roos in Gqeberha at 15:30.

Grey High: 15 Keanu Linch, 14 Noah Mbizi, 13 Ciaran Killian (captain), 12 Anfred Jansen, 11 Michael Oosthuizen, 10 Nathan Trytsman, 9 Ryan Swarbrick, 8 Zola Yeye, 7 Cole Bennett, 6 Sibonelo Stuurman, 5 Jean Nel, 4 Joandre van Jaarsveld, 3 Juan Potgieter, 2 Micah Wessels, 1 Daniel Naude

Paul Roos: 15 Tevez Cupido, 14 Krige le Roux, 13 Jean Hamman, 12 Albert Nel, 11 Cadynn Samuels, 10 Travis Pheiffer, 9 Tristan Armitage, 8 Werner de Bruin, 7 Gerard Bekker, 6 Christian le Roux, 5 Sebastian Celliers, 4 Stef de Villiers, 3 Zak Steyn, 2 Lehan Barnard, 1 Thomas Meyer.

Brandwag vs Muir College in Kariega at 14:10.

Brandwag: 15 Egan George, 14 Dewandre Witbooi, 13 Clevelon Deysel, 12 Raydin Lewis, 11 Darren Gardener, 10 Rezanio Petrus (captain), 9 Zanick Carolus, 8 Erik Rudman (vice-captain), 7 Divan Kotze, 6 Josh Badenhorst, 5 Luan van Jaarsveld, 4 Justin Swanepoel, 3 Casper Steenkamp, 2 Errol Te Brugge, 1 Francu Fouche

Muir College N/A

Outeniqua vs Pearson in George at 13:15.

Outeniqua: 15 Darnell Delport, 14 Jean Capes, 13 Gerrit Janse van Rensburg (vice-captain), 12 Lothering Jade, 11 Heiliano Beukes, 10 Tylor Marais, 9 Fagon Hendricks, 8 Aldo Gouws, 7 Bradley Steyl, 6 Wiaan Baard, 5 Franco Pienaar, 4 Sam Augustyn, 3 Logan Jacobs, 2 AJ Botha, 1 Matthew Prins (captain)

Pearson: 15 Keano Beling, 14 Tyler Breda, 13 Henrico Ferreira, 12 Hanro Botes (captain), 11 Lili Giyose, 10 Riegerdt Oosthuizen, 9 Kadin Kretzmann, 8 Liya Maswana, 7 Gustav Pegram, 6 Henrico Bodenstein, 5 Stefan Kapp, 4 Alexander Serfontein, 3 Dewald Niemand, 2 Nathan Heyns, 1 Joshua Pienaar.

Framesby vs Nico Malan in Gqeberha at 13:50.

Framesby N/A

Nico Malan: 15 Leighton Lawrence, 14 Reagan Stone, 13 Jehu Geswindt, 12 Kian van Schalkwyk, 11 Tequane Koopman, 10 Masood Knowlden, 9 Lleyton Mienie, 8 Sima Ozah, 7 Erich van Zyl, 6 Callie de Lange, 5 Luciano Botha, 4 Merwe van der Merwe, 3 Drikus Kruger, 2 Janu Janse van Rensburg, 1 Ruan Nel.