Grey welcomes old foe Selborne to Gqeberha
A fixture that dates back nearly a century in the Eastern Cape is set for a classic clash on the famous Kolisi Field when Grey High School hosts Selborne College in their annual derby day fixture on Saturday at 15:00.
Catch all the action live on SuperSport Schools and SuperSport Schools on DStv Channel 216.
Both schools started playing rugby in the late 1880s, but travel was not a simple task back then, so their first official game had to wait until 1926. Since then, there have been many memorable matches.
In 2014, a heart-stopping 20-18 victory to Grey followed a 45-0 romp for the Gqeberha boys the previous year. Last year, in a low-scoring clash, Selborne won 12-10. Grey had claimed a high-scoring 32-26 victory the previous year.
From 2000 to 2008, Grey was unbeaten against Selborne, winning all of those matches, both home and away, which was an impressive feat when one considers how much talent has passed through both schools.
Recent results this season make Saturday’s showdown a difficult game to call. Last weekend, Selborne fired on all cylinders and stormed to a big 63-5 win over Dale College. The week before, however, they went down to Queen’s College, losing 6-18.
Grey High had the toughest of challenges last Saturday, facing Grey College in Bloemfontein, where they gave a good account of themselves in a 27-41 loss. They, in fact, led for a large portion of the match. The weekend before that, less impressively, they fell 17-19 against Framesby, a good team, but not in Grey College’s league.
Grey High School is skippered by wing Lavela Pongolo, whose blistering pace down the sidelines has left many defenders in his wake this season. It’s his leadership, though, that has captured the attention of fans. Pongolo, hooker Jon Hobson, and lock Likona Sodlaka, all represented Eastern Province at the Stadio Craven Week this year.
Flank Gcina Puzi wears the captain’s armband for Selborne College. He’s been a regular try scorer this season, capitalising on Selborne’s momentum up front to get across the whitewash.
The East London school had six of their players selected for the Border Schools side, with backline players Chad de Beyer and Anjolauluwa Sogbanmu being joined by forwards Robert John-Osunkwo, Luke Stegmann, Andrew de Smidt and Luke McGregor in the provincial team.
How much will Grey’s visit to Bloemfontein have taken out of the Gqeberha school’s tank ahead of Selborne’s visit? That’s one of the key questions to be answered on Saturday. Of course, playing on Kolisi Field favours the home side, but derbies are not known to be the most predictable of contests.
FIXTURES
u14A: 9:00 – Grey High School vs Selborne College (Kolisi Field)
u15A: 10:10 – Grey High School vs Selborne College (Kolisi Field)
u16A: 11:20 – Grey High School vs Selborne College (Kolisi Field)
u19C: 12:30 – Grey High School vs Selborne College (Kolisi Field)
u19B: 13:40 – Grey High School vs Selborne College (Kolisi Field)
u19A: 15:00 – Grey High School vs Selborne College (Kolisi Field)
TEAMS
Grey High School: 15 Meyer Prinsloo, 14 Lavela Pongolo, 13 Kyle Callaghan, 12 Dylan Garrod, 11 Luc de Villiers, 10 Adam Holmboe, 9 Ray-Dylan Wilkinson, 8 Caylum Jansen, 7 Mpumelelo Magwaza, 6 Caylum Jansen, 5 Likona Sodlaka, 4 Blayton Ward, 3 Ross Atkinson, 2 Jon Hobson, 1 Evan Mucka.
Selborne College: 15 Ollie Schmidt, 14 Daniel Breetzke, 13 Cole Schonknecht, 12 Siyamthanda Sakhela, 11 Anjolauluwa Sogbanmu, 10 Chad de Beyer, 9 Page Fennell, 8 Joshua Cloete, 7 Gcina Puzi, 6 Liam Hansen, 5 Andrew de Smidt, 4 Thabo Sonamzi, 3 Luke Stegmann, 2 Luke McGregor, 1 Robert John-Osunkwo.
