KES takes aim at Jeppe’s unbeaten run against them
This weekend, the King Edward VII (KES) 1st hockey team heads to Jeppe High School for Boys for their first of two derby meetings this season. Saturday’s first leg tie takes place on the Boden Astro at 10:00.
You can catch the action live on SuperSport Schools.
Following a difficult start to the season at the Nomads Festival, where they played a tough schedule, KES has put some wins together, but last weekend they were well beaten.
In Pretoria, they came out on the wrong end of a 0-4 result against Pretoria Boys High. They had played a good game the weekend before, when they drew 2-2 with Parktown Boys’ High.
In their opening second term fixture, they edged out their neighbours and rivals, St John’s College, 3-2.
Jeppe, meanwhile, warmed up for Saturday’s derby with a one-sided 7-0 romp against Krugersdorp High School.
Afterwards, coach Siya Sityana politely downplayed that win and shifted the focus to the forthcoming clash: “Don’t count the match between us and Krugersdorp. It was a warm-up game,” he said. “This weekend will be all different against KES.”
Before the mid-week victory, the Zebras were held to a 2-2 draw at Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool (Affies) last weekend. It was the first draw between the sides since 2008, although Affies mixed in a win in 2017 amid plenty of Jeppe victories.
In one of their better performances, Jeppe saw off Westville Boys’ High 3-1 on 13 April.
Last year, a very good Jeppe team convincingly beat KES both times they met, winning 3-1 and 6-0.
Since they started playing hockey matches against one another towards the end of the 1960s, Jeppe has won 30 of the 64 contests, KES has recorded 15 wins, and there have been 19 draws.
Jeppe, however, heads into Saturday’s match having won nine and drawn one of their last 10 games against KES.
JEPPE V KES HEAD-TO-HEAD
2017 Jeppe 3 KES 0
2018 Jeppe 2 KES 2; Jeppe 1 KES 0
2019 Jeppe 5 KES 1; Jeppe 6 KES 0
2021 Jeppe 4 KES 2
2022 Jeppe 2 KES 0; Jeppe 2 KES 0
2023 Jeppe 3 KES 1; Jeppe 6 KES 0
Also on Saturday, Pretoria Boys High takes on Parktown Boys’ High.
