King Price Derby set to ignite as Candies, College collide
A scintillating King Price Derby Series clash awaits this weekend as Maritzburg College heads north, just a week after competing at the annual St John’s College Easter Festival in Johannesburg, to face traditional rivals, Pretoria Boys High School.
Follow all the action live on SuperSport Schools – (www.supersportschools.com) or Channel 216.
The Candies also took to the field at St John’s over the Easter weekend and, like College, walked away with one win from their two fixtures.
However, their 43–29 victory over Hoërskool Diamantveld was particularly impressive and served as a warning shot to their future opponents.
College’s 13–22 loss to Hoërskool Nelspruit raised a few eyebrows, but there were flashes of their trademark attacking flair in their opening-day win over the Lions XV. With both sides coming off recent defeats, Saturday’s match-up promises to be a fierce contest as each looks to return to winning ways.
A key subplot will be the kicking duel between Boys High’s fullback, Blake Mager, and College’s wing, Adam Cahill. Both players possess match-winning boots, and their precision could prove decisive.
Much of the spotlight will fall on the forwards, where physicality and possession will dictate the tempo. Since switching from lock to No. 8 in place of the injured Aking Akingbula, Queenton Mncube has been instrumental in generating front-foot ball for the Candies.
Standing in his way will be Maritzburg College captain and fellow eighthman, Vusi Vyambwera, who will aim to neutralise Mncube’s impact with a commanding performance of his own.
Meanwhile, in Johannesburg, King Edward VII School (KES) welcomes Parktown Boys’ High School to the home of the Reds.
Parktown’s last outing at KES yielded a gutsy 25–15 win over Hudson Park during the KES Easter Festival, while the Reds’ clash with Northwood was abandoned due to lightning, with the Knights holding onto a narrow 12-7 lead.
In their first match of the festival, KES produced arguably the upset of the year when they stunned Rondebosch Boys’ High 20–17. Since then, the Reds have appeared to be rejuvenated, and they looked sharp against a strong Northwood team before the weather intervened. Left-wing Joshua Wilkinson looked especially dangerous with the ball in hand and he will be a key threat if given space out wide.
Parktown’s strength lies in the side’s industrious loose trio. Led by their openside flanker, Lethabo Sikhudo, the back row will seek to impose themselves both on attack and defence, aiming to disrupt KES’s rhythm and turn the contest into a physical battle.
TEAMS
Pretoria Boys High School vs Maritzburg College at 13:30 in Pretoria
Pretoria Boys High School: 15 Blake Mager, 14 Callum Nel, 13 Ofentse Matlebjane, 12 Tyler Mason, 11 Neo Matlaletsa, 10 Reinier Kruger, 9 Michael Fourie, 8 Queenton Mncube, 7 Pieter Lindeboom, 6 Tristin Heinz, 5 Nils Pabst, 4 FC Furtstenburg, 3 Mufuna Masibigiri, 2 Marnus Wessels, 1 Jeffrey Singo.
Maritzburg College: 15 Caleb Scheepers, 14 Adam Cahill, 13 Amahle Hadebe, 12 Olwethu Kosani, 11 Ntsika Mkhize, 10 Liyema Tsoko, 9 Dom du Toit, 8 Vusi Vyambwera, 7 Connor Mountfort, 6 David Colenbrander, 5 Jayden Smit, 4 Elethu Mabanga, 3 Lina Mabanga, 2 Theo Boshoff, 1 Indi Mlotshwa.
King Edward VII Schools vs Parktown Boys’ High School at 13:00 in Johannesburg
King Edward VII School (possible): 15 Indibabale Mboniswa, 14 Christopher White, 13 Sky Segal, 12 Ntsako Shivuri, 11 Joshua Wilkinson, 10 Andrew Jackson, 9 Regan McGurk, 8 Chinedu Amadi, 7 Michael Bownes, 6 Sam Bruwer, 5 Ashton Vreugdenburg, 4 Tyron Smith, 3 Dylan Budler, 2 Tristan Randall, 1 Kenneth Prins.
Parktown Boys’ High School: 15 Enrico van Coller, 14 Oyisa Mjiwu, 13 Kgotso Tumahole, 12 Usanda Yejanye, 11 Owami Phambuka, 10 Kelvin Kotey, 9 Siphesihle Mpofu, 8 Siya Masinga, 7 Kingsley Okonkwo, 6 Lethabo Sikhudo, 5 Disema Mofokeng, 4 Subu Jiyane, 3 Emeraude Ndombasi, 2 Lethoko Malane, 1 Manuel Motsi.
