Markötter Fortress: Unbeaten Gim returns to their second home
Paarl Gimnasium will be excused if they might think of the Markötter Stadium in Stellenbosch as their second home ground.
The Gimmies boast an excellent record in the stadium as their last defeat against Paul Roos here was in 2009. Paul Roos won this encounter by 47-36 with players like Steven Kitshoff, Ricky Schroeder, Braam Steyn and Craig Barry in their midst. Schroeder, who captained the Maroon Machine in 2009, also scored a hat-trick in this victory.
Catch all the action live on SuperSport Schools (www.supersportschools.com) and on DStv Channel 216 and SABC Plus. The King Price Derby Series clash kicks off at 14:15 this Saturday.
In fact, Paul Roos has only tasted victory four times in the last 17 outings since 1991 in the Markötter Stadium against Paarl Gimnasium.
To add even extra pressure is the fact that Paarl Gimnasium will arrive in Stellenbosch on Saturday still unbeaten. The only slight blemish to their record so far has been a 16-all draw against Affies.
Gim has defeated Grey College by 43-31 in Bloemfontein. This was team from the City of Roses’ first defeat at home since 2017.
Like most of the Western Cape, heavy rains and strong winds are expected over the weekend. Gim’s clash against Affies was also on a wet field. This Saturday’s match-up against Paul Roos will give Gimmies an indication of how much they have learnt about playing on a wet pitch.
Their captain, Markus Muller, will, as always, be a key player. His direct opposition, Matthew Kleyn, is also a player with skill. The backlines of both these teams will however, not have the deciding impact on the outcome if the Markötter becomes muddy.
The outcome will be decided upfront with the eighthmen, Quintin Potgieter (Paarl Gimnasium) and Gert Kemp (Paul Roos Gimnasium), playing leading roles. Gimmies’ flanker Hendré van der Westhuizen was good against Affies and could also be a thorn in the home side’s flesh.
Kemp will also receive assistance from Luke Kent and Dylan van Wyk in the loose trio to make sure every loose ball is picked up.
The teams:
Paul Roos Gimnasium: 15 Keenan Stoffels, 14 Tiaan Basson, 13 Matthew Kleyn, 12 Ian Smith, 11 Jordan Steenkamp, 10 Matthew Seymore, 9 Liam de Silva, 8 Gert Kemp (captain), 7 Luke Kent, 6 Dylan van Wyk, 5 Reuben Winter, 4 Marnus van Leeuwen, 3 Gerrit van Vuuren, 2 Altus Rabe, 1 Zak Hickman.
Paarl Gimnasium: 15 Dawid Badenhorst, 14 Jeerahno Jagers, 13 Markus Muller (captain), 12 Ethan Barker, 11 Thomas Saunders, 10 Louis Koen, 9 Mickyle Booise, 8 Quintin Potgieter, 7 Hendré van Zyl, 6 Hendré van der Westhuizen, 5 Jean Dreyer, 4 Bernhardt Schulze, 3 Adriaan van der Lingen, 2 Charles Whitehead, 1 Pieta Cilliers.
Kick-Off: 14:15
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