Oakdale targets Paarl Gim’s 10-game winning streak, PV tackles Brakkies
Last weekend, with a 66-14 victory over Wynberg Boys’ High, Paarl Gimnasium hit a 10-game winning streak.
They visit Riversdal on Saturday, where Oakdale Landbou’s Bulle will be snorting, intent on ending Gim’s impressive 10-match run, which has produced an average margin of victory of 55-13.
They’ve scored 64, 66, and 66 points in their last three matches.
Kickoff in Riversdal is at 13:20, and the action is LIVE on SuperSport Schools.
The Farmers are in good form. In their last match, on 16 May, they beat Hoërskool Outeniqua 27-21 in a King Price Derby Series clash in Riversdal.
Paarl Gim, meanwhile, went off at Wynberg Boys’ High last weekend, with fullback Thomas Saunders bagging an impressive four tries. The scary thing for Gim’s opponents is that he’s just one of many prolific try-scorers in the visitors’ backline.
Oakdale outside centre Myburgh Eksteen is similar to Saunders in his ability to find the try line. Perhaps, though, the most interesting and most consequential battle between the sides will be up front, especially in the lineout, where Oakdale is one of the most clinically drilled and effective sides in the country.
Last year, though, Gimmies were one of the few sides that looked better in the lineouts than the Farmers when they scored a 29-9 win at home.
Oakdale captain and eighthman, Jacobus de Villiers, made the SA Schools and SA u18 sides last season. He’s the complete package: strong, fast, intelligent, and with an engine to match. He could trouble both the Gimmies’ defence and offence on the weekend.
Of course, the Paarl locals aren’t without their own exciting loose forwards. Flanks Dirk Hugo and Corné Niemand hunt like wild dogs on defence, and Niemand’s been getting his name on the scoresheet consistently in recent outings.
Oakdale are a rugged bunch. The most points they have conceded thus far this season were 28, in a 17-28 loss to Affies, which is just over half the number of points that Paarl Gimnasium is averaging during their 10-match winning streak. Which gives on Saturday?
Hoërskool Parel Vallei’s nine-game winning streak was ended by SACS last weekend, when they went down 5-19 in Cape Town.
Fortunes favoured Hoërskool Brackenfell on the same day. They squeezed past Hoërskool Strand, winning 30-29.
They meet on Saturday at 12:20 in Somerset West.
Catch the action LIVE on SuperSport Schools
Last year, as the home side, Brakkies won the affair 19-12. But the Bulldogs will pose a more formidable challenge this time around. They’ve constructed an excellent campaign, and they’ll be smarting after losing their unbeaten record last weekend. That will make the task that much more difficult for Brackenfell.
Parel Vallei captain and outside centre Owen Cockroft is an important pivot in the Bulldogs’ backline. He is often the creator of opportunities for the home side’s leading try scorers, fullback Shudley Rhoda and left-wing Rafael von Loeper.
That’s not to take away from the skills of Rhoda and Von Loeper. They often still have to beat defenders, and they’ve proven themselves to be deadly finishers.
Lock Manya Prayer was a solid unit for Brakkies in their win over Strand on the weekend. He’s tough to stop when carrying the ball, and he’s a diligent worker around the field. The PV forwards will feel his presence.
Despite last weekend’s setback, Parel Vallei carries plenty of momentum into the clash. Brackenfell, though, will be equally hungry to win and record a second successive victory for the first time this season.
Hoërskool Strand and Hoërskool Hugenote (Wellington) are set to meet at 12:10 on Saturday.
Hugenote fell 36-43 to Worcester Gimnasium last weekend, while Strand, Saturday’s home team, was edged out 29-30 at Brackenfell.
Strand scrumhalf Jason Hartogh backed his vision and found gaps to exploit with strong runs last week. One of those brought him a try. With the form that he’s in, Hugenote will need to keep a close eye on him.
Openside flank Josh Lourens also bagged himself a try and delivered a heavy shift at the breakdown in the tight loss. Strand’s captain and eighthman Rohan Bezuidenhout is also relentless in the rucks.
Hugenote’s loose forwards will need to produce high levels of stamina to deal with the challenge posed by Strand in the battle for possession.
It’s a tough one to call. Suffice to say, it has the look of a contest that could go down to the wire.
TEAMS
Oakdale Landbou: 15 Nathan-Lee Gordon, 14 Luan van Tonder, 13 Myburgh Eksteen, 12 André van der Merwe, 11 Luan Mortlock, 10 Caleb Williams, 9 Mich van Eeden, 8 Jacobus de Villiers (captain), 7 Bernard Badenhorst, 6 Kane du Plessis, 5 Rico Ferreira, 4 Ruan Groenewald, 3 Francois le Roux, 2 Adrian Smith, 1 Kyle Burger.
Paarl Gimnasium: 15 Thomas Saunders, 14 Corné de Beer, 13 Derik Cloete, 12 Ethan Barker (Captain), 11 De Waal Vivier, 10 Louis Koen, 9 Mickyle Booise, 8 Hendré van Zyl, 7 Dirk Hugo, 6 Corné Niemand, 5 Jean Dreyer, 4 Bernhardt Schulze, 3 Sebastian Bekker, 2 Charles Whitehead, 1 Jayden Steyl.
Hoërskool Parel Vallei (likely): 15 Shudley Rhoda, 14 Aydin February, 13 Owen Cockroft (Captain), 12 Brad Brown, 11 Rafael von Loeper, 10 Stephan Niemann, 9 Michael Kent, 8 Reilly Capes, 7 Ethan Ramos, 6 Marcé Els, 5 Keaton Baird, 4 Herman Kriel, 3 Cayden Rautenbach, 2 Luke Terblanche, 1 Bjan Theron.
Hoërskool Brackenfell (likely): 15 Ruan van Tonder, 14 Damian Kruger, 13 Michael Buys, 12 Jordan Engelbrecht, 11 Migile Carelse, 10 Yusuf Hannibal, 9 Hayden Fortuin, 8 Seth Braaf, 7 Derose Manya, 6 Jason Joseph, 5 Hanré van Dijk, 4 Manya Prayer, 3 Joshua Wallace, 2 Joshua Defreitas, 1 Eckard Esterhuyse.
Hoërskool Strand (likely): 15 Duval Roode, 14 Connor Luke Julies, 13 Preston Lee Tobias, 12 Waldo Newton, 11 Haydriane Pieterson, 10 Leathan Lewis, 9 Jason Hartogh, 8 Rohan Bezuidenhout (captain), 7 DC Fourie, 6 Josh Lourens, 5 Schalk Beukes, 4 Robert de Villiers, 3 Brand Nel, 2 Benjamin de Reuck, 1 Duane Lombard.
Hoërskool Hugenote (Wellington): N/A.
