Paul Roos and Grey College hunt big wins away from home
Grey High School versus Paul Roos Gimnasium (PRG) will headline a bumper weekend of hockey action in the Eastern Cape when those sides, two of the best in the country, battle it out for top honours in Gqeberha on Friday night.
The match gets underway at 19:15 and will be live from the Rectory Astroturf on SuperSport Schools.
Last weekend, when they were last in action, they experienced contrasting results.
Grey travelled to Cape Town, where they played to a 2-2 draw with Wynberg Boys High on Friday night, before going down 2-5 against SACS the following morning.
Paul Roos, meanwhile, bounced back from a 0-1 defeat against Rondebosch Boys’ High, scoring a commanding 4-0 win over Paarl Boys’ High on the Maties Astroturf.
Reuben Gouws strike twice for the Stellenbosch side, while Callum van Oudsthoorn, and Barend Geldenhuys also found the back of the net.
Despite the win, the visitors are still hard at work, trying to improve some aspects of their game that haven’t yet clicked this season.
Coach Michael Baker’s main concern is converting short corners, a worry that stood out at Rondebosch when the Stellenbosch side failed to make use of the plentiful opportunities they created.
This week, they will be banking on their skipper Ruben Sendzul to improve on his accuracy and get back to his best, which is being one of the most dangerous PC strikers in the country.
PRG’s main playmaker so far this season has been Christo Swanepoel, who has held the fort well at the back while providing quality ball distribution.
Paul Roos will be relieved that shot stopper, Beor van Reenen, who had picked up a knee injury, will be in the goalbox. He and defenders Louan van Zyl and Hanno Basson are likely to face a stiff challenge from Grey who, before last weekend, had won all of their games.
Grey will bank on Xander Elkington, Blake Muller, Jordyn Julies, and Iviwe Mazomba to challenge PRG’s midfield and defence.
The clash promises to be a terrific tussle between two sides eager to stake their claims as top contenders ahead of the Hibbert Shield early next month.
Teams
Grey High: Kiano Broadhurst, Marco Giaconi, Zac Thornton, Ben Ristow, Robbie Stow, Kian Cambier, Luke Tait, Caden Skinette, Athi Jansen, Blake Muller, Jordyn Julies, Xander Elkington, Iviwe Mazomba, Liam Poole, Caleb Humphreys
Paul Roos Gimnasium: Beor van Reenen, Hanno Basson, Louan van Zyl, Joshua Smit, Keith Siebrits, Juan Mouton, Barend Geldenhuys, Christo Swanepoel, Lohan Lackay, Reuben Gouws, Ruben Sendzul, Dan Lurie, Seth Paterson, Charles Lombaard, Luke Oliver
Other matches
In another clash between top teams, Selborne College will be back in action, when they host Grey College in East London on Friday.
In their last outing, a fortnight ago, Selborne was held to a 1-1 draw by Komani’s Queen’s College. They had a bye last weekend, while their opponents, Grey left it late to salvage a 1-1 draw with Paarl Gimnasium in Paarl.
Dale College, who picked up the big scalp of Queen’s at the Queen’s 166th Reunion last weekend, will also return to the turf on Friday afternoon, when they take on Cambridge High School in Qonce.
Stirling High School hosts Kingswood College, while Queen’s travels to Bloemfontein to take on St Andrew’s School and Fichardtpark, on Friday evening and Saturday morning respectively.
Fixtures
Friday, 26 April
16:00 – Dale College vs Cambridge High School
18:00 – Stirling High School vs Kingswood College
19:00 – Selborne College vs Grey College
19:15 – Grey High vs Paul Roos
19:30 – St Andrew’s School vs Queen’s College
Saturday, 27 April 2024
11:00 – Fichardtpark vs Queen’s College
