Preview – SACS vs. Paul Roos Gimnasium
The South African College High School (SACS) play host the Paul Roos Gimnasium of Stellenbosch this Saturday in their annual Winters Day derby. The match is special for many reasons. Both institutions are steeped in history and cherish this long standing rivalry.
SACS are in good form going into the game. Having beaten Boland Landbou two weeks ago will have given their team the confidence to know they can mix it with the Boland schools. There are many aspects of their play that can be improved upon but the team seems to have a belief in their game plan and in each other that makes them a formidable unit. Up front Struan Murray and Dean Basson will look to carry on their fine form, while at the back Seb Roodt has been impressive on the counter-attack.
Paul Roos are one of the great rugby schools in South Africa. One can reel off a litany of old and current Springboks and provincial players without even thinking. This year they have been a little but up and down by their lofty standards mainly as a result of missing too many kicks at poles. They lost 23-18 to Grey High in Port Elizabeth last week but left 16 points on the table. They always have talented individuals and are very well conditioned and coached. Their captain Christo van der Merwe is a live-wire and will be a menace for SACS at the breakdown. In the backs they welcome back the prolific Daniel du Plessis, their star playmaker.
SACS have not beaten Paul Roos since 2007 and will go in as under-dogs but if they play to their potential and Paul Roos again arrive without a kicker SACS could cause another major upset. With fine weather again predicted for this weekend the game should provide a cracking spectacle.
The teams:
SACS: 15 Seb Roodt, 14 Damian Rawstorne, 13 Richard Rodgers, 12 Keagan Wheeler (captain), 11 Matthew Wadling, 10 Shane Fourie, 9 Michael Henning, 8 Devon Barnard, 7 Justin Joubert, 6 Yandisa Maqenukana, 5 Dean Basson, 4 James Ambler-Smith, 3 Wesley Futter, 2 Struan Murray, 1 Joel MacQuene.
Paul Roos Gimnasium: 15 Chris Smith, 14 Joel Heugh, 13 Tristan Cramer, 12 Daniel du Plessis, 11 Pieter Rossouw, 10 Aidynn Cupido, 9 Calvin Nel, 8 Vernon Petersen, 7 Christo van der Merwe (captain), 6 Andrew Yoko, 5 Lohann Louw, 4 Daniel Buitendag, 3 JP Botha, 2 Jacques van Zyl, 1 HW Barnard.
Venue: Memorial A-Field (SACS)
Kickoff: 12:15
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