Southern suburbs’ derbies headline Western Cape hockey action
Cape Town bragging rights will be on the line on Friday evening, when all four of the southern suburbs’ top guns go at it, with South African College High School (SACS), Bishops Diocesan College, Wynberg Boys’ High, and Rondebosch Boys’ High taking to the turf to battle for supremacy.
Rondebosch takes a short trip to face Bishops on the Woodlands Astroturf at 18:30. An hour later, Wynberg hosts SACS.
Catch all the action LIVE on SuperSport Schools.
Bish/Bosch Derby
The clash between Bishops and Rondebosch Boys’ High, commonly known as the Bish/Bosch derby, has the potential to be a humdinger.
Bishops are, undeniably, the favourites, while Rondebosch might be a little underdone, which is unfortunate, because there have been signs of significant progress in a season that has become somewhat stop/start for coach Waseem Domingo‘s side.
Bishops, under Ryan Julius, have enjoyed a strong season and they remain undefeated in the Western Cape. A solid defence has underpinned their campaign. The creation of goal scoring opportunities has not been in short supply either, but they’ll be keen to improve their finishing rate.
In their biggest challenge of the season thus far, against SACS, the teams shared a 1-1 stalemate. Bishops would probably feel they should’ve won it, based on the opportunities they created.
Their recent form has been consistent and impressive. In their past three matches, they’ve scored 17 goals and conceded only one, beating Stellenberg High 6-1, Paarl Boys High 6-0, and Fairmont High School 5-0.
Bishops will, however, be without their coach for Friday’s showdown. Julius is on national duty for South Africa and is set to play in the second edition of the FIH Hockey Nations Cup in Poland.
They will, as usual, though, turn to their core performers, who include James Grieve, Joshua Mettler, and captain Robert Veldtman, to steer their merry ship.
Rondebosch began their league season on a massive high, defeating Paul Roos Gimnasium 1-0. However, the last time they played a full match was three weeks ago, when they delivered a spirited performance in a 2-2 draw with Paarl Gimnasium.
Since then, unfortunately, their two most recent fixtures, against Curro Durbanville and Paarl Boys’ High, were called off.
Key players to look out for in the ‘Bosch side include their skipper Hilton Lima, Noah Heath, and Jamie Hundermark.
Wynberg vs SACS
Wynberg Boys’ High hosts a dangerous SACS’ side after being handed a heavy defeat last time out against Paul Roos Gimnasium.
Ben Wiley‘s boys made the trip to Stellenbosch hoping to cause an upset, but PRG was dialled in and ruthless from the first whistle to the last, powering their way to a 7-1 victory.
There’s no let-up for Wynberg against SACS, who have made a strong case for being the number one team in South Africa again.
Under the guidance of Sam Holmes, SACS has been in superb form, losing only once all season. That defeat, 5-6 on penalties, came at the hands of Paul Roos in the final of the Hibbert Shield in Gqeberha at the beginning of May.
Since then, they’ve been dominant, outplaying PRG 6-2 in their derby meeting, following the Hibbert Shield, smashing Stellenberg High 11-1, and blanking DF Malan 8-0.
SACS should feel confident ahead of the clash, remembering how they romped to an 11-1 win in 2023. The lineups, though, have changed considerably, so it’s a blank slate for both teams.
If SACS is successful on Friday, Litha Kraai, Reece Theunis, Cohen Williams, and skipper Stéphan Meyer will surely have plenty to do with it. They’re a deep, well-drilled unit, which has remained largely intact after an outstanding u16 season together in 2023, and the threats come from all angles.
For Wynberg, their focus will be about defensive composure, absorbing SACS’ best shots, and bouncing back. Dayle Gertson, Zachary Gibbon, Ethan Lee, and Jordan Paulsen are quality players, but they will need to be on their games if they’re to challenge SACS.
TEAMS
(updates will be made if there are changes)
Bishops Diocesan College: Mu’aath Ganief (GK), Adam Diggle, Thomas Malan, Albert Steyn, Carl Van Wyngaarden, Robert Veldtman (Capt), Andrew Betty, James Grieve (Vice-capt), Thomas Ludlam, Joshua Mettler, Andrew Raubenheimer (Vice-Capt), Christopher Gray, David Handley, Harry Morgan, Bryn Parry
Rondebosch Boys’ High: Marley Musasa (GK), Thomas Gordon, Joshua Beattie, Hilton Lima (c), Nathan Ball, Noah Heath, Raeeq Daniels, Daniel Powell, Anam Nkohla, Jamie Hundermark, Martin Barnard, Cade Miller, Jasper Southwood, Imaad Martin, Oliver Roach.
Wynberg Boys’ High: Zach Raizenberg, Dayle Gertson, Daniel Rightford, Liam Kleintjies, Caleb Schilder, Jonty Albrecht, Jordan Paulsen, Ethan Lee, Seth Trantraal, James Burger, Dayyaan Brown, Ethan Daniels, Zach Alexander, Beni Hansen.
SACS: Noah Venter (GK), Jo le Roux, Aiden Hughes, Dave Versfeld, Nick Paxton, Kevin Oosthuizen, Stéphan Meyer (c), Zac Redfern, Litha Kraai, Reece Theunis, Cohen Williams, Regan Wille, Cole Allam, Matthew Jones, Mike Mthunzi, Matthew Lassen, Connor van der Schuyff.
Western Cape fixtures:
Friday, 31 May 2024:
17:30- Fairmont High vs Curro Durbanville
18:30- Bishops Diocesan College vs Rondebosch Boys High
18:45- DF Malan vs Stellenberg High
19:00- Brackenfell High vs Fish Hoek
19:30- Wynberg Boys High vs SACS
Saturday, 1 June 2024:
10:00- Langa Hockey Club vs Westerford High
