Tough one for unbeaten Boishaai
This has been a golden year for Boys’ High – who have played 17 matches and won the lot. An unbeaten season is a rarity in the tough world of South African schoolboy rugby, especially for a top school who face top opponents week in and week out. Boys’ High have this match against Oakdale and a home match against Drostdy to achieve that.
They will not have a full side out on Saturday but they will have great support as 23 teams plus parents and other supporters pour out onto the N2 for the 250-kilometre journey to Riversdale, beautiful Riversdale.
Oakdale have great admiration for this year’s Boys’ High side but are no slouches themselves. They will be going flat out. They have not suffered Paarl Boys’; High’s losses to national teams but they are without lock Adré Smith. They have homeground advantage, which is less of an advantage now that top schools play all over the place.
History is with Boys’ High who have won the last three encounters reasonably comfortably – 24-13, 38-10 and 22-7
The Season So Far
Paarl Boys’ High are ranked top of the FNB Top 20, Oakdale 10th. That means that Oakdale will be up for the challenge.
While Boys High have won 17 out of 17, Oakdale have lost three of their 12 matches – all to Top 20 sides – Paul Roos, Paarl =Gim and HTS Middelburg. They have beaten two Top 20 sides – Outeniqua and Potchefstroom Gim, Paarl have beaten eight Top 20 teams. The closest Paarl Boys’ High have come to defeat was against Bishops whom they beat 12-7, four penalties to a goal.
Results Against Common Opponents
Diamantveld: Oakdale won 26-13; Paarl Boys’ High won 22-12
Outeniqua: Oakdale won 24-17; Paarl Boys’ High won 23-17
Paarl Gim: Oakdale lost 31-28; Paarl Boys’ High won 16-10
Paul Roos: Oakdale lost 29-15; Paarl Boys’ High won 29-10
Achievers
Oakdale’s players are eligible for South Western Districts, Paarl Boys’ High’s players for Western Province.
South African Schools
Paarl Boys’ High: Manuel Rass, Ruben de Villiers, Salmaan Moerat
South African Schools A
Paarl Boys’ High: Tyreeq February, Khanya Ncusane
Craven Week
Paarl Boys’ High: Ruben de Villiers, Tyreeq February, Wikus Groenewald, Leo Kruger, Salmaan Moerat, Khanya Ncusane, Manuel Rass
Oakdale: Darren Adonis, Boeta Hamman, Eckhard Leicher, Renaldo Ferreira, Ewan Coetzee, Adré Smith, HP van Schoor, Bertie de Bod, Hermanus Botha, Chrisjan du Toit, Daine Kannemeyer
Academy Week
Paarl Boys’ High: Charl Serdyn, Bradley Thain
Oakdale: Xavier Swartbooi, Kurt Eybers, William Eybers, Zinedine Booysen, Helgard Meyer, Alexander Wallace.
Having so many players in the SA Schools sides is a two-edged sword – a great honour but they will not be playing in this match as the national sides will be in action in Cape Town.
The teams:
Oakdale Landbou: 15 Darren Adonis, 14 Alex Wallace, 13 Kurt Eybers, 12 William Eybers, 11 Nicolus van Eeden, 10 Christo Hamman, 9 Eckard Leicher, 8 Renaldo Ferreira, 7 Hanno Olivier, 6 Bertie de Bod, 5 Daniel Victor, 4 Ewan Coetzee, 3 Chrisjan du Toit, 2 HP van Schoor, 1 Hermanus Botha
Replacements: 16 Marko van der Merwe, 17 André Posthumus, 18 Jaco Smit, 19 Western Province van Heerden, 20 Zinedine Booysen, 21 Daine Kannemeyer, 22 Xavier Swartbooi
Paarl Boys’ High: 15 Jeanluc Cilliers, 14 Urgene Johannes, 13 Henri van Heerden, 12 Jan-Louis la Grange, 11 Hugo Slabbert, 10 Rayhaan Lombaard, 9 Bradley Thain, 8 Ruan van der Merwe, 7 Charl Serdyn, 6 Andreas van Wyk (captain), 5 Dean Schwartz, 4 David Meihuizen, 3 Leo Kruger, 2 MC de Jongh, 1 Wikus Groenewald
Replacements: The whole of the Paarl Boys’ High 2nd XV, who will have played a full match, can be used as replacements for injury.
Coaches: Sean Erasmus, Elmo Wolfaardt
Date: 15 August 2015
1st XV kick-off: 14.30
Venue: Eikeveld, Hoër Landbouskool Oakdale, Riversdale
Expected weather conditions: Rain, wind and cold weather have hit the Western Cape this week but good things are forecast for Riversdale on Saturday – sunshine with a high of 24°C, dropping to 9°C – a good day for rugby.
Rugby Programme
Eike
09.30: Under-15A
10.40: 3rd XV
12.00: 2nd XV
13.10: Under-16 A
14.30: 1st XV
Populierbos
09.30: Under-16C
10.40: Under-16B
12.00: Under-16E
13.10: Gerrit du Plessis vs Paarl Boys’ High Under-16D
Donkerbos
09.30: Under-14D
10.30: Under-14C
11.30: Under-14B
12.30: Under-14A
Ten Damme
09.30: Gerrit du Plessis vs Paarl Boys’ High Under-15E
10.40: Under-15D
12.00: Under-15C
13.10: Under-15B
De Boord
09.30: Albertinia vs Paarl Boys’ High 8th XV
10.40: Gerrit du Plessis vs Paarl Boys’ High 7th XV
12.00: 6th XV
13.10: 5th XV
De Tuine
09.30: 4th XV
10.40: Albertinia vs Paarl Boys’ High Under-14E
