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Hanno Vermaak - captains Grey in crucial FNB Classic

Captain's profile

We profile Hanno Vermaak who is again Grey High's replacement captain, this time in an FNB Classic Clash which has a lot extra to it.

Grey's usual captain this year, hooker Simon Westraadt, is away playing for the SA Academy side against the SA Schools side at Ellis Park, in a curtainraiser to the Tri-Nations match between South Africa and New Zealand.

It is not the first time that Hanno has stood in for Simon. He did so at the SACS 175th Rugby Festival in July, when Simon was away at Craven Week. Then Grey were without seven players who were away at either Craven Week or the Academy Week. This time they are missing three players.

At the SACS Festival Hanno Vermaak was a star. He led the side brilliantly so that they were clearly the best team there and he was an outstanding player – strong, committed – an eighthman in the Tiaan Strauss mould.

Hanno likes captaincy. He says: "I thinks I played my best rugby this whole year when I was at the SACS Festival, and then I was the captain."

This match is a huge lone for Grey. "It's my last game for Grey and we haven't lost a game this year yet.

"Grey have not had an unbeaten first team since 1976. This is something great to strive for, We want to finish on a high note."

In the first match between the two schools it took a score at the death and a conversion for Grey to beat Selborne 18-16. Selborne have not had the best of season and have wobbled badly lately, but Hanno is not fooled.

"They are such a talented team that it's scary. They have nothing to lose and it's also their last game.

"It will be a hard, good game."

When they played the first match it was at Grey and Grey had their full side while Selborne's star and captain, Stuart Vickers, was forced to withdrew at the eleventh hour. This time the match is in East London, Stuart is back and Grey are without three stars.

"We have great depth," Hanno said. "It's been like that all year. We have injuries but others come in and we always play at the same level.

"The main thing this year is that we have not had stars – just a good team. The year has been a good team performance."

Grey have great depth.

In this first match it was the Grey Reunion with lots of Old Boys around, and Hanno believes the team felt the pressure. This time the pressure is different = a precious record.

Johannes Nicolaas Vermaak was born in Louis Trichardt on 25 October 1986. He started school there and then went to school in Pietersburg, playing for Far North at the Under-13 Craven Week.

In Std 6 (Grade 8) the family moved to Port Elizabeth and Hanno went to Grey. In Std 9 the family went to Johannesburg and he moved into the boarding house at Grey, which has delighted him.

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