Big boys meet in Paarl
This year Grey College of Bloemfontein, princes of South African rugby, have about them an air of invincibility. For this reason Paarl Boys' High, rugby nobility, are looking for to the challenge of playing them.
After all Boishaai have beaten great Grey in Paarl before – not often but it has happened. The last time was in 2012 when Boys' High won 28-18 in the wet, but that was only the sixth time in matches between the two schools which started in 1950. Grey usually win but it is not beyond possibility that Boishaai can do it. After all Paarl Gim lost by just one point – 15-14. And then Monument drew with Grey 10-10. A victory is not impossible.
Grey have played 14 matches this year, seven of them against teams ranked just behind them on the FNB Top 20. The latest was last Saturday's 34-16 win over Selborne of East London.
In South Africa Paarl Boy's High have played 10 matches. They played another five (in seven days) at the Sanix Youth Invitational Tournament in Japan when they lost the final – just – to Hamilton Boys' High of New Zealand. In South Africa Boishaai are unbeaten but they drew 19-19 with Noord-Kaap who are not having a happy year. The only Top 20 schools Boishaai have beaten are Outeniqua and Wynberg.
The only opponents the two sides have in common are Outeniqua.
Paarl Boys' High beat Outeniqua 18-13.
Grey College beat Outeniqua 25-7.
Grey have made changes to their backs because of injury. Lourens Steenkamp moves to fullback in the place of Henry Immelman who is having a miserable year because of injuries and Niell Stannard comes into outside centre in the place of Julian Jordaan. That means two new wings – Charl Pretorius and Glen Erickson.
Paarl Boys’ High have only two back from last year's match – centre Curtley Grain and prop Derrick Marais.
Grey also have two back – flyhalf Wayne Wessels and lock De Wet Bezuidenhout. Grey have gained greatly from the strong 2013 Cherries team.
When Boishaai beat Grey in 2012 Paarl was wet. It seems that it will be wet again on Saturday as showers are forecast. But it may be damp, not wet.
Of course, we have spoken just about the 1st XVs. In all there will be 27 rugby matches, 11 hockey matches, debating, tabletennis, tennis, Golf at the Paarl Golf Club, mountainbiking, chess, cross country, squash and a choir evening with Paarl Boys' High and Girls' High, Paarl Gim and Grey College.
Bloemfontein will surely be empty on Saturday!
Teams
Paarl Boys' High: 15. Ryan Lafite, 14. Tristan Solomons, 13. Curtley Grain, 12. Heinrich Moller, 11. Wian Gouws, 10. Rehaan Lombaard, 9. Bradley Thain, 8. Phillip Coetzee, 7. Andreas van Wyk, 6. Phillip Bester, 5. Ruben de Villiers, 4. Wian Botha (captain), 3. Derrick Marais, 2. Carel van Zyl, 1. Quintin Vorster
Replacements: 16. Thomas Corbett, 17. Wicus Groenewald, 18. Dean Swartz, 19. Darren September, 20. Christo Sadie, 21. Stefan Gouws, 22. Tyreeq Cassim, 23. Jan Louis le Grange, 24. Leo Kruger
Coaches: Sean Erasmus, Elmo Wolfaardt
Grey College: 15. Lourens Steenkamp, 14. Charl Pretorius, 13. Niel Stannard, 12. Mike Andrade, 11. Glen Erickson, 10. Wayne Wessels, 9. Dian Badenhorst, 8. Alex Jonker, 7. Henry Slabbert, 6. De Wet Bezuidenhoudt, 5. Kassel Rothman, 4. Jurie Burger, 3. Janu Botha, 2. JC Janse van Vuuren, 1. Ruben Terblanché
Replacements: 16. Callie Janse van Vuuren and others
Coaches: Wessel du Plessis, Tewis du Bruyn, Henry Theron
Date: 24 May 2014
Kick-off: 14.15
Venue: Paarl Boys' High's Brug Street Ground in Paarl.
Expected weather conditions: Partly cloudy with the possibility of showers, a high of 22°C, dropping to 13°C
Referee: Stefan du Toit (Western Province Referees' Society)
Programme for Saturday, 24 May
A Field
0745: Under-14A
08.45: Under-15A
09.45: Under-16A
11.00: 3rd XV
12.55: 2nd XV
14.15: 1st XV
B Field
0745: 5th XV
08.45: 4th XV
09.45: 6th XV
11.00: 7th XV
12.55: 8th XV
C Field
0745: Under-16B
08.45: Under-16D
09.45: Under-16F
11.00: Under-16G
12.55: Under-16H
D Field
08.00: Under-15D
09.00: Under-15C
10.00: Under-15F
11.00: Under-15B
12.55: Under-15E
E Field
08.00: Under-14E
09.00: Under-14D
10.00: Under-14C
11.00: Under-14B
12.55: Under-14F
PSS
08.30: 9th XV
Results Down the Year
1950: Grey won 10-6
1953: Grey won 12-9
1954: Grey won 6-3
1954: Grey won 8-3
1956: Grey won 13-3
1957: Paarl Boys' High won 9-3
1960: Grey won 14-0
1960: Grey won 11-3
1973: Grey won 24-0
1974: Grey won 21-7
1977: Grey won 29-13
1978: Grey won 29-13
1979: Paarl Boys' High won 16-13
1980: Grey won 13-4
1983: Paarl Boys' High won 14-0
1984: Grey won 19-14
1984: Grey won 32-12
1987: Grey won 31-14
1989: Grey won 23-6
1993: drew 0-0
1995: Grey won 18-6
1996: Paarl Boys' High won 16-9
1997: Grey won 20-16
1998: Grey won 20-6
1999: Grey won 34-16
2000: Paarl Boys' High won 17-10
2001: Grey won 38-15
2002: Grey won 23-6
2003: Grey won 27-16
2004: Grey won 38-3
2005: Grey won 38-13
2006: Grey won 20-5
2007: Grey won 48-24
2008: Grey won 34-24
2009: Grey won 50-8
2010: Grey won 32-12
2011: drew 15-15
2012: Paarl Boys' High won 28-18
2013: Grey won 35-28
