Bishops and St Andrew's again

There is a special feeling about a contest between close friends. After all these are both Anglican foundations in the middle of the 19th century, the same sort of people – parents, boys and staff – in every way with the same sort of lifestyles.

There was a great distance between Cape Town and Grahamstown in the old days but it's not nearly so far now. After all air travel is much easier than going by steam-driven Cape Government Railways. 

Bishops won that first match when Biddy Anderson scored the try that produced a 5-0 victory.

It's a far cry from last year's extravaganza on Lower Field at St Andrew's when Bishops score in the last minute to win 35-33.

Bishops have three players back from the team that played in the 2015 thriller – Lubelo Scott, who was a wing last year, flyhalf James Macdonald and strong prop J-P Smith who is in his third season in the 1st XV.

St Andrew's have four back from last year's last-minute defeat – fullback Ross Ferguson, centre Angus Cook, flank Kelvin Boateng-Aidoo and hooker Sanzi Sandi who was a prop last year.

This season, St Andrew's beat Nico Malan on the Graeme Rugby Day while Bishops were beaten by Boland Landbou in the short match at Schools Day at Newlands.

There will be five matches on the Piley Rees Field on Saturday, starting at 08.00. Four of the matches will be between the Diocesan College and St Andrew's College.

1st Teams

Bishops: 15 Brandon van der Westhuizen, 14 Tristan Hermans, 13 Lubelo Scott, 12 Rob Mored, 11 Seb Prentice, 10 James Macdonald, 9 Henry Makin, 8 Jean Pienaar (captain), 7 Christoian Stehlik, 6 Marcus Knight, 5 Luke Viljoen, 4 Alisdair Jewson, 3 Zico Oaker, Jason Hofmeyr, J-P Smith.

St Andrew's: 15 Ross Ferguson, 14 Tim Bloem, 13 Angus Cook, 12 Matt More, 11 Timothy Bloem, 10 Thomas Stevens, 9 Rourke Broad, 8 Dougals Ramsden, 7 Daniel Tiffin, 6 Kelvin Boateng-Aidoo, 5 Jason Brown, 4 Tristan Cooke, 2 Sanzi Sandi (captain), 2 James Wilson, 1 Henry Turner.

Date: Saturday, 19 March 2016, St Jospeh's feast

1st XV Kick-off: 15.00

Venue: Pile Rees Field at Bishops

Referee: Kwesi Mqumbothi (Western Province Referees' Society)

Results Down the Years

1896: Bishops won 5-0

1898: Bishops won 9-0

1903: Bishops won 5-0

1921: St Andrew's won 15-0

1922: Bishops won 18-3

1923: Bishops won 3-0

1924: Draw 8-8

1925: Bishops won 3-0

1926: St Andrew's won 28-0

1927: Draw 3-3

1928: Bishops won 11-3

1929: Bishops won 20-9

1930: Bishops won 23-6

1931: Bishops won 16-0

1932: Bishops won 13-12

1933: St Andrew's won 9-8

1934: St Andrew's won 21-3

1935: St Andrew's won 6-5

1936: Bishops won 24-0

1937: Bishops won 8-6

1938: Draw 3-3

1939: St Andrew's won 16-0

1940-45: World War II

1946:: Draw 11-11

1947: Bishops won 8-6

1948: Bishops won 9-3

1949: Bishops won 6-3

1950: Bishops won 14-0

1951: St Andrew's won 5-3

1952: Bishops won 3-0

1953: St Andrew's won 28-0

1954: Bishops won 14-3

1955: Bishops won 8-3

1956: Draw 3-3

1957: St Andrew's won 9-6

1958: Bishops won 6-3

1959: St Andrew's won 16-3

1960: St Andrew's won 25-0

1961: Bishops won 11-5

1962: Bishops won 8-3

1963: St Andrew's won 11-3

1964: Bishops won 19-12

1965: Bishops won 3-0

1966: St Andrew's won 12-8

1967: St Andrew's won 6-0

1968: Bishops won 11-9

1969: St Andrew's won 17-3

1970: St Andrew's won 8-6

1971: St Andrew's won 6-3

1972: Bishops won 10-3

1973: Bishops won 12-11

1974: Bishops won 12-0

1975: St Andrew's won 15-0

1976: Bishops won 19-9

1977: Bishops won 41-3

1978: St Andrew's won 9-4

1979: Bishops won 49-3

1980: Bishops won 9-3

1981: Bishops won 18-6

1982: Bishops won 25-12

1983: Bishops won 23-12

1984: Bishops won 13-12

1985: No match

1986: Bishops won 30-3

1987: Bishops won 11-3

1988: Bishops won 50-6

1989: Bishops won19-9 

1990: St Andrew's won 15-4

1991: Bishops won 19-16

1992: Bishops won 41-17

1993: Bishops won 21-18

1994: Bishops won 30-21

1995: No match

1996: Bishops won 18-12

1997: St Andrew's won 47-17

1998: St Andrew's won 20-19

1999: Bishops won 27-20

2000: St Andrew's won 18-17

2001: St Andrew's won 19-15

2002: Bishops won 27-8

2003: Draw 12-12

2004: St Andrew's won 10-8

2005: St Andrew's won 28-10

2006: Bishops won 41-6

2007: No match

2008: Bishops won 64-18

2009: Bishops won 17-12

2010: Bishops won 25-24

2011: Bishops won 26-22

2012: St Andrew's won 19-16

2013: St Andrew's won 28-21

2014: Bishops won 39-15

2015: Bishops won 35-33

Played: 89

Bishops won 57

Drawn: 6

St Andrew's won 26