Captain's profile: Jaco Koegelenberg

History is on his side as well as they aim to claim a hat trick of victories over their rivals but with a fairly inconsistent season behind them, this could prove to be more of a challenge than they initially thought.

"We were able to claim victory in the 2014 and 2015 editions of the Classic Clash and expect them to be a lot stronger this time around. We are expecting a hard, physical battle especially among the forwards.

"We have a very young team, with just six senior members. However, this has had no impact on the strength of our team. We have not had the best season thus far but we have managed to get onto an upward curve over the past few games.

"With a young squad, you are always going to learn something after every match and that is what we have been doing as we look to build an experienced team for the 2017 season. As captain this year, I feel that I need to help in that rebuilding phase no matter what happens on the field or what the result is.

"A good attitude to instill at this stage would be a 'never give up' one because there needs to be an immense amount of pride to wear the orange Upington jersey. Playing for the pride of the jersey automatically helps you to fight to the end because a game can be won in the last minute," Koegelenberg said.

The 18-year-old flank previously played in the Grant Khomo Week and that, combined with a dramatic victory over Diamantveld in his Under-16 playing days, stands out as two highlights of his short playing career.

Playing at that level and in that situation has helped him develop a calmness to his persona.

"I can easily calm a situation down and get the team to refocus on the game plan," he added.

That calmness and focus will come in handy when he goes to the University of the Free State to study a BAcc degree.