Captain's profile: Tertius Groenewald
Grey suffered a shock 18-22 defeat on their home ground in the 2015 edition of the rivalry and would want to regain the dominance they had before that result, where they enjoyed three consecutive victories from 2012 to 2014.
"We are out to prove ourselves this year because they beat us at home in 2015. The fact that we suffered that defeat just makes us hungrier to succeed," Groenewald stated.
The No.8 is no stranger to high-pressure matches, having represented Eastern Province for a number of years, most notably the 2016 Craven Week at Kearsney.
"It was definitely a good experience playing in the Craven Week, although I never received as much game time as I would have liked. However, performance wise, I was not at my best and things could have gone better for me," he said.
Being handed the captaincy came as a surprise to the 18-year-old. An injury to their regular captain meant he had to take over the reins, something he has embraced.
"I was very surprised because it [being handed the captaincy] was something I never expected, especially seeing that it is my first year in the team. There was a lot of nerves in the beginning but things got easier as the season progressed because I had the backing of the team.
"Personally, I believe that the team needs a leader who motivates them in the correct manner. Leading by example is something I am big on and it comes down to putting in the effort that you would like your teammates to adopt. There is no point in you slacking but then demand they give it their all," he added.
Grey High has a massive brotherhood ethos that the team lives by and it is that comradery that has kept the team fighting throughout the season – something we are sure to see in their Classic Clash.
"There is a great vibe between each member of the team and that is because we know the entire school is behind us. We head into the game with a number of regular first XV players missing, some due to injury and we also have four players away on SA Schools duty.
"But that does not make us weaker, simply because the players who have filled the gaps know the system and are really good players in their own rights. We have made it clear that our season's success is entirely dependent on the outcome of the Classic Clash," Groenewald said.
Selborne is expected to bring a highly physical feel to the match but Groenewald and his charges will front up to the challenge as numerous players are playing in their final Classic Clash.
The loose forward is one of those players and looks forward to heading to the Stellenbosch University where he will be studying either a BCom Management or a BCom Law degree. That does not mean he will step away from the game he loves though and has set himself a target of making Maties' Varsity Cup side by the team he has reached his third year.
