Classic Clash on the Orange
On Saturday Hangklip will go down from their cold mountain some 160 km to even colder Aliwal North on the Orange River for an FNB Classic Clash.
They are two similar schools – predominantly Afrikaans-speaking, similar in size, coed and going through from Grade 1 to Matric, serving in essence the farming community.
The match is not al old one even though the two schools are just 'on the other side of the mountain'. Hangklip play mainly in Border, Aliwal North in the Free State, but recently this Classic Clash has become an interschools.
In the last four encounters, each school has won twice – Hangklip in 2010 and 2013, Aliwal North in 2011 and 2012 in Aliwal North when the home side won 21-10.
This year there seems little between the two sides.
Hangklip have been having a poor season with a side that had been expected to do well. Of their 10 matches Hangklip have won three – against Westering, DF Malherbe and Winterberg.
Aliwal North have also won three times – against Hennenman, Knysna and Winterberg.
Common Opponents
The only opponents they have in common are Cradock and Winterberg – with similar results.
Cradock: Aliwal North lost 23-0; Hangklip lost 22-10
Winterberg: Aliwal North won 15-10; Hangklip won 28-21.
Representative Players
Hangklip's players are eligible for Border, Aliwal North's for Eastern Province Country's Districts. Both are strong provincial teams.
The only player to make one of them is the Aliwal North hooker Zenande Mpalisa.
Experienced Players
Both sides have a few players back from last year.
Aliwal North: O’Ryan Blom, Apiwe Dinga, Adrian Bornman who was a flyhalf last year, Janus de Villiers, Herman Coetzer and Zenande Mpalisa.
Hangklip: Tiaan Smuts, Darren Williams, Reuben Mattheüs and hooker Franco Voges who was on the bench last year.
Teams
Aliwal North: 15 O Blom, 14 A van Zyl, 13 A Dinga (captain), 12 A Bornman, 11 I de Bruyn, 10 D Jansen, 9 M Mdingi, 8 J Kruger, 7 H Zeelie, 6 J de Villiers, 5 R Basson, 4 A Geldenhuis, 3 S Xhegwana, 2 Z Mpalisa, 1 G Steenkamp
Hangklip: 15 D Williams, 14 L Peters, 13 Z Coetzee, 12 T Smuts, 11 B Fieldts, 10 J de Wet, 9 S Marais, 8 L Paul, 7 J van der Merwe, 6 G van der Watt, 5 P Myburgh, 4 M Nel, 3 R Mattheüs (captain), 2 F Voges, 1 J Barnes
Date: Saturday, 26 July 2014
1st XV kick-off: 14.00
Expected weather conditions: Partly cloudy with a high of 10°C dropping to -8°C (Queenstown is expected to be 12 °C , dropping to 4°C .)
Rugby Programme
A Field
08.30: Under-14A
09.30: Under-15A
10.30: Under-16A
11.30: Under-13A
12.20: 2nd XV
13.30: Presentation of the Teams
14.00: 1st XV
B Field
08.30: Under-7A
08.55: Under-9A
09.40: Under-11A
10.25: Under-13B
11.10: Under-11B
