Cradock captain: Ruben Van Zyl
It's the biggest game of the year for Cradock and captain Ruben Van Zyl wants his players to enjoy every moment they can in the build-up to the encounter.
Under the guidance and coaching of Ritus Meiring, Cradock have had a great season managing to pick up nine wins from their 10 matches. Their only loss came against Volkskool which saw them going down by the narrowest of margins, 21-20.
The matriculant has been in the first XV setup since 2012 and believes it's a great honour to be entrusted with the captaincy which he views as a family tradition.
"Both my father and uncle were captains in their respective times, so it's nice to continue such a strong family tradition. It's a great honour because it shows me that the coach and team believe in me. I have a huge responsibility towards the team but I believe if you lead by example the rest will be easy," he said.
The 18-year-old pivot is grateful that he gets an opportunity to play alongside his twin brother, Waldo, as they both try to play each game as if it's their last.
"I play each game like it's my last and I always try to give 100%. As long as you believe in yourself you can achieve anything. I believe that only your best is good enough and by doing that, it will motivate the rest of the team to give their best," he added.
Van Zyl believes their opponents will approach the match with plenty of confidence as they (Gill College) managed to do what Cradock couldn't, beat Volkskool. Gill also holds the bragging rights having beaten Cradock in the past two matches.
"They will have the idea that they are better than us because they beat Volkskool. That will be to our advantage because we like to be the underdogs and prove them wrong," he stated.
Cradock will head into the game at full strength. 12 of the starting 15 players are currently in matric and have been playing together since last season. This is, in all probability, the best chance they have of claiming this year's bragging rights.
"This will be the biggest interschools for a long time to come and everybody from the school, the town and all the sponsors are behind us. We cannot disappoint them. There are plenty of things going on this week and I would like the players to enjoy every moment of it. The build-up is going to be massive with the sokkie and the BIG BRAG, so everyone needs to enjoy it because, for most of us, it will be the last," he said.
