Gimmies gear up for Grey College backlash

PREVIEW: Paarl Gim could hand Grey College their third defeat of the season on Saturday, while Garsfontein and Durbanville will be eyeing big upsets.

The traditional powerhouses have been put on notice in recent weeks, after Stellenberg, Michaelhouse, and several others claimed a series of unexpected results.

Upsets have become commonplace in South African schoolboy rugby, and the big question ahead of the next round of fixtures is: “Who’s next?”

Garsfontein have already beaten Paarl Boys this season, and will fancy their chances against Affies.

Durbanville – another rising power in Cape Town’s northern suburbs – may well topple Oakdale.

A win for Dale College against rivals Queens would amount to an upset, given Queens’ dominance of this Eastern Cape derby in recent times.

DHS will head into the big Durban derby as favourites, but with Northwood playing at home, there is every chance of the underdogs having the decisive say.

Rugby365 looks ahead to some of the biggest match-ups of the weekend.

PAARL GIM V GREY COLLEGE

At the start of the season, many would have marked this fixture as a potential watershed.

Gimmies and Grey College were expected to go into this game unbeaten. The winning side was expected to extend its winning streak and to continue its push for top spot in the rankings.

As it’s happened, Gimmies as well as Grey College have lost to Stellenberg, while the Bloemfontein outfit has suffered a further defeat to St Joseph’s Nudgee College from Australia.

So much for preseason predictions.

Unless there is a draw at the JA Kriel field this Saturday, one of these teams is going to add another defeat to an increasingly disappointing 2026 record.

Gimmies have bounced back since losing to Stellenberg, scoring 40 or more points in each of their wins against Durbanville, Noordheuwel, Menlopark, and Affies.

Indeed, the recent 51-24 victory against the Wit Bulle in Pretoria could be viewed as a statement.

Saturday’s fixture marks their first competitive home match in 2026, and they will be determined to lay down a marker.

With all that in mind, will we see Grey suffering their third loss of the season?

Who would’ve thought we’d be asking this question in 2026, and as early as two months into the schedule?

Grey haven’t become a bad side overnight, and it speaks volumes for their standards that the 2025 season was viewed as a disappointment, given that they lost two matches.

They rarely lose two games in a season – and you’d have to go all the way back to 2015 for the last time they lost three or more.

Fast forward to the present. After losing to Stellenberg and Nudgee College, Grey face the very real prospect of a third defeat.

They’ve had a couple of weeks to reflect on their recent showings, and it would be fair to expect an almighty response at Paarl Gim this Saturday.

Wet weather is forecast for this weekend, and that may also serve as a leveller.

GARSFONTEIN V AFFIES

As the leading team in Gauteng and the greater Noordvaal region, Affies has been widely acknowledged as the Kings in the North.

Meanwhile, Garsfontein is the team to beat in the Noordvaal Cup, having won three consecutive tournaments between 2023 and 2025.

Until recently, that was the status quo. Affies proved they were a cut above their Pretoria neighbours when they won the recent derbies 41-25 and 33-31.

But in 2026, Affies have struggled for form, while Garsies have claimed a couple of notable victories.

The Wit Bulle will be desperate to prove a point this weekend, after losing to Paul Roos, Michaelhouse and Gimmies earlier this season.

But if Garsfontein win the coming derby – just a few weeks after beating Paarl Boys – they may well go on to finish the season as the new Kings in the North.

DURBANVILLE V OAKDALE

Oakdale’s overall 2026 record of two wins, two losses, and a draw leaves a lot to be desired.

While they proved too strong for Upington and Noordheuwel, they sustained losses to other top dogs like Grey College (in Riversdale) and Affies (at the North-South tournament in Pretoria).

After claiming a morale-boosting 13-13 draw against Boishaai in Paarl last week, they may fancy their chances against Durbanville this Saturday.

Durbanville, like Stellenberg, has taken giant strides in recent seasons and has managed to beat some of the bigger schools.

They kicked off their 2026 season with a 24-13 win against Boland Landbou, and also managed to beat Rustenburg and SACS.

They were well beaten by Gimmies in Paarl (12-45) but were more competitive in the 13-24 loss to Affies.

Oakdale thumped Durbanville 43-7 last year – but it should be noted that that fixture was staged in Riversdale, and relatively few visitors have managed to win on “The Farm in recent seasons.

Saturday’s game will be staged at Durbanville and marks Oakdale’s first away game of the season, discounting festival fixtures. The record suggests that they haven’t been as dominant in opposition territory.

Oakdale’s big pack has troubled some of the better teams already this season. If that juggernaut is allowed to settle on Saturday, the visitors will win comfortably.

But if Durbanville manages to disrupt Oakdale’s forwards, they may well secure an upset.

SELECTED FIXTURES APRIL 18
NOORDVAAL
Jeppe v Westville
Garsfontein v Affies
KES v Noordheuwel
Helpmekaar v Middelburg
CENTRAL
Diamantveld v Upington
Goudveld v Trio
Bethlehem Voortrekker v Welkom Gim
KWAZULU-NATAL
Northwood v DHS
Maritzburg College v Pretoria Boys
EASTERN CAPE
Grey High v Paul Roos
Pearson v Outeniqua
Queens v Dale
Selborne v Graeme
Marlow v Hudson Park
Framesby v Nico Malan
WESTERN CAPE
Bishops v SACS
Boland Landbou v Rondebosch
Paarl Boys v Wynberg
Paarl Gim v Grey College
Durbanville v Oakdale
Stellenberg v Melkbosstrand

Photo by Irma Ferreira SPORT & EVENT photography