Glenwood Climb Mountians
Kwa-Zulu Natal and the Free State are neighbours but the border between them changes everything – the Drakensberg, the highest mountain range in South Africa and at this time of the year this dragon mountain breathes cold into the Highveld air.
The climate changes as the nine buses go uphill all the way into the Free State but flattens out over the mountains and the road runs straight. The journeys start on Thursday.
Apart from the climatic difference, there is the language difference for down on the Kwa-Zulu Natal coast Afrikaans is seldom heard above an apologetic mutter.
Beyond the travel and the climatic and social differences, there is the rugby. For 20 Glenwood rugby teams, there is the challenge of playing against, year in and year out, one of the strongest rugby schools in the world.
It's easier for the other activities, for there is not just rugby. There is hockey, golf, tennis, table tennis, squash, mountain-biking and debating. The pressure to succeed is greater on the rugby players and by far the greatest on the 1st XV, when the best schools team in the Free State plays the best schools team in Kwa-Zulu Natal.
Both schools will be without their very best players because South African Schools play against Wales in Stellenbosch on Friday night. There are seven players involved, three from Grey and four from Glenwood.
Season so Far
They are both schools unafraid of opposition and they have both done remarkably well.
At present Grey is 10th on the Schools, Top 20, Glenwood 12th. That is a negligible difference amongst the hundreds of South African schools where enthusiastic rugby is played.
Glenwood has won nine of their 12 matches, Grey nine of their 11. But Grey has played six schools currently on the Schools Top 20 ranking, Glenwood three.
Results against Common Opponents
Paarl Boys' High: Grey lost 30-12; Glenwood lost 46-31
Maritzburg College: Grey won 30-3; Glenwood won 34-17
In their last match, Grey Bloem beat Grey Port Elizabeth a record 73-10. Glenwood did not play last week.
Achievers
Grey's players are eligible to play for Free State at the Craven Week and the Academy Week, Glenwood for Kwa-Zulu Natal in the Sharks domain.
There is also the opportunity to play for SA Schools.
Craven Week
Grey Bloem: David Kriel, Henk Cilliers, Janco van Heyningen, Rikus Pretorius, Wycliff Vlitoor, Christopher Schreuder, Ross Braude, Arno Nieuwoudt, Marcel Theunissen, De Wet Marais, Naudé Naudé, Ru-hann Greyling, Luke Janse van Vüren, Herman Agenbach, Lebo Molefe
Glenwood: Siyanda Cele, Morné van Rensburg, Conan le Fleur, Rynhardt Jonker, Dylan Pretorius, Dylan Kruger, JJ van der Mescht, Edward Laubscher, Jordan Clarke, Daniel Truter, Thabiso Mdletshe, Brendon Schwulst, Jaden Hendrikse
Academy Week
Grey: Hanno Rossouw, MJ Odendaal, Zander du Plessis, Wiaan Marais, 2 Schalk Vermaak, Jaap van Zyl, John-Henry Fincham, DC Odendaal, WJ de Jager
Glenwood: De Wet Truter, Rory Atwell, Joe Jonas, George Luzolo, Lunga Ncube, Jhacques Thyssen
SA Schools
Grey: Ruhann Greyling, Rikus Pretorius, Christopher Schreuder. Janco van Heyningen played in 2016.
Glenwood: JJ van der Mescht, Jordan Clarke, Jaden Hendrikse, Conan le Fleur
Teams
Of the Grey team which beat Grey Port Elizabeth so heavily, Rikus Pretorius, Janco van Heyningen, Christopher Schreuder, Jaap van Zyl and Ru-hann Greyling are not playing and Wiehan Marais has moved from loosehead to hooker.
Grey College: 15 David Kriel, 14 Pienaar van Niekerk, 13 Henk Cilliers, 12 JW de Jager, 11 Wycliff Vlitoor, 10 Zander du Plessis, 9 Ross Braude, 8 Arno Nieuwoudt, 7 Marcel Theunissen, 6 De Wet Marais, 5 Handré Roux, 4 Johan Wilkin, 3 Herman Agenbach, 2 Wiehan Marais, 1 Luke Janse van Vuuren
Glenwood: tba
Date: Saturday, 12 August 2017
1st XV kick-off: 14.00
Venue: Grey College, Bloemfontein.
Expected weather conditions: Sunny with a high of 25°C and a low of 6°C.
Rugby Programme, 12 August 2017
Main Field
08.30: 5th XV
09.45: 4th XV
11.00: 3rd XV
12.15: 2nd XV
14.00: 1st XV
Oval Field
08.30: 7th XV
09.45: 6th XV
11.00: Under-16A
GCB A
08.30: Under-16B
09.45: Under-16C
11.00: Under-15D
GCB B
08.30: Under-15B
09.45: Under-15C
11.00: Under-15A
Tom Mix A
08.30: Under-14B
09.45: Under-14C
11.00: Under-14A
Tom Mix B
08.30: Under-15E
09.45: Under-14E
11.00: Under-14D
