Jeppe out to rediscover form in high-stakes derby against KES

EXCLUSIVE: Jeppe’s head coach, Drickus Venter, believes this weekend’s high-stakes derby against King Edward VII (KES) could help his side find form after a disappointing run at the Easter Festivals.

A sea of black and white, as well as shades of red, is expected when the two sides renew their fierce rivalry at Jeppe’s Collard Field on Saturday.

It’s set to be the 101st meeting between the Johannesburg duo, making it one of the oldest schoolboy derbies in South Africa, dating back to 1935.

Last year, Jeppe triumphed twice, beating KES 35-28 in the season opener before edging the Reds 39-31 in August.

“These are two of the oldest schools in Johannesburg, so it’s very special when they play each other, and it’s a privilege to be part of it,” Venter told Rugby365.

“I think it’s the third or fourth biggest derby in South Africa, and it gets scary when Joburg turns black and white or red.

“Every year, there’s an average of 10 to 15 thousand people coming to the game. That says it all because we don’t see those numbers even in the URC, the Currie Cup or big provincial games.”

Jeppe will head into the clash with a point to prove despite enjoying recent success over their rivals.

After suffering three defeats in their last four outings, Venter’s troops will be eager to respond in front of their home supporters.

At the North-South tournament last month, Jeppe suffered a (37-10) loss to Paarl Boys High before bouncing back to beat Diamantveld (34-21).

Less than a week later, they featured at the Pretoria Boys High 125th Festival and came second best against Maritzburg College (38-12) and Michaelhouse (40-36) respectively.

“The reality is that we weren’t good enough at North-South against Paarl Boys’ High, but I thought we showed good character to bounce back against Diamantveld,” Venter added.

“There wasn’t much recovery time into the Easter Festival, we had two tough games and just couldn’t get going.

“The energy levels were pretty low and dim, and if you don’t win, that makes the body even hurt a little more.

“We got a chance to blood in some young players and gave them a taste of first-team level, I think that’s one of the positives we’ve taken away from those losses.”

While Jeppe aims to bounce back, KES will be brimming with confidence ahead of the clash.

The Reds, led by coach Njabulo Zulu won both their fixtures at the KES Easter Festival against the Easter Cape duo of St Andrew’s College (45-12) and Queen’s College (33-13).

They looked to have found their stride against Queen’s, and their backline looked deadly with the ball in hand.

Venter expects nothing short of a test and has challenged his boys to step up on the big stage.

“To be honest, I feel like we’re still stuck in third gear and haven’t kicked on yet. Ideally, we want to hit our straps this weekend and build some form.

“We expect KES to come guns blazing and give it their all. For the Jeppe side, I would like us to be more composed and clinical in attack. We also need to bring a level of brutality to our defence.

“This will be a tactical battle, and it will come down to which team handles the pressure better and uses it’s opportunities.

“Yes, it’s a tight turnaround, but our boys need to step up. We’ve got our backs against the wall, but there’s nothing more dangerous than a Jeppe boy under pressure.”

The clash between the two sides kicks off at 14.00 SA time (12.00 GMT)

Last five meetings between Jeppe and KES:

2023: Jeppe 41-31 KES
2024: KES 38-28 Jeppe
Jeppe 23-13 KES
2025: Jeppe 35-28 KES
Jeppe 39-31 KES

Photo credit: Charmaine Botes Visser