K-Day in Grahamstown
In the city of spires, schools and churches, there takes place on Saturday one of the most passionate interschools clashes in South Africa – Neighbour vs Neighbour, Anglican vs Methodist.
It is an interschools match dating back to 1898, four years after the foundation of Kingswood. The K-Day tag is only very recent and an invention by St Andrew's.
The two schools are in walking distance from each other. St Andrew's is bigger and usually wins the 1st XV match. In fact when Kingswood won in 2011 – 23-22 – they broke a 17-year drought.
If you were betting in 2014 you would expect St Andrew's who generally spread their wings wider and play at a higher level, to win.St Andrew's have played 13 matches, winning nine and losing four. Their last victory was a huge one – 47-7 over Queen's. Four of their defeats were against teams on the FNB Top 20 – Selborne, Grey PE, Bishops and Maritzburg College.
Kingswood have played against just one Top 20 side – Bishops, who beat them., Of their nine matches they won five, Beating Penryn College, Hudson Park by a point, struggling Port Rex and Khyano Club.
Representative Players
St Andrew's are not available for selection for the Eastern Province teams this year but there are Kingswoodians who have been selected.
Selected to go to Craven Week are Davron Cameron, Cameron Hertz (Kingswood), and Josh Shelley. Fanie van der Westhuizen will captain the Academy Week team. Kingswood also have five players in the Grant Khomo Week team who will not be playing for Kingswood 1st XV but for the powerful Kingswood Under-16 side.
St Andrew's do have a player who has been to Craven Week. Their captain and centre Robert Ball was at the 2013 Craven Week.
K-Day is not just a day. It starts on Wednesday and runs through to the 1st XV match. Kingswood is co-ed and St Andrew's nearly so with its close ties with DSG. As a result there are many activities. Both schools run through from start to finish and so the games start at the very bottom.
Teams
Kingswood: 15 Mike Braans, 14 Ezra Mager, 13 Mark Webber, 12 Cameron Hertz, 11 John Amadi, 10 Josh Shelley, 9 Davron Cameron, 8 Devon Barnard, 7 Jeff Theron, 6 Ryan Victor, 5 Fanie van der Westhuizen, 4 Marco Gambale, 3 Mike van Breda, 2 JP Jamieson, 1 Fred Burchell
St Andrew's: 15 Brendan Owen, 14 Grant Dixie, 13 Thomas Lane, 12 Robert Ball, 11 Courtney Archer, 10 Hugo De La Fargu, 9 Camran Macfarlane, 8 Matt Andrews, 7 Ryan Neill, 6 Peter Kroon, 5 Jono More, 4 Hamish Hughes, 3 Adrian Parsons, 2 Brian Ferguson, 1 Stephen Cragg
Date: 14 June 2014
1st XV kick-off: 15.30
Venue: City Lords at Kingswood College
Expected weather conditions: Clear with a high of 24°C, becoming partly cloudy with a low of 10°C
