KES face Goldstones trial
Given home ground advantage of Goldstones and current form, Maritzburg College must surely be the favorite to take the honours against KES come Saturday.
History will show that in the last four years KES was victorious three times and twice on Goldstones in 2009 and 2011. That is a rare feat indeed for College’s home ground is a difficult place for any away team to win.
The cold facts however shows that KES has had a difficult 2013 and have to date only won two out of their eight games with the last six all ending as a lost for the pride of Johannesburg.
Maritzburg College has had an up and down season so far, played 10, won five , lost three and two draws, their one good win coming against Grey PE.
So, while both schools are not enjoying the best of seasons, it should still be a cracker of a game between two very proud rugby powerhouses with perhaps a slight advantage to the home team.
KES will do well to keep College's pacy wingers Lindo Ncgobo and Banele Ngwenya in check. Both are in the KZN CW trials and they can create something from nothing.
The irony is that the KES captain and stalwart is also a wing in Godfrey Ramaboea and he will thus have extra pressure on him knowing he opposes one of College's key players. With the two packs on an even par, the game might just be decided out wide.
Teams:
Maritzburg College: 15 Kelvin Elder, 14 Lindo Ngcobo, 13 Marcell Coetzee, 12 Simon Culverwell, 11 Banele Ngwenya, 10 Jordan Koekemoer, 9 Lucas Booysen, 8 Darren Goodsen, 7 Renard Le Roux, 6 Hayden Tharratt, 5 Seko Buthelezi, 4 Jacques Conradie, 3 Njubulo Gumede, 2 Masikani Mazwi, 1 Tiaan Steyn.
Replacements: 16 Vuyo Khatide, 17 Siphe Sithole, 18 Wiaan Jacobs, 19 Gavin Geach, 20 Jason Alexander, 21 Byron Watson, 22 Brandon Holder.
KES: 15 K Makhesha, 14 G Ramaboea (captain), 13 B Naude, 12 C Hansell, 11 K Maphate, 10 B Meyer, 9 T Lucas, 8 S De Robillard, 7 K Melville, 6 B O'Donoghue, 5 D Pieterse, 4 B Leitch, 3 C Lourens, 2 N Du Plessis, 1 A Williams.
