One vs Two in Paarl

Yoh! This is a big one – No.1 against No.2, Paarl Boys' High vs Paul Roos on Boys' High's ground in Paarl this Saturday, Paul Roos celebrating its 150th birthday, the last Saturday of the term in the Western Cape.

It is a huge match between an unbeaten team, Boys' High, and a team which has lost just one, Paul Roos. It is between two long rivals, a school founded in Stellenbosch in 1866 and one founded in Paarl in 1868, both schools who have contributed greatly to a wide community in several aspects of life, including rugby football with many Old Boy internationals, including Boy Louw and Jannie Engelbrecht.

This interschool rivalry will express itself in real terms on Saturday in 24 rugby matches apart from other activities, and the climax of those matches will kick off at 14.00, broadcast live to the nation and several times afterwards as part of the Premier Interschools programme.

It is a grand schoolboy rugby occasion and a great crowd will descend on Boys' High's Brug Street ground. All the signs are that it will be a close encounter.

Season So Far

Paarl Boys' High are the top-ranked side on the FNB Top 20. Paul Roos were at No.1 but dropped to No.2  when Paarl Gim inflicted the only defeat in their 16 matches.

In those 16 matches are six at the Sanix World Youth Championship which Paul Roos won.

Boys' High have played 14 matches and won them all. Opponents include eight teams that have been on the FNB Top 20. Paul Roos have played seven Top 20 teams. Boys' High's most notable victory was 21-19 over Grey Bloem in Bloemfontein.

Results against Common Opponents

Monument: Boys' High won 25-20; Paul Roos won 17-13

Rondebosch: Boys' High won 34-10; Paul Roos won 32-7

Wynberg: Boys' High won 62-14; Paul Roos won 47-22

All of that suggests that this match will be close.

Results this Century

2001: Paarl Boys' High won 14-9

2002: Draw 18-18

2003: Paul Roos won 12-9

2004: P{aul Roos won 22-7

2005: Paarl Boys' High won 16-11

2006: Paul Roos won 10-6

2007: Paarl Boys' High won 26-8

2008: Paul Roos won 42-29

2009: Paarl Boys' High won 16-11

2010: Paul Roos won 31-17

2011: Paarl Boys' High won 20-18

2012: Paarl Boys' High won 22-17

2013: Paarl Boys' High won 20-19

2014: Paul Roos won 17-13

Achievers

Both schools' players are eligible for Western Province at Craven Week and the Academy Week.

If this were taking as a decisive yardstick, Boys' High would win this match.

Craven Week

Boys' High: Ruben de Villiers, Salmaan Moerat, Tyreeq February, Wikus Groenewald, Leo Kruger, Khanya Ncusane, Manual Rass

Paul Roos: Joshua Vermeulen, Damian Willemse, Nico Leonard

Academy Week

Boys' High: Charl Serdyn, Bradley Thain

Paul Roos: Lazlo Pcorn, Muammir Salie, Joa Swart

Teams

Paul Roos's use of the 'squad system' has been a bone of contention in the Western Province with some schools refusing to play Paul Roos if they use eight replacements who have not had a game before.

Paarl Boys' High will have the whole of their 2nd XV, who have played, as replacements in the case of injury.

Paarl Boys' High: 15 Jeanluc Cilliers, 14 Tyreeq February, 13 Manuel Rass, 12 Jan-Louis la Grange, 11 Urgene Johannes, 10 Rayhaan Lombaard, 9 Bradley Thain, 8 Khanya Ncusane, 7 JC van Schalkwyk, 6 Andreas van Wyk (captain), 5 Salmaan Moerat, 4 Ruben de Villiers, 3 Leo Kruger, 2 MC de Jongh, 1 Wikus Groenewald

Coaches: Sean Erasmus, Elmo Wolfaardt

Paul Roos: 15 Joshua Vermeulen, 14 Nico Leonard, 13 Troy Payne, 12 Kristoff Baard, 11 Jason Myburgh, 10 Damian Willemse, 9 Joss van Eeden, 8 De Wet Castelyn, 7 Dean van Tonder, 6 Malan Basson , 5 Joa Swart (k), 4 Lazlo Pschorn, 3 Drè Calitz, 2 Robert Matthee, 1 Muammir Salie

Replacements: 16 Christiaan van Deventer, 17 Abrie Coetzee, 18 Stephan Annandale, 19 Louis Conradie, 20 Roelf Burger, 21 Tiaan Coetzee, 22 Hein Steenkamp, 23 Sebastian Uys

Coaches: Hein Kriek, Lucas Roothman

Date: 20 June 2015

1st XV kick-off: 14.00

Live TV broadcast: Supersport Select (channel 210)

Venue: Brug Street, Paarl

Expected weather condition: Great weather for rugby – a sunny day with a high of  22.5 °C

Rugby Programme

A Field                                  

09.00: Under-15A                                                                                                 

10.00: Under-16 A                                          

11.10: 3rd XV                                           

12.20: 2nd XV                                           

13.30: Drumline                                                                                                  

14.00: 1st XV                                                                                        

B Field  

08.00: Under-14A                                                     

09.00: 4th XV                                         

10.10: 5th XV                                           

11.20: 6th XV                                        

12.30: 7th XV  

C Field                                                                                  

08.00: 8th XV                                                                                   

09.10: 9th XV

10.20: Under-16D

11.30: Under-16C

12.40: Under-16B                                                                              

D Field

08.20: Under-14E                                                           

09.20: Under-14D

10.20: Under-14C

11.20: Under-14B

12.20: Under-16E                                                

E Field

08.00: Under-15B   

09.00: Under-15C

10.00: Under-15D

11.00: Under-15E