Paul Roos to strengthen claim for top spot
PREVIEW: Paul Roos will be favourites when they tackle Grey High this Saturday, while Wynberg and Jeppe should fancy their chances against local rivals.
Grey College made a statement last week when they travelled down to Paarl Gym and claimed a narrow win against one of the form teams in the country.
Whether they earned the right to be called the best schoolboy team is still up for debate.
Grey College should add to their winning tally when they visit Selborne College this weekend.
There is another big team from Stellenbosch, however, that is yet to lose a match in 2024, and is gunning for that top spot.
@Rugby365com looks ahead to some of the biggest clashes of the weekend.
GREY HIGH V PAUL ROOS
Grey High has produced a mixed bag of results this season. While they’ve claimed wins against SACS, Hudson Park and Muir College, and most recently held a strong Wynberg side to a 10-all draw, they have lost to Hilton and Dale College.
Can they stop a rampant Paul Roos outfit, that has won every match to date?
Grey High last won this fixture back in 2017, and will have the benefit of hosting Paul Roos at the Kolisi Field on Saturday.
Their most recent performance against Wynberg should give them confidence, but they will have to lift their standards to live with one of the strongest teams in the country.
Paul Roos’ five-game winning streak includes significant victories against Affies in Pretoria, a much-improved Waterkloof, and Boishaai in Paarl.
Only a couple of weeks ago, Boishaai were touted as on of the country’s form teams. Paul Roos beat them by 15 points last week.
Corné Uys’s side has a few more boxes to tick before it can claim to be the best team in South Africa.
Wins against the likes of Paarl Gym and Boland Landbou in the coming months should mark them as the leading side in the Western Cape. Victory against Grey College on the final weekend of the schools season may elevate them to the top of the unofficial rankings.
A loss to Grey High at this stage, however, would certainly compromise that quest.
BISHOPS V WYNBERG
It’s been a tough season for Bishops – a school that’s produced the third-most Springboks after Paul Roos and Grey College.
Bishops lost 17-37 to Michaelhouse at home last month. More recently, they’ve suffered heavy losses to KES (8-45) and Boland Landbou (10-52).
They appeared to be on course for victory in their previous match, before a plucky Milnerton side hit back to win 31-28.
Bishops will be desperate to hit back over the next two weeks, when they face two of their southern suburbs rivals, namely Wynberg and SACS.
Wynberg will start the match as favourites.
They’re unbeaten in 2024, and made a statement when they claimed a rare victory against Boishaai in Paarl.
Some might suggest that the draw at Grey High last week was a disappointing result in the context of their season.
They may have a point to prove when they visit the Piley Rees this Saturday.
Up the road, SACS will have their hands full with a Paarl Gym side out for redemption.
Gimmies fought back bravely last week, but lost to Grey College by two points. SACS may well feel the backlash from that result.
HILTON V GLENWOOD
All the big dogs from KwaZulu-Natal will compete at the Sharks Day Trials at Kings Park this Saturday.
Hilton have been the most consistent side from the region in terms of overall results.
After losing to Northwood and Kingswood in their first two matches, they have claimed five consecutive wins, including a notable 17-14 victory against Boland Lanbou and 34-17 win over Grey High.
They will be favourites when they meet Glenwood, who have lost five of their last eight matches.
Durban High School are undefeated in their last six matches – and have only sustained one loss (to Rondebosch) this season.
DHS should be too strong for St Charles, while Michaelhouse will be favourites against a struggling Kearsney, who are on a five-game losing streak.
JEPPE V KES
The Noordvaal region will witness a few interesting local battles. EG Jansen will host Monument, while Waterkloof will tackle Nelspruit in Pretoria.
Jeppe will host KES in what promises to be an intriguing Johannesburg derby.
Jeppe made a statement when they beat Grey College last month, and overall, their 2024 record of six wins in nine games makes for good reading.
It’s worth noting, however, that they’ve lost to some of the bigger schools, namely Garsfontein, Boishaai and most recently Affies. They should be desperate to secure a win against KES this Saturday.
KES come into this clash with a five from seven win-record. They lost to Grey College and Boishaai earlier in the season, but have won their last four matches.
KES have won three of their last four matches against Jeppe. But this weekend, in the first of two clashes of 2024, it remains to be seen who will take the spoils.
Jeppe have yet to lose a match at home this season, and may well have the edge in what promises to be a close contest.
@rugby365com
