Quiet before the Interschools storm
There may be a full schedule of matches this Saturday, several of them pretty attractive, but one can sense a slow intake of breath – across the Peninsula, at least – as the Interschools showdown at Faure Street on 4 August looms ever larger.
In addition, the SA Under-18 squad members will all be unavailable for their teams this weekend.
The Paarl Boys’ High's visit to Wynberg and Paarl Gym’s trip to Rondebosch would normally generate massive interest, were it not for coaches and players quite understandably looking to preserve themselves ahead of the big one rather than light up proceedings with their customary flamboyance.
However, there are still another two very big games on in the general area.
First up is Bishops at home to Paul Roos. The hosts may have been flitting around apparently without a great deal of purpose this season, but, even in defeat, one could detect several glimpses of that old flair creeping back against Stellenberg two weeks ago.
Wins against Dulwich College and yo-yo artists Tygerberg will have bolstered their confidence. Mike Mynhardt’s move to the wing seems to have gone some way towards solving the problem of a lack of pace out wide, while Seb Remmezwaal’s inspiring performances in the second row have sparked the Platinum Blues’ fighting spirit.
That said, the Mallett/Foote/Hayden triumvirate’s focus will now inevitably be turning towards laying the foundations for a better 2013.
One great asset is outstanding hooker Cuan Hablutzel – who, like Tim Swiel, coincidentally enjoyed an exchange period at last week’s visitors, Dulwich. Not only is he the team’s top try-scorer, but his unstinting commitment makes him a banker for next season.
Another player breaking into the big-time is Saud Abrahams, who did not play out at Swartland as he was on an overseas cricket tour.
Paul Roos have such depth that fielding quality teams is never a problem. However, remove their SA hopefuls and things start to look a bit shaky. The answer for them is really brutally simple: attack in depth so that you score more tries than you concede. In this respect the contribution of quick-thinking scrumhalf SP Ferreira will be crucial.
Could be close, but the Young Maties have a slight edge.
Visiting Fortress Trappespark in Worcester is never much fun, but SACS might well consider themselves up to the task for this week’s trip.
Two narrow defeats last week may have broken the momentum created by the three big victories on their tour to Zimbabwe, but the compact nature of the Newlands squad more than offsets the size advantage of the Drostdy pack.
Exchanges will be pretty hairy in the front row where Boland Craven Week prop Farrel Kelly poses a major obstacle, but in halfbacks Cameron Calder and Chris Smith – who, on 191 points, is tantalizingly poised to become the first ever SACS player to score 200 points in a season – the Young Ikeys have two of the most astute players in the province at their disposal.
It is still uncertain whether the Donkeys’ first choice scrummie Chriswill September, who was redcarded against ‘Bosch last Saturday will play, but, even with him in the side, the hosts’ back division has seldom impressed this campaign.
So to Wynberg vs Boishaai at the Hawthornden.
The hosts have been unable to maintain the cracking pace they set on their overseas tour and a string of carefully selected local fixtures at the start of the season. They’re still pretty well all fit, but the general air of expectation has dissipated markedly and, as if they needed it, they had something of a parachute failure last Saturday at home to Boland Landbou.
Whoever the Strepies field against the lads from Lovers Walk – and their choice of whom to risk and whom to rest is, as always, a source of enormous speculation – one fancies that their backs will eventually outlast the hosts’ tackling.
Several of Paarl Gym’s selection options for the Rondebosch game might well have been taken out of their hands last Saturday. Two more vital cogs in their highly successful machine, fullback Dawie Dyason and flank Jacques Vermeulen, had to leave the field to join Handré Pollard in the treatment room.
Even without these three sparklers and SA rep Jakkals Schickerling, the northern Paarl juggernaut will have more than enough strength up front and in defence to rub former-teammate-turned-’Bosch-captain Danie Krynauw’s nose in the southern suburbs sludge.
Corné Cooper and Rikus Bothma are in imperious form up front, while inside centre Altus Momsen is a one-man wrecking ball, further motivated (as if he needed it) by having twin brother HP playing alongside him again last Saturday.
Truth be told, there’s actually quite a bit more action up in the Eagles’ nest, where no fewer than four prominent local sides welcome daunting Eastern Cape opponents.
Cradock’s Marlow head to Oakdale for their eagerly-awaited annual clash. The Bulle might have bigger things on their mind at this stage: a tricky visit from Punt next week and then the Interschools away to Boland Landbou on 18 August, but this is a fixture characterised by an absolutely awesome camaraderie.
Oudtshoorn welcome close rivals Die Brandwag from Uitenhage. Neither side has scaled the heights of recent seasons during this campaign, but that in no way detracts from the keen edge this meeting produces each season.
Across town Langenhoven Gym receive the well-traveled Nico Malan side from Humansdorp. Gym will be looking to start the run into Interschools with a strong showing, although the visitors look the more likely winners, even without tricky SA Under-18 squad winger Selvyn Davids.
Having performed so admirably in almost bearding Paarl Gym in their own den last weekend, Outeniqua might have been forgiven for looking forward to a bit of R and R. No such luck it seems, as mighty Framesby make the journey down from the Windy City.
The Quaggas’ loosies are going to have to keep a close watch on brilliant flyhalf Ernst Stapelberg if they are to come out on top, but the visitors have far more work cut out for them – the local backline, even without Warrick Galant and Duhan van der Merwe, contains more tricks than a bridge competition.
This should be a real humdinger!
The main all-Boland attractions may see Augsburg Gym welcome Schoonspruit to Clanwilliam and Charlie Hofmeyr host Vredendal just down the drag in Ceres, but the best match on offer sees Hugenote host crack Western Province Premier B outfit Strand.
Hugenote lost their 100% record in rather unsatisfactory circumstances in Ceres last Saturday, but there will be no time for ruing that result against a Strand outfit bursting with enterprising attacking options.
The midfield of flyhalf Stuart Jacobs and centres Deon Taljaard (the skipper has notched 164 points from the tee) and Quiwen Bauman have gleefully set about shredding many a hapless defence this season.
The Blackies have yet to face an attack with quite as much flair. Whether they cope – influential captain Gideon Koegelenberg will be at the SA camp – will go a long way to restoring their large support base’s dented pride.
Fixtures – Saturday, 28 July (2012):
Augsburg Gym vs Schoonspruit
Bellville vs Boland Landbou
Bishops vs Paul Roos
Bonnievale vs Piketberg
Brackenfell vs Durbanville
Charlie Hofmeyr vs Vredendal
DF Malan vs Monument Park
Dirkie Uys vs Fairbairn College
Hawston vs Klein Nederburg
Hermanus vs Hottentots Holland
Hopefield vs Labori
HTS Bellville vs Rangers RFC
HTS Drostdy vs SACS
Hugenote vs Strand
Langenhoven Gym vs Nico Malan
Langenhoven High vs Montagu
Oakdale vs Marlow
Oudtshoorn vs Brandwag
Outeniqua vs Framesby
Overberg vs Robertson
Parel Vallei vs Montana
Rondebosch vs Paarl Gym
Stellenberg vs Swartland
Tygerberg vs De Kuilen
Vredenburg vs Worcester Gym
Wynberg vs Paarl Boys’ High
By Tony Stoops
