Ruan Lourens - Captain of Schoonspruit
Hoërskool Schoonspruit captain Ruan Lombard has never lost a match against Hoërskool Wolmaransstad, and he intends to keep it that way when the sides meet in the FNB Classic Clash on Saturday.
Wolmaransstad have been in good form this year, which has raised the stakes a bit, and Lourens is expecting a great atmosphere in front of his home crowd.
“It is one of our biggest matches, because Wolmaransstad finished second in the PUK 16. There is going to be a lot of people as it is a first for our school. We’ve never lost against them ever, but it has always been a close match.
“We haven’t lost any of the home games and therefore we have a home ground advantage. The team feels they can take them on here,” he said.
Lourens is an experienced captain and says that leading the first XV this year has been a great experience.
“It is a great privilege for me to captain the first team, with so much potential. I’ve been captain for four years and although it is a big responsibility I have always enjoyed captaining my team,” he explained.
The hard-working No.8 who models his game on Lions captain Josh Strauss believes that his team is well-rounded, but added that their strength lies in the forward pack which is exactly where he expects Wolmaransstad to attack them this weekend.
“We are quite a well-balanced team, with both good forwards and a speedy backline, but I think our forward pack can make quite an impact this weekend.
“They [Wolmaransstad] basically play with their forwards to pull the defence in and then try and create gaps in the defence line to get through. We’ll have to make sure our defence is solid by closing all gaps and anticipating their every move,” added Lourens.
