The huge George match
This is the big one. It's the one the whole country will have an interest in – this Premier Interschools match, Gimmies vs Kwaggas, Paarl Gim vs Outeniqua in beautiful George, 1 vs 3 with both teams in great form.
Outeniqua are ranked No.1 on the FNB Top 20 at the moment with the rare scalp of Grey Bloem hanging from their belts. Paarl Gim are at No.3, and you get the feeling that they are waiting to jump. They really are two top schools – traditionally and on current form.
Last year seven Gimmies played for Western Province at Craven Week, and of the seven four are back – Grant Hermanus, Rikus Bothma, who was one of the acknowledged stars at the Kearsney Easter Festival, Jacques Vermeulen and lock JD Schickerling, who played for SA Schools last year.
Outeniqua are even better off. Last year they had 14 players in the lively South Western Districts team and seven of them are back – Stefaan Grundlingh, Geor Malan, who is this year's captain, Remu Malan, Dewald Human, Duhan van der Merwe, Warrick Gelant, Douw Schoeman and Leighton Eksteen. In addition eighthman Dian Koen played for Boland at Craven Week last year when he was at Hermanus High School. Of those eight Craven Week players Duhan van der Merwe, who was the top try-scorer at Craven Week, and Gelant played SA Schools. That is not all Dirk Oosthuizen was in the South Western Districts Under-19 side and Gregory Nel in the Academy side. Four have played for South Western Districts at the Grant Khomo Week – Marné Botha, Wynand de Necker, Le Roux Baard and tall Eduard Zandberg who was also chosen for South Africa's elite Under-16 squad.
Certainly that is what the teams history says, for 16 of the 22 players have played representative rugby – 15 for South Western Districts and one for Boland last year – Dian Koen, who was at Hermanus High School last year.
Gimmies are a big side and may well want to overpower the Kwaggas' pack but their speedy backs who have an uncanny understanding amongst them selves and who act on intuition are brilliant.
This Year
Both sides are unbeaten. Both have played Westville and Tygerberg, with similar results
Westville: Outeniqua won 33-7, Paarl Gim 46-7
Tygerberg: Outeniqua won 68-3, Paarl Gim 55-3
It probably is a fluke but that adds up to 101-10 each!
Outeniqua has beaten Grey College 22-20, which is a huge feat in itself, EG Jansen 57-34, Paarl Boys' High 45-36 and Punt 71-3. Gim have played a match fewer because Duineveld withdrew from their match. They beat Glenwood 40-12, Kearsney 33-6 and the Stellenbosch Academy 40-17
This match on Saturday in Paarl will be special and it could be desperately close. One just hopes that the sides will be free to give expression to their talents. It is after all Freedom Day.
The referee is Jason Jaftha, one of South Africa's top referees, fresh from refereeing Super Rugby. He will help to make the match special.
Recent Results
2009: Outeniqua won 18-15
2010: Paarl Gim won 38-20
2011: Outeniqua won 16-11
2012: Draw 17-17 and Outeniqua won 30-22
Teams
Outeniqua: 15 Hennie Barnard, 14 Leighton Eksteen, 13 Douw Schoeman, 12 Warrick Gelant (vice-captain), 11 Duhan van der Merwe, 10 Dewald Human, 9 Remu Malan, 8 Dian Koen, 7 Lian van Schalkwyk, 6 Geor Malan (captain), 5 Eduard Zandberg, 4 Hendri Storm, 3 Wynand de Necker, 2 Marné Botha, 1 Stefaan Grundlingh
Replacements: 16 Le Roux Baard, 17 Gregory Nel, 18 Anton Smit, 19 Christopher Roelfse, 20 Wynand du Preez, 21 Corné de Klerk, 22 Dirk Barnard
Coaches: Piet Cloete, Martin Oosthuizen, Jacques Wolfaardt, Walter Lutch
Paarl Gimnasium; 15 Grant Hermanus, 14 Leaviel Gouws, 13 Wayno Visagie, 12 Ryan Oosthuizen (vice-captain), 11 Dylon Fairbridge, 10 Wyatt Murphy, 9 Brendon Nell, 8 Rikus Bothma (captain), 7 Jacques Vermeulen, 6 Gareth Cilliers, 5 JD Schickerling, 4 Johan Momsen, 3 DJ van Niekerk, 2 Wilner Conradie, 1 Gavin van den Berg
Replacements: 16 Jasper Wiese, 17 Regardt Louw, 18 Jaco Willemse, 19 Edrich-John Pretorius, 20 Luhandré Luus, 21 Zandré de Koker, 22 Walter Smit, 23 Ruan Stander
Coaches: Christoff Lötter, Hendrik Weber
Date: Saturday, 27 April 2013
Kick-off: 13.50
TV broadcast: SuperSport 7 from 13.35 to 15.15
Venue: Hoërskool Outeniqua, George
Expected weather conditions: Sunny with a high of 25°C, dropping to 12°C.
Referee: Jason Jaftha (South African Referees' Association)
