The Oldest Match in the Land

Saturday, May 6 sees Diocesan College (Bishops) hosting another thrilling instalment in the long and distinguished history of the oldest schoolboy rugby derby in South Africa.

They once again, as they do every year, host the South African College High School (SACS) in a fixture which dates back at least to 1873.

Modern life moves fast. The years fly by and we live a world of instant gratification. All of this means that memories are short, which will suit both SACS and Bishops.

Bishops because they won the last encounter between the two teams in August 2016. On that occasion, SACS were clear favourites going into the match but Bishops, playing at home, dominated SACS on the day to win 43-28.

SACS because, despite playing second fiddle to Bishops for almost three decades, they have dominated Bishops over recent years winning eight of the last twelve encounters dating back to start of this decade. The two all boys’ schools have a similar number of pupils and play twice a year, home and away.

Both teams have rookie 1st XV coaches in Nick Maurer (SACS) and, believe it or not, his brother-in-law Richard Smith (Bishops).

On Saturday SACS will once again go into the match as slight favourites. The season is in its relatively infancy and SACS are unbeaten after six matches while Bishops have lost one of their five matches played. SACS have notable victories over Boland Landbou (22-18), Michaelhouse, DHS and St Andrew’s College (24-15 at St Stithians).

Bishops beat St Andrew’s in Grahamstown (29-21) and achieved a stunning come from behind win at home (29-28 after trailing 28-3 at half time) against a strong Stellenberg side. Their most recent match saw them lose 35-14 to KES at the Wynberg Winter Festival.

As ever the Bishops outside backs pose their biggest threat and their performance will be key to a Bishops win. Bishops have only a few players back from 2016 but fortunately, Ross Goodwin is one of them. He is a powerful winger who will be looking to torment SACS like his predecessor Seb Prentice did on their home field the Piley Rees last year.

On the other wing, Murray Bruce has also looked full of running while outside centre George Spencer has a strong outside break and fend which allows him to free his hands and produce those classic offloads for which Bishops are so renowned.

 Importantly for Bishops they have a settled backline marshalled by scrumhalf William Rose while up front livewire hooker Ghaalieb Kenny was nominated Man of the Match in their dramatic come from behind win against Stellenberg.

SACS captain and scrumhalf Lucky Dlepu is the heartbeat of their team. His cool head and game management are vital to the SACS cause. Their other major attacking threat and their pole kicker centre Jordy Hop has been ruled out for this weekend with various ailments. This will be a concern for SACS but they have an able replacement in the experienced Zolani Masembathe.

Up front SACS have a young pack of whom six are in Grade 11. They are well drilled by their coach Nick Maurer and are extremely fit. It is that youthful belief and fitness that has seen SACS come from behind to beat DHS, St Andrews and Boland Landbou. On Saturday though they will be hoping to get ahead and stay ahead of their hosts.

Saturday promises to be another special derby day with nineteen teams taking the field. This is the first time SACS have visited Bishops since the passing of the “Father of Bishops Rugby” Basil Bey and both schools will be hoping to do his legacy proud both on and off the field by playing exciting running rugby in the true spirit of camaraderie  and sportsmanship.

By Graeme Wepener of SACS

The match will be streamed live.

Rugby Programme for 6 May 2017

The 1st XV field at Bishops is named after the great coach DW 'Piley" Rees who taught at the school for 40 years. The Sahara was the second field and was dry, as the name suggests. The other three fields are named from what was nearest them. The avenue is still there but the shooting range is no longer nor is the cemetery which used to be where the hockey astroturf now is.

Piley Rees        

09.05: Under-14D                

10.10: 3rd XV                

11.15: 2nd XV                

12.30: 1st XV                

Sahara

08.00: Under-16D

09.05: Under-16C

10.10: Under-16B

11.15: Under-16A

Avenue

08.00: 7th

09.05: 6th    

10.10: 5th

11.15: 4th

Range

08.00: Under-15D

09.05: Under-15C

10.10: Under-15B

11.15: Under-15A

Cemetery

08.00: Under-14C

09.05: Under-14E

10.10: Under-14B

11.15: Under-14A

Teams

Bishops: 15 James Ipser, 14 Ross Goodwin, 13 George Spencer, 12 Matt du Plessis, 11 Murray Bruce, 10 Aydan Labuschagne, 9 William Rose, 8 Felix Burt, 7 Matt Norton, 6 Justin Muller, 5 Tim Sharples, 4 Ross Doyle, 3 David Courie, 2 Ghaalieb Kenny, 1 Benjamin Nel

Coaches: Richard Smith, Wes Chetty

SACS: 15 Michael Abrahams, 14 Ben Mazzullo, 13 Zolani Masembathe, 12 Chad van der Loo, 11 Aaron Zeederberg, 10 David Hayes, 9 Vusile Dlepu (captain), 8 Oliver Schuurmans, 7 Sujai Ikemefuna, 6 Craig Bylin, 5 Storm Balchin, 4 Jean Minnaar, 3 Joshua Barrett, 2 Anathi Kalipa, 1 Ethan Burger

Coaches: Nick Maurer, Matthew Currie

Date: 6 May 2017

1st XV kick-off: 12.30

Live streaming: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_1Xi1f3v6M

Expected weather conditions: Partly cloudy with a high of 19°C and a low of 12°C

Referee: Divan Uys (Western Province Referees' Society)

Results Down the Years

There is little record of early matches and at the time when the records start both the South African College and the Diocesan College had university classes. In those days both institutions were a mixture of school and university with all the boys eligible for any team, as were the masters. The second principal of Bishops played for the 2nd XV. boys were chosen on ability regardless of age.

That all stopped after 1910 when Bishops ceased its university classes and its students and the university students of SACS joined to form the University of Cape Town. From then on the results here are those between schools.

In the early matches there were no points; only goals counted. Points would vary. A try, for example, went from 1 to 3 to 4 to 5.

1873: SACS won 2 goals to nil

1874: SACS won the first one & the second match 1 goal to nil.

1876: Bishops won goals to nil and 1 goal to nil

1877: Draw

1879: Draw 0-0 & Bishops won 5 goals to nil.

1882: SACS won

1883: SACS won

1885: Bishops won 11-0

1886: SACS won 11-0

1887: SACS won 4-1

1888: Draw 0-0 & SACS won 1-0

1889: SACS won 3-1

1890: Draw 2-2 & SACS won 2-1

1891: Bishops won 4-0 and 11-0

1892: Bishops won 8-0, 24-2 & 20-7

1893: Bishops won 17-0

1894: Bishops won 19-0 & 17-0

1895: Bishops won 11-0 & 11-0

1896: Draw 0-0 & Bishops won 6-0

1897: SACS won 16-7 & 6-0

1898: SACS won 8-0

1899: Draw 3-3, SACS won 10-3 & 5-0

1900: Draw 0-0, SACS won 7-0 & Bishops won 6-0

1901: Bishops won 10-0, SACS won 11-5 & Bishops won 13-0

1902: SACS won 6-5 & 19-6

1903: SACS won 9-0

1904: SACS won 12-0 & 11-3

1905: SACS won 10-3 & Bishops won 7-0

1906: Bishops won 6-5 & SACS won 5-3

1907: Bishops won 9-4 & 10-0 & SACS won 8-5 & 13-3

1908: Bishops won 8-3

1909: SACS won 19-3, 9-3 & 14-3

1910: SACS won 12-4 & 15-5

From now on the competition is between school teams.

1911: SACS won 6-5

1912: Draw 3-3 & Bishops won 19-5 & 10-0

1913:  Bishops won 21-0 & 6-0 & SACS won 6-3

1914: Bishops won 11-8 & SACS won 3-0

1915: Draw 0-0, SACS won 12-9 & 3-0 & Bishops won 9-4 & 11-5

1916: Bishops won 13-0 & 8-0

1917: SACS won 25-0

1918: SACS won 14-0

1920: SACS won 11-0

1921: Draw 12-12

1922: Draw 8-8

1923: SACS won 9-8

1924: Bishops won 10-3 & 19-5 & SACS won 10-0

1925: Bishops won 16-3 & 16-6

1926: Draw 3-3 & SACS won 19-5

1927: Bishops won 18-3

1928: Bishops won 8-3

1929: Bishops won 14-0

1930: SACS won 8-3 & Bishops won 13-0

1931: Bishops won 23-6 & SACS won 8-6

1932: Draw 13-13, Bishops won 12-7

1933: SACS won 12-0

1934: Bishops won 24-9 & SACS won 25-3 & 29-7

1935: Bishops won 16-6 & 26-3

1936: Bishops won 16-0 & SACS won 15-7

1937: SACS 12-11 & 11-9

1938: Bishops won 12-3

1939: Bishops won 11-0 & 36-3

1940: Bishops won 31-8 & 6-3

1941: Bishops won 19-3

1942: Bishops won 20-5 & 12-0

1943: Bishops won 13-0 & 3-0

1944: Draw 3-3 & Bishops won 14-6

1945: Bishops won 9-3 & 3-0

1946: Bishops won 37-0 & 6-3

1947: SACS won 12-11& Bishops won 9-0

1948: Bishops won 32-3 & 22-11

1949: Bishops won 57-0

1950: SACS won 14-8 & Bishops won 11-5

1951: Bishops won 17-3 & 8-0

1952: Bishops won 18-3 & 13-11

1953: Bishops won 32-0 & 15-3

1954: Bishops won 17-3 & 6-0

1955: Bishops won 20-3

1956: SACS won 8-5 & 10-6

1957: Bishops won 9-0 & SACS won 12-3

1958: Bishops won 11-0 & 19-3

1958: Bishops won 16-6 & 18-0

1960: Bishops won 11-0 & 12-3

1962: SACS won 11-0

1963: Bishops won 9-0 & 11-3

1964: Bishops won 26-3 & 6-5

1965: Bishops won 29-3 & 18-0

1966: Bishops won 17-15 & SACS won 6-3

1967: Draw 6-6 & SACS won 8-6

1968: Bishops won 8-3 & 6-3

1969: SACS won 12-6

1970: Bishops won 18-9 & 16-6

1971: SACS won 15-13

1972: SACS won 8-4 & 3-0

1973: SACS won 11-6 & 29-0

1980: Bishops won 14-0 & SACS won 9-0

1975: Bishops won 4-3 & SACS won 8-7

1976: SACS won 9-7 & Bishops won 12-8

1977: Bishops won 37-6 & 23-6

1978: Bishops won  26-9  & SACS won 18-13

1979: Bishops won 15-0 & 23-12

1980: Bishops won 34-7 & 19-9

1981: Bishops won 12-10 & 21-10

1982: Bishops won 23-6

1983: Bishops won 14-3 & 20-7

1984: Draw 10-10 & Bishops won 24-4

1985: Bishops won 29-3 & 34-0

1986: Bishops won 40-3 & 15-3

1987: Bishops won 46-3 & 26-4

1988: Bishops won 36-6 & 31-9

1989: Bishops won 12-7 & 38-3

1990: SACS won 12-10 & Bishops won 16-10

1991: Bishops won 41-6 & 35-3

1992: Bishops won 35-6 & 13-6

1993: Bishops won 64-3 & 20-9

1994: Bishops won 29-19 & 27-11

1995: Bishops won 9-3 & 10-7

1996: Bishops won 6-3 & SACS won 25-8

1997: Bishops won 44-17 & 26-15

1998: Bishops won 29-7 & 34-12

1999: Bishops won 20-19 & 27-15

2000: Bishops won

2001: Bishops won  

2002: Bishops won 32-19 & SACS won 15-13

2003: Bishops won 43-12 & 22-14

2004: Bishops won 10-0 & SACS won 32-3

2005: Bishops won 50-3 & 26-7

2006: Bishops won 26-14 & 20-10

2007: Draw 22-22 & Bishops won 41-17

2008: Bishops won 56-19 & 40-27

2009: Bishops won 27-0

2010: Bishops won 43-18 & 46-17

2011: Bishops won 68-27 & SACS won 20-13

2012: SACS won 34-3 & 21-8

2013: SACS won 22-5 & 21-16

2014: Bishops won 26-12 & 80-5

2015: SACS won 26-17 & 14-7

2016: SACS won 38-19 & Bishops won 43-28