Tough one for Boys' High

This has been a golden year for Boys' High – who have played 17 matches and won the lot. An unbeaten season is a rarity in the tough world of South African schoolboy rugby, especially for a top school who face top opponents week in and week out. Boys' High have this match against Oakdale and a home match against Drostdy to achieve that.

They will not have a full side out on Saturday but they will have great support as 23 teams plus parents and other supporters pour out onto the N2 for the 250-kilometre journey to Riversdale, beautiful Riversdale.

Oakdale have great admiration for this year's Boys' High side but are no slouches themselves. They will be going flat out. They have not suffered Paarl Boys'; High's losses to national teams but they are without lock Adré Smith. They have homeground advantage, which is less of an advantage now that top schools play all over the place.

History is with Boys' High who have won the last three encounters reasonably comfortably – 24-13, 38-10 and 22-7

The Season So Far

Paarl Boys' High are ranked top of the FNB Top 20, Oakdale 10th. That means that Oakdale will be up for the challenge.

While Boys High have won 17 out of 17, Oakdale have lost three of their 12 matches – all to Top 20 sides – Paul Roos, Paarl =Gim and HTS Middelburg. They have beaten two Top 20 sides – Outeniqua and Potchefstroom Gim, Paarl have beaten eight Top 20 teams. The closest Paarl Boys' High have come to defeat was against Bishops whom they beat 12-7, four penalties to a goal.

Results Against Common Opponents

Diamantveld: Oakdale won 26-13; Paarl Boys' High won 22-12

Outeniqua: Oakdale won 24-17; Paarl Boys' High won 23-17

Paarl Gim: Oakdale lost 31-28; Paarl Boys' High won 16-10

Paul Roos: Oakdale lost 29-15; Paarl Boys' High won 29-10

Achievers

Oakdale's players are eligible for South Western Districts, Paarl Boys' High's players for Western Province.

South African Schools

Paarl Boys' High: Manuel Rass, Ruben de Villiers, Salmaan Moerat

South African Schools A

Paarl Boys' High: Tyreeq February, Khanya Ncusane

Craven Week

Paarl Boys' High: Ruben de Villiers, Tyreeq February,  Wikus Groenewald, Leo Kruger,  Salmaan Moerat, Khanya Ncusane, Manuel Rass

Oakdale: Darren Adonis,  Boeta Hamman, Eckhard Leicher, Renaldo Ferreira, Ewan Coetzee, Adré Smith, HP van Schoor, Bertie de Bod, Hermanus Botha, Chrisjan du Toit, Daine Kannemeyer

Academy Week

Paarl Boys' High: Charl Serdyn, Bradley Thain

Oakdale: Xavier Swartbooi, Kurt Eybers, William Eybers, Zinedine Booysen, Helgard Meyer, Alexander Wallace.

Having so many players in the SA Schools sides is a two-edged sword – a great honour but they will not be playing in this match as the national sides will be in action in Cape Town.

Teams

Oakdale: 15 Darren Adonis, 14 Alex Wallace, 13 Kurt Eybers, 12 William Eybers,  11 Nicolus van Eeden, 10 Christo Hamman, 9 Eckard Leicher, 8 Renaldo Ferreira, 7 Hanno Olivier, 6 Bertie de Bod, 5 Daniel Victor, 4 Ewan Coetzee, 3 Chrisjan du Toit, 2 HP van Schoor, 1 Hermanus Botha

Replacements: 16 Marko van der Merwe, 17 André Posthumus, 18 Jaco Smit, 19 Western Province van Heerden, 20 Zinedine Booysen, 21 Daine Kannemeyer, 22 Xavier Swartbooi

Paarl Boys' High: 15 Jeanluc Cilliers, 14 Urgene Johannes, 13 Henri van Heerden, 12 Jan-Louis la Grange, 11 Hugo Slabbert, 10 Rayhaan  Lombaard, 9 Bradley Thain, 8 Ruan van der Merwe, 7 Charl Serdyn, 6 Andreas van Wyk (captain), 5 Dean Schwartz, 4 David Meihuizen, 3 Leo Kruger, 2 MC de Jongh, 1 Wikus Groenewald

Replacements: The whole of the Paarl Boys' High 2nd XV, who will have played a full match, can be used as replacements for injury.

Coaches: Sean Erasmus, Elmo Wolfaardt

Date: 15 August 2015

1st XV kick-off: 14.30

Venue: Eikeveld,  Hoër Landbouskool Oakdale, Riversdale

Expected weather conditions: Rain, wind and cold weather have hit the Western Cape this week but good things are forecast for Riversdale on Saturday – sunshine with a high of 24°C, dropping to 9°C – a good day for rugby.

Rugby Programme

Eike

09.30: Under-15A

10.40: 3rd XV

12.00: 2nd XV

13.10: Under-16 A

14.30: 1st XV

Populierbos

09.30: Under-16C

10.40: Under-16B

12.00: Under-16E

13.10: Gerrit du Plessis vs Paarl Boys' High Under-16D

Donkerbos

09.30: Under-14D

10.30: Under-14C

11.30: Under-14B

12.30: Under-14A

Ten Damme

09.30: Gerrit du Plessis vs Paarl Boys' High Under-15E

10.40: Under-15D

12.00: Under-15C

13.10: Under-15B

De Boord

09.30: Albertinia vs Paarl Boys' High 8th XV

10.40: Gerrit du Plessis vs Paarl Boys' High 7th XV

12.00: 6th XV

13.10: 5th XV

De Tuine

09.30: 4th XV

10.40: Albertinia vs Paarl Boys' High Under-14E