Traditional Schools meet
On Saturday one of the oldest schoolboy matches in the world will take place, perhaps the second oldest of all matches in South Africa – SACS of Newlands vs Paul Roos Gymnasium of Stellenbosch.
They are both old schools, SACS 186 years old and Paul Roos 150 years old. The oldest match is between Bishops and SACS, the second oldest a match involving Paul Roos which was called Stellenbosch Boys' High till 1946. Nineteen teams from the two schools will meet on SACS's wet fields on Saturday morning, hoping that there will be no more rain.
The story goes that a SACS man, called Vos, taught the Stellenboscher to play rugby. He must have been an astonishingly good teacher for Paul Roos have long dominated matches between the two schools. Last year SACS won one of the 19 matches on the day and Paul Roos won the 1st XV match 78-7.
Paul Roos has been celebrating its 150th birthday in grand style.
They went to Japan to take part in the annual youth rugby tournament sponsored by Sanix and won it. In South Africa they had played and won six matches till Paarl Gim beat them, their only defeat in nine matches.
Not as spectacular as their visitors, SACS have been having a better season than usual
Ranking
Paul Roos is ranked second to Paarl Boys' High on the FNB Top 20, SACS 12th. That is not as big a difference as it may seem when after all the ranking has just 20 schools out of the hundreds that play rugby with enthusiasm all over the country.
Season So Far
Paul Roos have played nine matches in South Africa – another six (in eight days) were in Japan. In South Africa have won eight and lost to Paarl Gim. Six of their opponents have been on the FNB Top 20 this year.
SACS have played 11 matches, losing two. They have also played against six opponents who have been on the Top 20.
Opponents in Common
Affies: SACS won 13-10; Paul Roos won 29-12
Rondebosch: SACS won 27-15; Paul Roos won 52-7
Paarl Gim: Paul Roos lost 23-21; SACS lost 39-15
Achievers
Craven Week
Paul Roos have three of their backs in the 2015 Western Province Craven Week side – Nico Leonard Joshua Vermeulen and Damian Willemse.
SACS have nobody in the Craven Week side.
Academy Week
SACS have two players going to the Academy Week, their excellent flyhalf Jordan Chait (SACS) and their lively forward Liam Larkin who wins more than his share of turnovers at tackles.
Paul Roos have three in the Academy Week side – Lazlo Pscorn, prop Muammir Salie and lock Joa Swart, who is the captain of the side.
Teams
SACS: 15 Athi Gazi, 14 Tumi Mogoje, 13 Ciaran Dayaram, 12 Kyle Boyd, 11 Thomas Waterkeyn, 10 Jordan Chait, 9 Rua-Ees Arendse, 8 Alex Halvorsen, 7 Liam Larkan, 6 Dylan Hadzigrigoriou, 5 James Brewer, 4 Tommy Posen, 3 Duncan Ferguson, 2 Lance Steytler, 1 Sihle Lonzi
Paul Roos: 15 Joshua Vermeulen, 14 Nico Leonard, 13 Troy Payne, 12 Kristoff Baard, 11 Jason Myburgh, 10 Damien Willemse, 9 Tiaan Coetzee, 8 De Wet Castelyn, 7 Pierre van der Merwe, 6 Malan Basson, 5 Joa Swart (captain), 4 Lazlo Pschorn, 3 Stephan Annandale, 2 Abrie Coetzee, 1 Christiaan van Deventer
Rugby Programme
Memorial A
08.30: 4th XV
09.45: 3rd XV
11.00: 2nd XV
12.15: 1st XV
Memorial B
07.45: Under-15B
08.45: Under-16B
09.55: Under-15A
11.00: Under-16A
Spencer-Smith
07.45: Under-15D vs Paul Roos E
08.45: Under-15C vs Paul Roos
09.45: 6th XV vs Paul Roos 7th
11.00: 5th XV vs Paul Roos 6th
De Villiers
07.45: Under-14B
08.45: Under-14A
09.45: Under-16D vs Paul Roos E
11.00: Under-16C vs Paul Roos D
De Villiers B
07.45: Under-14E
08.45: Under-14D
09.45: Under-14C
The missing Paul Roos sides will play Brackenfell sides on Friday, 5 June 2015.
