Thriller awaits in Zwide
Old PE school rivals to meet in FNB Classic
ONE of Port Elizabeth’s great schools rugby rivalries will unfold at the Zwide Stadium tomorrow when township giants Ithembelihle and Ndzondelelo go head to head in their annual FNB Classic Clash.
With bragging rights up for grabs, this encounter, which kicks off at 4pm, should develop into another thriller.
Past matches have often gone down to the wire, with the sides fighting for supremacy until the bitter end.
Ithembe had the benefit of competing in the recent Standard Bank Grey Rugby Festival and although they were outclassed in their matches, the experience will have helped them to prepare for this rivalry.
Ndzondelelo, on the other hand, will never take a backward step in this battle with their arch rivals and it would not be a surprise if the result is in the balance until the final whistle.
After a close win last weekend against DF Malherbe, Victoria Park will be looking to add another victory to an impressive run lately when they host Alexander Road.
Their 15-13 result over DFM gave them their fifth win in a row this season and they should start the match as favourites.
Alex were soundly dealt with by Woodridge (31-7) last weekend and will need to up their game against VP.
Woodridge, meanwhile, face a tough trip when they play Humansdorp Secondary, a side who are never easy to beat on their home turf.
DFM will also be looking to bounce back when they host Westering.
Grahamstown schools St Andrew’s and Kingswood will entertain two East London sides, with both home teams favoured to win.
After a solid win over Queen’s last week, St Andrew’s should have too much firepower for Cambridge, while Kingswood’s opponents, Port Rex, following a 42-5 loss against Graeme, will need to show a big improvement to have a chance of victory.
A number of matches were played midweek to accommodate the Meyer Sauerman tournament tomorrow which assists in selecting the EP Schools teams for the mid-year rugby weeks.
These matches will be on the B and C fields at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, from 11.30am.
This weekend’s fixtures are (home teams first, 11.30am start unless stated): Friday: Ithembelihle v Ndzondelelo (Zwide Stadium, 4pm) Saturday: Victoria Park v Alexander Road, Uitenhage v Bertram, Humansdorp v Woodridge, Otto du Plessis v John Walton, DF Malherbe v Westering (12.10), Kingswood v Port Rex (2.15), St Andrew’s v Cambridge (2.30)