Top schools braced for warfare
Tough competition for popular Graeme tussle
Some early skirmishes have taken place, but the Eastern Cape schools programme is set to explode into action when the annual Pam Golding Properties Graeme Rugby Day takes place in Makhanda this Saturday.
The Graeme organisers have again lined up a feast of entertaining matches for this popular tournament, with the top schools from the region all getting another chance to finetune their squads for the forthcoming season.
In addition, rugby enthusiasts can look forward to a taste of Western Cape rugby as SACS (South African College High) are attending for the first time.
The Cape Town school will take on leading Makhanda outfit St Andrew’s College in the 1.50pm game on the Somerset field.
SACS coach Nick Maurer said they were delighted to receive the invitation to a festival of rugby they had heard much about.
“We know we face a big challenge against St Andrew’s, but we are looking to put in a committed performance which will hopefully bond us as a team going forward,” he said.
“We want to expose as many of our players to the intensity and pressure of first team rugby, which will stand them in good stead for the rest of the season.”
Should he be in attendance, as is likely, it will be something of a homecoming for SACS headmaster Brendan Grant, who spent several years as deputy headmaster at Graeme.
A youthful Graeme team, who received a sobering lesson against Port Elizabeth’s Framesby last week, will have a chance to show what they have learnt when they face Dale in the day’s feature match at 4.10pm.
Coach Jonty van der Meulen has only two players back from 2018’s squad, so the team is on a massive learning curve.
Despite including several players in the squad from the talented U16 group of 2018, it will take a while for them to adapt to the higher pace and skill levels of first team rugby.
They will be thoroughly examined by a school which seldom field a poor side and are fresh off a 56-24 trouncing of Stirling in the Border Rugby Day last weekend.
As usual, there are a number of cross-border fixtures on the programme, pitting EP schools against their Border counterparts.
Queen’s College may face a tough encounter with Framesby High, while East London’s Hudson Park will be equally well tested by Grey High.
Another fascinating game will be the 12.40pm clash where the small, but always competitive, Marlow Agricultural pit their skills against East London powerhouse Selborne.
The main curtain-raiser at 3pm should be a real humdinger when a promising Kingswood side attempt to lay down an early-season marker against Port Elizabeth rivals Pearson.
Queen’s College may well face a tough encounter with Framesby High