The recent schoolboy rugby festivals across South Africa saw some remarkable performances from various teams, with Affies and Rondebosch making particularly bold statements against top opposition.
Paul Roos Continues to Dominate
Paul Roos, the current leading school side in the country, showcased their prowess at the Diamantveld festival.
They secured a narrow 29-27 victory against Monument before comprehensively beating Maritzburg College 48-0 in their second fixture.
Affies Shine in Kimberley
Affies made the biggest impact at the Kimberley festival, claiming two convincing wins. They stunned Paarl Boys with a 43-21 victory after leading 24-7 at half-time and then comfortably defeated Oakdale 32-10.
With an impressive record of six wins from eight matches this season, Affies will be confident heading into their clash with Grey College in Pretoria.
Rondebosch Ends Wynberg’s Unbeaten Streak
In the southern suburbs of Cape Town, Rondebosch caused a major upset by beating the previously undefeated Wynberg 49-27. Wynberg had been in excellent form, winning six and drawing one of their matches, including a rare away victory at Boishaai.
Rondebosch, on the other hand, had experienced mixed results but seems to have found their stride in recent weeks, putting 55 points past SACS and 45 past Melkbosstrand before their triumph over Wynberg.
Strong Performances from Other Top Teams
Grey College demonstrated their strength with a 46-0 thrashing of Maritzburg College and a 38-10 win over Garsfontein.
Gimmies had to work hard for their victories against EG Jansen (36-33) and Helpmekaar (31-10), while Boishaai recovered from their loss to Affies to narrowly beat Durban High School 15-13.
Emerging Contenders in Schoolboy Rugby
Several other teams made their mark at the festivals. Hosts Diamantveld finished unbeaten with impressive wins against Marlow Landbou and New Zealand’s St Johns College.
Waterkloof, who have been steadily improving, scored over 100 points in their matches against Outeniqua and Marlow. Grey High and Jeppe also had successful outings in Gqeberha and the Eastern Cape, respectively.
Milnerton’s Giant-Killing Exploits
Milnerton has been causing upsets in the Cape Town southern suburbs, recently beating both Rondebosch and Bishops. The latter suffered another defeat this weekend, losing 7-29 to SACS.
As the schoolboy rugby season progresses, the upcoming clash between Rondebosch and Gimmies on the Tinkie Heyns Field is set to be a thrilling encounter. Both teams will be riding high on confidence after their recent successes and will be eager to make a statement in this highly anticipated match-up.