Following a brilliant Day 1 at the ABSA Wildeklawer Festival Day 2 is set to bring even closer contest with the intensity to go up several notches as the weather is set to improve significantly.
Some of the teams will rest players for Monday, while some schools will fight with their backs against the wall to turn their seasons around and prove that their place at this prestigious festival is warranted.
On the A field, Waterkloof and Durbanville will start the action in a high-scoring match. Unfortunately, I do think the power of Waterkloof’s forwards will rob Durbanville’s dangerous backs of most of their quality attack possession that they need to tear any defence apart. Maybe a close first half before the powerful backs of Waterkloof start testing Durbanville’s defence and guts.
At 09:30, a fairly inactive Monnas will face a hurt DHS team following their 14-17 loss to Nortwood a week ago. Monnas played their last match against Kingswood (43-27) at the St John’s festival. This battle will be decided up front, and the kicking success of the sharpshooters. Monnas has shown they have the talent and coaching to be a top ten school with ease, and apart from their losses to Grey College (15-31) and Paul Roos (17-21), DHS will be their biggest test. DHS, on the other hand, was cruising unbeaten until things came unstuck in a surprising loss to Northwood (14-17) a week ago. It could be a very close game with the bounce of the ball, and when the fat lady starts singing, the deciding factors. But Monnas should do it, just.
The action just keeps on coming, and the match between Maritzburg College and Stellenberg could be interesting. It may sound strange, but Stellenberg’s fixtures are a bit “easy” at the Wildeklawer; however, following Maritzburg’s two losses early in the season, they are on an impressive four-match winning streak, which will give them the belief that they can be giant slayers; however, they will face a rested Stellenberg, whose recent 64-00 win against Melkbosstrand gave them the opportunity to rest some of their stars who will be eager to confirm Stellenberg’s status as one of the best 1stXV’s in the country. It could be close; however, Stellenberg at its best could result in a twenty to thirty-point margin.
A hurting Westville, thanks to their 28-29 loss to Jeppe, will be out to prove that the pundits were not wrong who rated them a top ten 1stXV; however, they will face a desperate Oakdale, which has won “only” three from six starts, and a loss could see them join Affies outside of the top ten. Once again, are we going to see a disciplined Oakdale that will use their big boys up front to bully Westville or will their backs run their big boys out of the game and allow Westville, whose backs are an oiled machine, to take control and win? Another close but high-scoring game.
Jeppe should be able to beat a Boland Landbou team that won their first match of the season against Rondebosch (43-41) a week ago. However, as I warned before the Rondeboch game, a hurt Boland Landbou could cause another “upset”.
Despite Northwood’s win against DHS, Boishaai should “cruise” to a relaxed win; however, Boishaai will face Affies in the final match on Monday evening, and will they rest some players or at the minimum have them on the bench against Northwood. Sean Erasmus could face a banana peel if he makes the “wrong decision”.
The same decisions will be taken by the coaches of Affies and Outeniqua. Do Affies rest some players for Boishaai or will they come out guns blazing to restore some pride to the Affies brand? Apparently, we will see several personnel changes, especially in the front row and at the back three, which could result in a brutal fight up front before Affies release their speedsters out wide. Outeniqua, who could make it very difficult for Affies, also faces the same selection questions. Do they rest some boys against Affies to secure some fresh legs for their Maritzburg College clash on Monday, or do they go guns blazing in both matches? The bad news for Affies is that they can expect an Outeniqua team that will come at them with guns blazing and treat the spectators to some brilliant rugby against an Affies team that is still searching for its mojo. However, if the changes in the Affies squad work, they should grind out a good win, and if it doesn’t, they should still win, but go into the Boishaai match on Monday with a lot of unanswered questions.
Unfortunately for the organisers, Noordheuwel is not performing as was expected at the start of the season, and their clash against Grey College could become a high-scoring and one-sided match. With a hurting Grey College, the winners.
A high-flying Paarl Gim will face a Helpmekaar who has won “only” four of their seven matches this season. However, one could ask if the tour to Kearsney, where they lost to Westville (17-33) and DHS (27-39), was not an “error” in judgment following the Noord/Suid rugby Festival. Following Helpmekaar’s three weeks of licking their wound, recovering from injuries and the planning of a brilliant Tjaart van der Walt, they will be ready for the Paarl Gim challenge. Expect a Paarl Gim that will score at regular intervals to cruise to a win against a Helpmekaar that will keep on fighting until the end.
25 April 2026
Diamantveld A Field
08:00 Waterkloof vs Durbanville
09:30 Monnas vs DHS
11:00 Maritzburg College vs Stellenberg
12:30 Westville vs Oakdale
14:00 Jeppe vs Boland Landbou
15:30 Paarl Boishaai vs Northwood
17:00 Affies vs Outeniqua
18:30 Grey College vs Noordheuwel
20:00 Paarl Gim vs Helpmekaar
Diamanveld B Field
14:00 Marlow vs Noord Kaap Barbarians
15:30 Rustenburg vs Sentraal Barbarians
