This weekend the fifth 2022 Supa Quick Premier Interschools fixture gets underway when Paul Roos host Paarl Boishaai. These two rugby-centric schools have been friends, off the field and rivals on the field, for the past 150 years.
These two sides have not met since 2019, and PRG has only recorded three victories in the last ten encounters. The last time the Stellenbosch side beat their Paarl neighbours was in 2018 at the very same Markötter. There is a new air of expectancy at the recently upgraded modern-looking home of Paul Roos, which now boasts one of the most advanced training facilities of any school in South Africa.
Expectations ahead of these schoolboy matches are that the home team should walk away with the spoils albeit by the smallest of margins.
Paul Roos’ 2022 season got off to a rather lacklustre start, losing both opening games to Affies and Helpmekaar at the North-South tournament. They bounced back a few weeks later when they beat Grey PE away and then carried this momentum heading into St John’s Easter festival.
A come from behind draw against Bishops was followed up by a win against Glenwood and a loss against Garsfontein at the Wildeklawer Spot Festival
Their most memorable win, so far, of the 2022 season came against Paarl Gimnasium two weeks ago, with an against-all-odds last-minute victory.
Paarl Boishaai got off to a brilliant start going unbeaten until a shock defeat against Rondebosch, a loss against the Southern Suburbs team for the first time in more than a decade. They bounced back with a win from both of their matches at the Wildeklawer tournament until they came unstuck against Grey College (12-21) in the second half in Bloemfontein.
This will be a close and exciting encounter with Paul Roos steadily establishing themselves as the team to beat in the Western Cape.
Paarl Boishaai on the other hand is still a team "developing" as the season continues. They started the season as a conservative forward dominant side and have recently shown glimpses of a team able to attack from anywhere on the field.
Paul Roos must be the favourites unless the Paarl Boishaai pack of forwards can slow the game down to a stroll, starving their hosts' backline of some quality attacking ball.
Teams:
Paul Roos 1stXV: 15. Christoff de Bruyn, 14. Luke Graham, 13. Werner de Kock, 12. Philip Groenewald, 11. Christiaan Brandt, 10. Reuben Noble, 9. Liam Stander, 8. Wyatt Strydom, 7. Herman Lourens (c), 6. Andreas Oosthuizen, 5. Sampie Joubert, 4. Cameron Miell, 3. Reno Hirst, 2. Seth Haddad, 1. Wilbur Loubser.
Paarl Boishaai 1stXV: 15. Jean Claude Mars, 14. Scot Nel, 13. Sha Jehaan de Jongh, 12. Luke Carew, 11. Jameel de Jongh, 10. Thurlon Williams, 9. Juan Loots, 8. Hugo Ben Horn, 7. Divan Fuller, 6. Matthew Fick, 5. Van Heerden Pretorius, 4. Ben Heydenrych, 3. Bradley Stanfliet (c), 2. Tian Vorster.