St John’s College will have a chance to end their rugby season with a third win in a row on Saturday.
They’ll be attempting to do so in a King Price Derby Series clash against their Johannesburg rivals, St Stithians College, on Burger Field.
Kickoff is at 14:00, and the match will be broadcast live on DStv Channel 216 and on SuperSport Schools.
It’s the third consecutive year in which the sides meet in both teams’ final fixtures of the season.
The Blues are at home. When they last hosted St Stithians in 2024, they lost a tight clash 20-24. Last year, though, Saints won 25-21 on Baytopp Field.
With props Mako Mandisa and Noah Tomkinson in the Golden Lions u18A and u18C teams, respectively, one can expect the scrums to be an area of strength for the visitors. Mandisa packs down at tighthead and also captains St John’s.
Meanwhile, the hosts have a front row ace of their own in their captain, Siphosamandosi Cele, who was also selected for the Lions u18A side, and will go directly against his fellow skipper. That will be a battle within the war upon which to keep an eye.
One of the key areas in which the contest will be decided is the rolling maul. Scoring from them and stopping them has been a crucial part of the game throughout the 2026 season.
St John’s lock Allan Patu will be a key player for the visitors. He’s been included in the Golden Lions’ u18B side, largely thanks to his strong performances in the lineouts. If there are any holes in the Saints’ defence of the rolling maul, then he’s most likely to be the first to notice and exploit them.
St Stithians’ flyhalf, Matthew Anderson, is an X-Factor player for the visiting side. He’s accurate when kicking at goal, and he also uses his boot to put in some pinpoint chips and cross-kicks for his teammates. He’s also a danger to collect and score from his own chips, and his running threat shouldn’t be overlooked either.
St Stithians’ coach Thoriso Shihau shared his thoughts ahead of Saturday’s showdown, stating: “We’re heading into this fixture with a real sense of excitement and a quiet confidence.
“The boys have put in the work, embraced the challenge, and are eager to test themselves against a strong side. At St Stithians, we take pride in our effort and our ability to lift ourselves for big occasions like this.”
St John’s head coach, Katleho Lynch, noted the significance of the rivalry: “This fixture is special because of the history between the two schools. Over the last three years, the scores have been close, reflecting the meaning and quality shown by both teams.
“It’s great that post-rugby both teams share very close friendships.”
Derby fixtures are unpredictable. Often, recent form doesn’t seem to apply. Suddenly, players who were previously seen in the background enter the spotlight, and either side would welcome the emergence of such a player on Saturday.
It’s been a tough second half to the season for St Benedict’s College, with the Bedfordview outfit losing their last five matches in succession.
They host St David’s Marist Inanda on Saturday. Kickoff is at 12:30.
Last year, St David’s cruised to a 47-5 victory, and they’ll go into the clash favoured to win. They won four of their last five games, although they lost their most recent match, going down 24-26 to St John’s College.
Bennies‘ fullback Kgotso Mazibuko has been included in the Golden Lions u18C side, thanks to his physical speed, as well as the mental speed that enables him to identify attacking opportunities. He’ll be a dangerous counterattacking threat and will also attempt to join his fellow backs to act as a third centre on the overlap.
Meanwhile, the Inanda locals are strong in the lineouts. Lock Chris Theorides loves to steal possession from the opposition’s throw-ins, while eighthman Matthew Scott is difficult to stop from the back of the rolling maul.
The teams:
St John’s College: 15 Lwandile Khupe, 14 Ethan Francke, 13 Liam Moseley, 12 David Ireland, 11 Tumisho Motshegoa, 10 Alec Psillos, 9 Adam Haselau, 8 Cameron Coetzer, 7 Shane Dalton, 6 Mihlali Tabane, 5 Allan Patu, 4 Rupert Schonbon, 3 Mako Mandihza (captain), 2 Luke Scott, 1 Matthew Edmondson.
St Stithians College: 15 Oliver Lang, 14 Calvin Wagner, 13 Reece Hubner, 12 Sicelo Sakawuli, 11 Omolemo Lerefolo, 10 Matthew Anderson, 9 Cameron Blignaut, 8 Zander Casewell, 7 Zander van der Merwe, 6 Jonathan Steyn, 5 Matthew Nash, 4 Adam Stoutjesdyk, 3 Noah Tomkinson, 2 Kabelo Tlou, 1 Siphosamandosi Cele (captain).
St David’s Marist College: 15 Kaden Waldbaum, 14 Tadiwanashe Javangwe, 13 Cameron Wade, 12 Giorgio Ferreria, 11 Nathan Hwindingwi, 10 Claudio D’Alessio, 9 Danilo Giuricich (captain), 8 Matthew Scott, 7 Fredy Kameni, 6 Ronin Hallowes, 5 Wayne Eckstein, 4 Chris Theorides, 3 Alessio Joannides, 2 Roberto Mariano, 1 Dev Vallabhjee.
St Benedict’s College: 15 Thabiso Maposa, 14 Katleho Makofane, 13 Kwenama Dhlamini, 12 Jake Swinney, 11 Siya Kubeka, 10 Samuel Sendwe, 9 Kgotso Mazibuko, 8 Thando Tembe (captain), 7 Gabriel Oliveira, 6 Sam Walsh, 5 Jesse du Plessis, 4 Kai Dreyer, 3 Themba Ndima, 2 Declan Smith, 1 Angelo Santana.
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