There has been little to separate Framesby and Grey High in recent seasons, and all the signs point to another ferocious battle when they meet in their King Price Derby Series clash at Framesby in Gqeberha on Saturday at 15:30.
Although their fortunes have differed this season – Grey has won seven of their 10 matches, while Framesby went into the mid-year break on the back of five successive defeats – form is unlikely to count for much once one of the Eastern Cape’s fiercest rivalries resumes.
Grey ended a three-year wait for victory in last year’s fixture, grinding out a dramatic 19-15 win in wet and muddy conditions after a late pushover try settled another tense contest.
The rivalry has consistently produced nail-biting finishes. Since 2019, excluding the Covid-affected seasons of 2020 and 2021, the largest winning margin has been just five points, when Grey prevailed 22-17 in 2019.
Grey coach Matt King believes another uncompromising encounter awaits.
“Our season has been very positive, having won seven of our 10 matches, including a narrow loss to Paul Roos, and we finished the second term by setting a Grey record winning margin against Daniel Pienaar (94-5),” he said.
“We also had a record 16 players from our open division represent Eastern Province at u18 level during the June holidays, which has put us in a strong position heading into the third term because those players have remained well conditioned.”
King added that the remainder of the Grey squad had also used the school holidays productively.
“The boys who were not involved in provincial rugby attended a rugby camp where the focus was on rebuilding their conditioning after the exam period, sharpening their skills, and getting them rugby-ready again.”
Despite Grey’s encouraging campaign, King knows the derby presents an entirely different challenge.
“Framesby has always been Grey High’s biggest local rivals, and these matches are invariably close. I believe the last time Grey won at Framesby was in 2017, which shows just how difficult this fixture is.
“It is a cauldron. The Framesby boys see this game as one that can define their season, and we are fully aware of the desperation and intensity they will bring on Saturday.”
For Grey to emerge victorious, King believes composure will be every bit as important as execution.
“If we are to get the result we want, we will need to manage the emotional demands of the occasion, stick to our processes and game plan, remain focused on each passage of play, and treat those moments as opportunities rather than pressure situations.”
With local bragging rights at stake, another classic chapter in the storied rivalry appears to be on the cards.
The last 10 results have been:
2013 – Grey won 41-31 at Framesby
2014 – Grey won 29-19 at Grey
2015 – not played due to heavy rain
2016: Grey won 42-17 at Grey
2017: Grey won 13-9 at Framesby
2018: Grey won 39-13 at Grey
2019: Grey won 22-17 at Grey
2020: Covid
2021: Covid
2022: Framesby won 14-10 at Framesby
2023: Framesby won 17-15 at Grey
2024: Framesby won 19-17 at Framesby
2025: Grey won 19-15 at Grey
Squads
Framesby: 15 Miles Feltham, 14 Calestin Felkers, 13 Reon Saaiman, 12 Charles Blignault, 11 Dieter Voigt, 10 Johneton van Rooyen, 9 Jandre van Zyl, 8 David Matyani, 7 Franco Olivier, 6 Josh Potgieter, 5 Janco Faber, 4 Raynhardt Brown, 3 Zandre Schnetler, 2 Hendre Viviers, 1 Luke Didloft
Grey High: 15 Likhona Nakani, 14 13 Ciaran Killian, 12 Anfred Jansen, 11 Sikhu Xego, 10 Nathan Trytsman, 9 Ryan Swarbrick, 8 Zola Yeye, 7 Cole Bennett, 6 Blake Parker, 5 Jean Nel, 4 Caleb Harvey, 3 Juan Potgieter, 2 Micah Wessels, 1 Lelethu Nono.
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