Two of the Eastern Cape’s standout school rugby teams will collide in one of the biggest matches of the weekend when Graeme College hosts Dale College in their annual encounter on Somerset Field in Makhanda on Saturday at 15:10.
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The challenges keep coming for Graeme’s outstanding class of 2026, but the hosts have responded impressively throughout the season and will now be aiming to become the first Makhanda team to defeat Dale this year.
Captain Erin Nelson’s team has constructed another exceptional campaign, winning 14 of their 16 matches, with only Selborne College having beaten them, while they also shared the honours with Nico Malan.
Last weekend, they again showcased their attacking class by pulling away in the final quarter to beat Pearson High 61-24 after leading by only nine points midway through the second half.
Their backline has been among the most dangerous in the province all season, and arguably one of the more dangerous outfits in the country. SA Schools’ centre Nelson continues to orchestrate matters superbly from midfield, and they capitalise on the strength of their forwards, where Akho Tonjeni and Andrew Muir are among their key players. Fullback Lucritia Magau has also been in scintillating form, regularly turning half-chances into tries.
Dale, though, arrives in Makhanda full of confidence after producing two of the most spirited victories of their season before the school holidays.
In the space of four days, they edged out St Andrew’s College 42-36 to record their first victory over the Andreans at the St Andrew’s Lower Field in 23 years before travelling to City Lords, where they held off a fierce Kingswood fightback to claim a dramatic 36-35 win.
Those performances highlighted the resilience that has become a hallmark of the Qonce side. Their defence stood up magnificently in both matches under sustained late pressure, while they have shown they possess enough attacking quality to punish mistakes from anywhere on the field.
The visitors will know they face arguably their sternest examination of the season against a Graeme outfit capable of scoring from deep inside their own territory. Recent results suggest they have the belief and temperament to thrive in tight contests.
With two confident sides boasting dangerous attacking players and strong defensive systems, another fiercely contested showdown appears to be on the cards.
Elsewhere in the Eastern Cape, Marlow will aim to make home advantage count when they host Pearson in Cradock. Pearson will be eager to bounce back after their defeat to Graeme, while Marlow will hope to build momentum against another quality opponent.
Brandwag knows they cannot take DF Malherbe lightly in Gqeberha, despite the home side’s heavy loss to Nico Malan last weekend.
The visitors have built confidence through some hard-earned victories, including their recent derby success over Muir College, and will seek to continue that momentum.
In Gqeberha, Framesby take on one of the country’s traditional rugby powers when Oakdale visit the city.
After enduring a difficult run before the mid-year break, Framesby will be determined to raise their intensity against formidable opposition, while Oakdale’s Bulle will aim to show why they are regarded as one of the Western Cape’s leading rugby sides.
Teams:
Graeme College: 15 Lucritia Magau, 14 Asakhe Ranuga, 13 Erin Nelson, 12 Torres Fourie, 11 Selunathi Mfundisi, 10 Ibenathi Kondile, 9 Thurston Williams, 8 Lidwala Maliti, 7 Akho Tonjeni, 6 Iviwe Mshubeki, 5 Andrew Muir, 4 Ben-Francois du Toit, 3 Olo Jaca, 2 Athi Manyati, 1 Bagcine Ngengele.
Marlow Agricultural: 15 Herlu Schoeman, 14 Charles Marais, 13 Matthew Lieberum, 12 Ockert du Preez, 11 Jurgens van Staden, 10 Cole Hurter, 9 Logan van Vuuren, 8 GD Jordaan, 7 AC du Toit, 6 CJ Botha, 5 LJ van der Vyver, 4 Sinqobile Siyengo, 3 AJ Raubenheimer, 2 Herman le Roux, 1 Marcus September.
Pearson: 15 Keano Beling, 14 Sebastian Playdon, 13 Elimiyo Tiyo, 12 Siphe Myataza, 11 Ian Ecaad, 10 Riegerdt Oosthuizen, 9 Kadin Kretzmann, 8 Henrico Bodenstein, 7 Alexander Serfontein, 6 Gustav Pegram, 5 Stefan Kapp, 4 Liya Maswana, 3 Dewald Niemand, 2 Nathan Heyns, 1 Joshua Pienaar.
Brandwag: 15 Brindley Brandt, 14 Waymen Sinden, 13 Clevelon Deysel, 12 Dewandre Witbooi, 11 Darren Gardener, 10 Rezanio Petrus, 9 Zanick Carolus, 8 Erik Rudman, 7 Divan Kotze, 6 Josh Badenhorst, 5 Austin de Wet, 4 Justin Swanepoel, 3 Keanu Coetzer, 2 Errol te Brugge, 1 Franku Fouche
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 Luke Didloft, 1 Malcolm Thomson
Oakdale: 15 Mark-Hein Fourie, 14 Luan Mortlock, 13 Myburgh Eksteen, 12 Andre van der Merwe, 11 Nathan-Lee Gordon, 10 Marky Kortjie, 9 Mich van Eeden, 8 Jacobus de Villiers, 7 Bernard Badenhorst, 6 Adrian Smith, 5 Rico Ferreira, 4 Ruan Groenewald, 3 Francois le Roux, 2 Muller Geldenhuys, 1 Kyle Burger
