After eight consecutive losses, Hoërskool Hermanus will hope to hop back onto the winning wagon when they host Hoërskool Strand at 13:00 on Saturday.
They were starved of victory in a valiant 18-20 loss against Hoërskool Charlie Hofmeyr last weekend.
The last three names on their 1st XV teamsheet were the points’ scorers in that match. Outside centre Liam Prodehl and right-wing Obinna Enenchukwu both crossed for tries, while the other eight points came from Caleb Flint, who kicked a conversion and two penalties. Unfortunately, Prodehl will miss the Strand match due to a viral infection.
Last year, as the hosts, Strand won 31-20. While they’ve enjoyed some strong wins this season, they suffered a narrow 17-20 loss to Hoërskool Bellville last Saturday. They’ll find that playing away against the wounded Hermanus is another tough challenge.
The visitors’ captain, eighthman Rohan Bezuidenhout, leads from the front. He is a perennial try-scorer who is equally reliable on defence, thanks to his exceptional work rate. Eighthman Rehan Götze will be the captain for Hermanus, so there’ll be a mini-battle between the leaders to watch out for.
Along with their captain, Strand centres Waldo Newton and Preston Tobias were on the scoresheet in last weekend’s loss to Bellville. The midfield pair has been in sync, and they will present a challenge that the hosts will need to deal with.
It’s expected to be a tight affair.
Over the last five games, DF Akademie has won twice, lost twice, and drawn once. One of those defeats was in their most recent game, which they lost 34-43 to Hoërskool Brackenfell last weekend.
That marked the only match in the last three seasons in which they’ve scored 30 or more points and did not walk away as victors. DF will try to get back to winning ways at HTS Bellville on Saturday, with the kickoff at 12:30.
Despite their mixed bag of results, HTS Bellville captain and hooker Meyer Brits has been a key player for his side and has grown as a player and a leader throughout the season.
Fullback Pieter Delport is another of their consistent performers, both as a reliable playmaker and a kicker. Unfortunately, he’ll be out for this week’s contest. Jayden Plaatjies, who often plies his trade on the wing, will take over the no. 15 jersey.
Given that DF Akademie has generally played against tougher opposition this season, they could be considered a slight favourite in this match-up.
Teams:
Hoërskool Hermanus: 15 Caleb Flint, 14 Obinna Enenchukwu, 13 M-Jay Matinka, 12 Kaleb van der Walt, 11 Carlin September, 10 Jesse Arnoldus, 9 Edward du Toit, 8 Rehan Götze (captain), 7 Tony Martins, 6 Ronnie Williams, 5 Zalyn Bazier, 4 Damian van der Berg, 3 Lulutho Willie, 2 Tinus Visagie, 1 Ethan Richards.
Hoërskool Strand: 15 Henry Hess, 14 Caleb Reeding, 13 Preston Tobias, 12 Waldo Newton, 11 Haydriane Pieterson, 10 Leighton Lewis, 9 Jason Hartogh, 8 Rohan Bezuidenhout (captain), 7 Ruben van der Westhuizen, 6 Josh Human, 5 Josh Lourens, 4 Schalk Beukues, 3 Brand Nel, 2 Timmothy Van der Bergh, 1 Duane Lombard.
DF Akademie: 15 Jayden Plaatjies, 14 Zuan Lottering, 13 Dylan Thompson, 12 Melt Naudé, 11 Tarquin Newman, 10 Nicholas Barker, 9 Sinalo Kethelo, 8 Gerhard Groenewald, 7 Juan le Roux, 6 Christiaan Coetzee, 5 Sebastian Botha, 4 Christo Fourie, 3 Cor Hoving, 2 Meyer Brits (captain), 1 Alu Joko.
HTS Bellville: 15 Rhakeem Simonsen, 14 Tiego Thyssen, 13 Hagan Buys, 12 Denmarco Adams, 11 Ronaldo Sampson, 10 Cole Woodington, 9 Avril van Oordt, 8 Uwan White, 7 Joseph Iyoni (captain), 6 Dante Kansan, 5 Bruly Kiongo, 4 Josue Segima, 3 Kaylin Harvey, 2 Seth Agnew, 1 Ungakuthi Mkume.
