Grey College will host Paul Roos Gimnasium this Saturday, while Monument and Helpmekaar clash in the Virseker Cup final. THEO GARRUN reports.
The finalists in the North Vaal Virseker Cup competition were decided at the weekend, with defending champions Monument set to take on Helpmekaar in the final, at the University of Pretoria’s LC de Villiers complex, this Saturday.
Monnas beat Garsfontein 45-14 in their semi-final clash, while Helpmekaar scored an injury-time try to beat Transvalia 34-33 in theirs. The finals of the Plate and Shield, the second and third league competitions, will also be played at Tuks on Saturday.
REPORT: Helpmekaar edge Transvalia in thriller
Helpmkeaar beat Monnas 27-18 when the teams met two weeks ago and must be narrow favourites. But Monument have a reputation for performing in finals – they are also this year’s Tuks Series champions.
However, those matches will be overshadowed by the most-anticipated game of the season, the meeting of the top two sides, Grey College and Paul Roos Gimnasium, in Bloemfontein.
Both teams are unbeaten and both have played just about all the top contenders, so the winner of this one can rightfully be called South Africa’s top school rugby team for 2018.
Neither teams will, unfortunately, be at full strength as they will have players on national duty in Cape Town where the SA Schools team meet England U18 at the same time. Grey have lost three players (prop Jacobus Agenberg, flank De Wet Marais and centre Wyclif Vlitoor); while Paul Roos are without four first team players (centre Brendan Venter, prop Hanru Jacobs, hooker JJ Kotze and flyhalf Juan Mostert).
Both schools have plenty of strength in depth, however, and with so much at stake, it’s going to be a massive contest.
Among the other games this weekend are Wynberg vs Bishops, the Queens College vs Dale College derby and the big inter-agricultural schools clash between Boland Landbou and Oakdale.
Glenwood are celebrating what some are calling the greatest season in the school’s history. They ended it unbeaten by defeating Waterkloof 39-15 on Thursday. They never met Paul Roos Gimnasium, but played, and beat, most of the other top schools in the land, and held Grey College to a draw a week ago.
In other action over the past weekend, Bishops beat St Andrew’s 38-22, Selborne beat Grey High 31-26 and Dale beat Hudson Park 38-15.
Virseker Cup finals lineup:
Cup: Helpmekaar vs Monument
Plate: Eldoraigne vs Noordheuwel
Shield: Ben Vorster vs Oos Moot
