The NWU school sport series shifts into another gear this weekend, with revenge missions, and hostile away trips dominating the agenda across Gauteng and beyond.
The pick of the fixtures sees Nelspruit make the journey to the East Rand, where a Kemptonpark side with genuine promotion ambitions await.
Pool decider on the East Rand
Kemptonpark are chasing glory in the NWU School sports series, and Saturday’s encounter represents their clearest path to a home final. The mathematics are simple: secure a bonus-point victory and first place in the pool is guaranteed. With a squad packed with players who cut their teeth as grade 11s last season, they possess the experience and composure to thrive in high-pressure environments.
“We expect a very strong, physical onslaught from Nelspruit. They have a few very dangerous players that we will need to keep an eye on. We need to win with a bonus point to ensure first place in our pool. If we don’t get a bonus point we just need to keep the points difference on plus nine. Either way, we need to win to keep the hopes of a home final alive,” said Henno Coetzee, Kemptonpark’s director of rugby.
Nelspruit arrive with credentials that demand respect. Their scalp of EG Jansen, a Virseker Noordvaal Cup division outfit, announced them as genuine contenders.
MJ Mentz, Nelspruit’s director of rugby, knows his charges will face a backlash on hostile turf.
“We expect a big showing from them on their home field. They had a bunch of grade 11s in the team last year, so they have good experience. They are a team that wants to keep ball in hand and lift the tempo. We want to focus on our set-piece. When we kick we need to make sure we kick in the right areas,” Mentz said.
The tactical battle promises to be fascinating.
A homecoming in the Moot
Hoërskool Middelburg face a daunting trip to Oos-Moot, where the home side have built a formidable reputation. It’s also a homecoming of sorts for Middelburg’s director of rugby, Christiaan Gouws, who steered Oos-Moot to a Noordvaal title back in 2022.
Gouws knows exactly what awaits his troops.
“They have strong ball carriers, their set-piece is good and their outside centre runs good hard lines,” Gouws said.
Breaking down Oos-Moot in their own backyard will require Middelburg to be at their clinical best. There’s no margin for error when you’re taking on a side that thrives on home-ground advantage.
Waterkloof seek redemption in Piet Retief
After falling to Affies last weekend, Waterkloof embark on a mammoth road trip to Piet Retief. The six-and-a-half-hour journey adds an extra layer of difficulty to what should , on paper, be a more manageable assignment for the capital outfit.
But Cobus van Dyk, Waterkloof’s director of rugby, isn’t taking anything for granted.
“It’s going to be tough, we are travelling six and a half hours to get there, sleeping over, it is outside our comfort zone, so it always adds an extra layer of uncomfortability. In front of their own fans, they will come out firing. We have to ensure our attitude and our effort is at 100%. We need to be ready to fight. They have good skills, and like to throw the ball around, end-to-end stuff. We need to be more clinical, we learned from the Affies game that our execution needs to be better. We had Affies under pressure and then let them off the hook easily. We won’t make the mistake of underestimating them,” Van Dyk said.
The lessons from the Affies defeat are clear: execute under pressure, finish opportunities, and respect every opponent. Piet Retief will be fired up, and Waterkloof must match that intensity from the opening whistle.
Limpopo test for Eldoraigne
Eldoraigne, still smarting from a heavy defeat to Menlopark face the unenviable task of travelling to Tzaneen to take on Ben Vorster. Ben Vorster at home in Limpopo is a different beast entirely, and Eldoraigne will need to produce a vastly improved performance to have any chance of causing an upset.
