Two very different southern suburbs derbies characterised the third last Saturday of the Western Provincial schools rugby season.

While hosts SACS and Rondebosch shared a miserly three tries, the visitors taking the laurels 10-5, the Piley Rees meeting between Bishops and Wynberg yielded a real humdinger, the Platinum Blues stealing home 34-33.

The latter game was not without controversy as 'Berg’s Sikhumbuzo Notshe played despite a directive to all members of the SA Schools squad not to ahead of this Saturday’s clash with France in Port Elizabeth. Not only did he take the field, but he played a major part in keeping matters close, scoring two of his side’s five tries.

Meanwhile Bishops flyhalf Tim Swiel obediently sat the game out and watched as his deputy, James van Heerden, won the game for the hosts with a 19 point haul from the tee, the final three being the crucial penalty which sealed victory. Western Province Craven Week prop Tshepo Motale scored two of Bishops’ three five-pointers.

The Paarl schools recorded two very different victories. Gim cruised home 53-12, scoring nine tries in their destruction of De Kuilen, left wing Danny de Wet and No.8 Michael Murphy each crossing the line twice. Boishaai didn't look all that comfortable as they came from behind to beat Boland Landbou 19-12 at Brug Street in what was ultimately a battle of the boots, Strepies fullback Rhyno Smith edging Landbou pivot Jan Frylinck 14-12.

In Matieland Paul Roos nearly learnt the hard way just how resilient HTS Drostdy are, eventually taking this cliffhanger 23-21. It looks like there is a lot more than just a place in the Burger schools final riding on this Saturday’s Donkeys–Boishaai face-off at Trappespark!

Up the N2 the big derby went emphatically the way of Outeniqua as they thumped archrivals Oudtshoorn 37-10, the major contribution points-wise coming from the boot of pivot Du Toit Hills with 17.

The Struisies’ neighbours, Langenhoven Gym, enjoyed better fortune, whipping a Combined Oudtshoorn Schools team 60-3 to round off their preparations for Saturday’s Interschools at home against Punt. Nine different Gym players crossed their opponents’ line, with loosehead prop Nicolaas “Tubby” Steyn being given the signal honour of slotting the conversion of his try, the final one!

Oakdale continued to embellish their proud record for the year when they soundly thrashed Port Elizabeth’s Framesby 33-3 in Riversdale. Despite being forced by injuries to play fullback Ryno Wepener at centre, the Bulle ran in five tries, two of them by flank Janneman Stander and another by stand-in fullback Myburgh Briers.

It’s the perfect time for Oakdale to peak: on Saturday they entertain Boland Landbou and next Saturday they head south to meet the winners of this week’s HTS Drostdy vs Paarl Boys’ High match in the Burger large schools final.

Unfortunately neighbours Langenhoven High couldn't make it a smiles-all-round weekend in this pretty town. They surrendered a 3-0 half-time lead to lose 3-6 to visitors Robertson.

Lots of Boland fun and games!

Porterville finally cracked their recent Piketberg jinx with a riveting 23-21 home win. Both sides scored three tries, but scrumhalf Dylan Isaacs’ drop goal and prop Andrew Beerwinkel’s penalty plus conversion trumped the visitors’ full back Jacques Rossouw’s three conversions. Beerwinkel is another who shouldn't have played according to the instructions handed down to the SA Schools team members!

In another derby turn up for the books, New Orleans left Faure Street with smiles on their faces after finally breaking Klein Nederburg’s stranglehold on the Interschools with a narrow 15-9 triumph. No.8 Clinton Ruiters and right wing Erhardt Kilowan scored unanswered tries for the winners.

Elsewhere Hugenote made their final preparations for Saturday’s Malmesbury derby with a workmanlike 38-5 (five tries to one) victory over Western Province second-tier strugglers Brackenfell, the spectre of overzealous play reared its unsightly head when Swartland skipper Johan Nelson was speartackled into hospital as hosts Hermanus racked up a 24-15 victory, while, further up the coast, Bredasdorp trampled all over Emil Weder, scoring ten tries in a 64-13 cakewalk.

Dirkie Uys launched a determined fightback out at Vredendal to clinch their match 31-17 after trailing 7-17 at one stage. Outside centre Jason Kriel nabbed two of the Tigers’ four tries. After losing with dignity (21-27) to Swellendam in a midweek fixture, Bonnievale posted a superb 45-15 victory against Citrusdal.

Two very one-sided games saw Hopefield trounce Velddrif 52-15 and visitors Augsburg Gym lambaste Vredenburg 77-7, running in eleven converted tries in the process. Star performers in a great team effort by the Clanwilliam lads were brilliant flank Aubrey Faul and workhorse hooker Heinrich Straussberger with five and three tries respectively.

However, hosts Weston Secondary did manage to restore some Vredenburg pride with a comfortable seven-try 41-0 thrashing of Ceres’s Bella Vista. Fullback Graham Jooste helped himself to two tries.

The two Western Provincial second-tier Bellville derbies between both ended in draws. The 23-23 draw between Durbanville and Stellenberg may not have entirely satisfied either team, but it definitely provided the vociferous spectators with more than enough motivation to keep the war-cries rolling. Down the road in Bellville proper the DF Malan – Bellville game finished 15-15, five penalties apiece.

Hosts Tygerberg dealt summarily with Strand 46-12 in a match which saw pivot Dewald Claassen pass the 200-point mark for the season, an achievement brother Anri couldn't manage! The Tiere hardly missed Edwin Sass, who incidentally scored a try for the SA Academy team against France, as Justin Geduld dotted down three five-pointers and his captain, scrumhalf André Warner, two.

HTS Bellville recorded a rare victory when they held off City Bowl visitors Jan van Riebeeck 24-21, Sawat Hackley being their destroyer-in-chief with three touchdowns.

By Tony Stoops