This is a big one - for many the climax of their school careers, their life in the 1st XV that they love and honour, an FNB Classic Clash. They are two great schools who have made and continue to make a massive contribution to South African rugby.

It is a match which Grey usually win - usually, not certainly. One would expect them to win this year again. After all they are - again - at the top of the FNB Top 20 while Paul Roos are 12th. Grey have had two draws and won the rest; Paul Roos have lost several, not by much. Both sides were well represented at Craven Week - Grey more so than Paul Roos and in a Free State side that did quite a bit better than Western Province.

Provincial representation

This is list of players for this match and does not include JP Lewis of Paul Roos and Dries Swanepoel, Jan Serfontein, Pieter Jordaan, who was a late call-up to the team after flyhalf Jaco van der Walt was injured on Tuesday, and Leneve Damens of Grey who are in the SA Schools side or Ruwellyn Isbel who is injured.

Craven Week:

Paul Roos: Ramone Samuels, Andreas Dercksen for two years, Dalen Goliath, Kyle Lombard for two years and Michal Haznar.

Grey: Rudolph Botha for two years, Jacques du Toit, Neethling Fouché for two years, Nicolaas Immelman, Henco Greyling for two years, Arrie Vosloo, Jannie Strumpher, François Pretorius, Wihan Lombard and Hennie-Schalk Theron who is on the bench for this match - 10 in all, not including the missing five.

Each team plays three matches at Craven Week. Free State won all three, beating the Blue Bulls, the Pumas and the Golden Lions. Western Province won one, beating Border, and lost to KwaZulu Natal and Pumas.

Academy Week

Paul Roos: Jan Uys, Thomas van Niekerk

Grey: Lezar Marnewick, Theodor Arndt, Peter van Biljon, Edward Schmidt, Tienie Burger. Of them Tienie Burger was chosen for the SA Academy side and played against France last Saturday.

That means that 20 Grey players were in the two Free State teams.

It is clear that Grey have a classy team.

Paul Roos have a bog pack. Their front row weights 396 kg and they have another three forwards weighing over 100kg, including Jan Uys who is just under 2m tall. They should surely be able to get their own ball from scrums and line-outs. After that the scrap is on.

Results against common components

Both sides play top teams time and again and travel far to do so.

Affies: Grey won 16-11; Paul Roos lost 28-25
Paarl Boys' High: Grey drew 15-15; Paul Roos lost 20-18
Waterkloof: Grey won 21-16; Paul Roos lost 48-10
Grey PE: Grey won 69-21, Paul Roos 22-18
Glenwood: Grey won 28-6; Paul Roos lost 13-8

That favours Grey.

There is no doubt that Grey start favourites.

Teams

Grey College: 15 Wihan Lombard, 14 François Pretorius, 13 Jannie Strumpher, 12 AN Other, 11 Lezar Marnewick, 10 Theodor Arndt, 9 Arrie Vosloo, 8 Henco Greyling, 7 Nicolaas Immelman, 6 Peter van Biljon, 5 Edward Schmidt, 4 Tienie Burger, 3 Neethling Fouché, 2 Jacques du Toit, 1 Rudolph Botha
Replacements: 16 Corniel Els, 17 Hennie-Schalk Theron, 18 JJ Nell, 19 Louis Karsten, 20 Quintin Beukes, 21 Meyer van Tonder, 22 Stephan Janse van Rensburg

Coaches: Ingo Machts, Roelf Meyer

Paul Roos: 15 François Munnik, 14 Luhann de Kock, 13 Michal Haznar, 12 Kyle Lombard, 11 Dalen Goliath, 10 André le Roux, 9 Bokkie Carstens, 8 Andreas Dercksen (captain), 7 Ramone Samuels, 6 Thomas van Niekerk, 5 Jan Uys, 4 Leonard Duvenage, 3 Rael Jacobs, 2 Hannes Viljoen, 1 Migael Grobler

Coaches: Stephan Jordaan, Norman Laker

Date: 20 August 2011
Kick-off: 13.45
Venue: Danie Craven Stadium, Stellenbosch
Expected weather conditions: Partly cloudy with a high of 20°C, dropping to 9°C.

Results Down the Years

1967 Grey won 22-3
1977 Grey won 20-10
1988 Grey won 16-9
1989 Grey won 28-7
1990 Grey won 17-9
1991: Paul Roos won 20-3
1992: Grey won 20-6
1993: Paul Roos won 27-4
1994: Paul Roos won 31-29
1995: Grey won 21-10
1996: Grey won 18-10
1997: Paul Roos won 12-8
1998: Grey won 23-15
1999: Grey won 29-26
2000: Grey won 42-13
2001: Grey won 15-6
2002: Grey won 19-8
2003: Grey won 18-17
2004: Grey won 24-23 and Paul Roos won 21-18
2005: Grey won 16-11
2006: Paul Roos won 16-11
2007: Grey won 40-14
2008: Grey won 47-15
2009: Paul Roos won 9-3
2010: Grey won 41-29