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St John’s aim to show their skills at Grey Rugby Festival

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St John’s College will be relying on their traditional blueprint of playing smart and skilful rugby when they test themselves against some of the best teams in the Eastern Cape at next month’s Grey High Rugby Festival.

The Johannesburg squad will be part of more than 2000 officials and players who will descend on Gqeberha for the annual sporting spectacle which takes place from May 1 to 4.

Besides the rugby action on May 2 and 4, many of the country’s premier hockey schools will be competing for the Hibbert Shield at the Rectory Astro, starting on May 1.

St John’s have been regular competitors in the Grey festival and head of rugby Katleho Lynch said they were thrilled at another opportunity measure themselves against different opposition. “We would like to go away from the festival knowing that we have grown as a squad, learnt from each other and our opposition, with the aim of using those lessons for the rest of the season,” he said.

“Our overriding philosophy is to play smart rugby.

“Size may not our biggest blessing but our aim as coaches is to promote a pattern of rugby which is smart, skilful and attractive.”

With three wins, two losses and a draw from their first six matches, St John’s will be looking to further develop their overall play when they take on tough opponents in hosts Grey High on the Thursday and Muir College on the Saturday.

“Participating in the Grey festival not only enables our boys to compete against schools from other provinces but also serves as a significant preparation for the next phase of our season,” Lynch said.

“Coaches and boys alike are thrilled at the opportunity to challenge themselves. “We anticipate facing two formidable opponents with rich rugby legacies.

“Grey High are known for their structured and systematic approach, while Muir College will present diverse challenges across various aspects of the game.”

With six players from the 2023 squad adding a fair degree of experience to the team, they are looking forward to the rest of the season.

“Our first XV squad is highly competitive and all the players showed exceptional dedication during pre-season, delivering impressive performances,” Lynch added.

“Of our games so far, our 17-17 draw against (strong Makhanda team) Kingswood showcased our team’s potential to achieve even greater success this season.”

Lynch said they would focus heavily on the set pieces and their defence.

“Those are some of our strengths, but we also have key individuals who can strike when least expected, so we are looking forward to producing our best efforts at the Grey festival.”

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