Grey ran in a remarkable 17 tries, thrashing their visitors from East London 103-14 and heading into the break brimming with confidence ahead of the national Youth Weeks and several big fixtures in the third term.

Inside centre O’Ryan Kleyn and winger Thristan Maree stole the show, each bagging a hat-trick of tries. Fleet-footed fullback Lamla Mgedezi dazzled once again with a brace, while Stormers-bound lock AJ Meyer also crossed the whitewash twice.

Thristan Maree. Photo: Morgan Piek

Powerful outside centre Ethan Adams had a relatively quiet outing in the midfield but still made his presence felt with a few strong carries, eventually dotting down in the left corner during the second half.

Grey brought up the century right on the stroke of full-time when Kleyn pounced on a loose ball and flew over under the posts to secure both his hat-trick and a record scoreline.

Although it was a dominant display from start to finish, the last 15 to 20 minutes opened up considerably. Grey started throwing the ball around with more flair, which led to a few handling errors and missed opportunities, while also allowing Selborne a bit more possession.

Ethan Adams. Photo: Morgan Piek

Nonetheless, Grey’s pack completely outmuscled their opponents, with the scrum in particular proving far too powerful for the visitors to handle.

Selborne did manage two consolation tries in the second half, with Uviwe Jikwana and Njongo Dlan both dotting down, and Bungqina Nuku adding the extras on both occasions.

While such a lopsided scoreline may not be ideal for the sport, it certainly helps to silence critics who had recently called for changes to the coaching staff and playing personnel after defeats to Paarl Gymnasium (43-31) and Paarl Boys’ High (25-10).

AJ Meyer. Photo: Morgan Piek

For now, the Grey players will turn their focus to academics and the upcoming Craven Week in Middelburg, Mpumalanga. In the third term, they’ll host England’s Sedbergh School, followed by the traditional Grey derby, before closing out their season with a much-anticipated clash against Paul Roos Gymnasium in Bloemfontein.

Scorers:

Grey College: Tries – O'Ryan Kleyn 3, Thristan Maree 3, Lamla Mgedezi 3, AJ Meyer 2, Claude Steyn, JG Badenhorst, Sherwin Buys, Ethan Adams, Darius Erwee, Benjamin van der Berg, Xander Smit Conv. – Erwee 9

Selborne: Tries – Uviwe Jikwana, Njongo Dlanga Conv. – Bungqina Nuku 2

OFM Sport/Morgan Piek dg