IT’S The Big Show this afternoon as arguably 2 of the top 5 first hockey teams in SA come face to face on home side Maritzburg College’s Pape’s Astro.

Yes it’s the Red Army versus Clifton Durban, it’s two of the top squads in the KZN10.com stable crossing swords; it’s Maritzburg College captain Russell Stainbank’s boys against Clifton leader Matt Lewis and Co.

It’s two of the best schoolboy hockey mentors in the province, Clifton’s Keegan Pearce (who was recently named as the KZN Coastal U18A coach) and the Red Army’s Dylan Coombes.

Keegan has been head of hockey at Clifton for two years while his opposite number Dylan Coombes is in his first year at the helm on Fortress Pape’s.

Both outfits are encouraged to execute an exciting brand of attacking hockey that has at its core a number of similarities:

Exploitation of space

Calmness under pressure

Strong penalty corner combinations

Accountability in defence

And most importantly, great pride in the school badge and what it stands for.