August in Paarl

April in Paris, October in Vermont and August in Paarl – they are special times of the year, when the seasons bring out their best. Spring season in Paris, Autumn season in Vermont and Rugby Season in Paarl.

Last Saturday we had the thrilling Interschools between Paarl Boys’ High and Paarl Gim when the Faure Street Stadium was packed. This week we had a thrilling Interschools between two other Paarl Schools, Klein Nederburg and New Orleans, when the Faure Street Stadium was packed.

Rugby season has certainly brought out its best.

This FNB Classic Clash was all-out rugby. Both sides ran from start to finish, for the full 70 minutes, without seeming to tire. The speed, skill and determination were all on display – right throughout the match

The Klein Nederburg forwards were much stronger in the scrums but the New Orleans halves controlled the match excellently.

New Orleans did the early scoring and led 13-0 at one stage. In this period of play, New Orleans did the running, Klein Nederburg the tackling.

First flyhalf Ayyoob Davids kicked two penalties in the first 12 minutes.

Despite the greater strength of the Klein Nederburg scrum, New Orleans won a tighthead on the Klein Nederburg 10-metre line and off went scrumhalf Gilton Mangena and centre Feghon Snyders was felled just short of the line, losing the ball in Roschin Adams’s tackle. From there Klein Nederburg started running in attack. Such was the spirit of the game.

New Orleans continued attacking. Fullback Chadwin Dietloff was tackled into touch and Safdar Moerat – good Paarl rugby name that – was close and so were Dylan Cloete and Mangena. Then Davids’s feet did a quick dance and he was over under the posts. He converted and the score was 13-0.

Any thought of a runaway win for New Orleans was soon dispelled. First sturdy Austin Thomas kicked a penalty goal and then Klein Nederburg laid siege to the New Orleans line. Thomas was just short under the posts. But they battered on and on the stroke of half-time captain Breyton Bosman scored. Thomas converted, and the whistle for half-time went with the score 13-10.

It became 13-all two minutes into the second half when Thomas kicked a penalty for a scrum infringement. There were still 33 minutes to play but scoring became more difficult as the defences of both sides were brave and efficient.

Davids was over for a try but the pass to him was ruled forward. Davids tapped a kickable penalty in search of a try, and a grubber kick of his set up a New Orleans line-out five metres from the Klein Nederburg line. Still Klein Nederburg kept them out.

When Cohen November was tackled high and recklessly, Klein Nederburg lost a man to the sin bin and Davids gave New Orleans the lead at 16-13 with 24 minutes to play.

Henrico Hartogh had a great run down the left wing and this seemed to add to Klein Nederburg’s enthusiasm. When New Orleans were penalised, Thomas made the score 16-all.

Klein Nederburg were doing the attacking now with a strong run by Maxwell Fortuin down the left.

Time was nearly up when Klein Nederburg were rushing up the field on the attack, not satisfied with a draw. They got onto New Orleans territory when they knocked on with 12 seconds left in the match. New Orleans won the scrum and Kydo Scheepers attacked down the left wide. Klein Nederburg were penalised for a tip tackle. New Orleans tapped and ran, going right. From wide right they went wide left till Snyders received a pass just outside the Klein Nederburg 22. He accelerated, handed off and scored in the left corner. After the conversion attempt, the final whistle went, nearly three minutes over time.

21-16. What dancing joy for the victors, what gloom for the vanquished, the victims of their desire to win.

It was a great game.

Teams

Klein Nederburg: 15 Ruthan Valentyn, 14 Roschin Adams, 13 Shane Jordaan, 12 Shane-Cole Williams, 11 Heinrico Hartogh, 10 Austin Thomas, 9 Ceagan Francke, 8 Damian Scholtz, 7 Grant Assure, 6 Maxwell Fortuin, 5 Adri Kermis, 4 Breyton Bosman (captain), 3 Auden Neff, 2 Marshalino Booysen, 1 Darren Hendricks
Replacements: 16 Gregan Weimers, 17 Will Williams, 18 Deven Cunningham, 19 Wayden Basjan, 20 Leagen Jagman, 21 Dylan Jacobs, 22 Jo-Main Horne, 23 Paul Kruger

New Orleans: 15 Chadwin Diedtloff, 14 Renaldo Young, 13 Feghon Snyders, 12 Leighton Kearns, 11 Safdar Moerat, 10 Ayyoob Davids (captain), 9 Gilton Mangena, 8 Dylan Cloete, 7 Kydo Skippers, 6 Darren Jansen, 5 Charlton Pietersen, 4 Darren Brown, 3 Anrich Hugo, 2 Zavier Ladouce, 1 Sergio Willemse
Replacements: 16 John Lee Adams, 17 Tiaan Pienaar, 18 Herschell Nontas, 19 Abdul-Gamiet Solomon, 20 Genito Jones, 21 Cohen November, 22 Jo-Nathan August

Referee: Viv Adams (Wesytern Province Referees’ Society)
Assistant referees: Colin Green (Wesytern Province Referees’ Society), Caroos Jacobs (Wesytern Province Referees’ Society)

Results Down the Years

1994: New Orleans won 33-3
1995: New Orleans won 32-0
1996: New Orleans won 19-12
1997: Klein Nederburg won 11-5
1998: New Orleans won 17-8
1999: New Orleans won 9-5
2000: New Orleans won 32-3
2001: New Orleans won 17-0
2002: Klein Nederburg won 14-12
2003: New Orleans won 15-9
2004: New Orleans won 8-0
2005: New Orleans won 12-3
2006: New Orleans won 7-5
2007: Klein Nederburg won 13-10
2008: Klein Nederburg won 24-23
2009: Klein Nederburg won 16-3
2010: Klein Nederburg won 19-17
2011: New Orleans won 15-9
2012: New Orleans won 25-8
2013: New Orleans won 17-13
2014: Klein Nederburg won 22-13
2015: Draw 10-10
2016: Klein Nederburg won 10-7
2017: New Orleans won 18-15
2018: New Orleans won 21-16