Bloem Win Grey Mud Wrestle

In a Premier Interschools match, Grey Bloem beat Grey PE 33-7 before a cheerful crowd on a miserable day. Not much of the Philip Field was field. Most of it – from 22 to 22 and 15-metre line to 15-metre line – was vlei, a black and gloomy vlei.

And to make matters darker, gloomier and more unpleasant, the drizzle that started the game became rain.

The players' colours – dark blue for Bloem and sky blue for PE – all became a uniform muddy black, their numbers blacked out.. Their faces, too, became a muddy black. And yet, these two special teams, both highly ranked on the FNB Top 20, played special rugby, lively from start to finish, their handling far better than many teams achieve in perfect conditions. Neither side could ever have played in anything like this and, perhaps, a cynic may think that it was because they had not experienced anything like this that they did not fear the conditions. It clearly was not the case, for they passed simply and sympathetically, caught with concentration and hardly kicked, certainly not a penalty at goal

The crowd provided the colour – the array of colourful umbrellas, and they all looked so cheerful.

It was a special occasion.

Ten minutes into the game, the players were areadyl uniformly mud-coloured when Bloem had a line-out and drove a maul near to the PE line. PE were penalised and Wihan Kloppers, a Bloem flank, tapped and plunged low for the line, surfing over for the try. 5-0.

There was lots of to-ing and fro-ing by both sides, till Bloem went on a pick-'n-drive, miraculously knowing who was friend and who was foe, till the other flank, big Juan Venter accepted the ball and thrust past three defenders to score near the posts. 12-0, and the rain was getting more aggressive, though not enough to cleanse the players' faces.

Five minutes later Bloem charged towards the PE line. Inside centre Jaco Wessels, as strong as a flank, got close to the line where scrumhalf Rewan Kruger picked up and dived over for the try. 19-0 which was the half-time score.

In the first half PE had been only once into the Bloem 22 but they started the second half attacking again and again. They had a five-metre line-out, a five-metre penalty and a five-metre scrum, but Bloem won a turnover and hoofed the ball clear to just outside their 22.  Bloem won the subsequent line-out and then were awarded a scrum, somewhere near where the half-way line might have been. From the scrum they did an 8-9 and Kruger kicked ahead, Bloem chased and two flykicks later the ball stood up obediently for right wing Henk Cilliers who scored near the posts. 26-0 10 minutes into the second half.

Then PE delighted their supporters with a try. From an attacking line-out they peeled, bashed, went right where flyhalf Waqar Solaan attacked, wheeled and scored at the upright despite the attentions of two defenders. 26-7.

Bloem charged down an attempted clearance and forced a five-metre scrum. They were over the line but held up. Another five-metre scrum. This time Kruger went wide on the left side and played the ball inside to eighthman Dian Schoonees who burst over for the final try. A player with a clean jersey with the number 24 on the back, Christopher Schreuder, converted.

There were just three minutes left and Bloem had the better of those minutes.

Scorers:

For Grey PE:

Try: Waqar Salaan

Con: Sihle Njezula

For Grey Bloem:

Tries: Wihan Kloppers, Juan Venter, Rewan Kruger, Henk Cilliers, Dian Schoonees

Cons: Mario Vieira 3, Christopher Schreuder

Teams

Grey High School: 15 Sihle Njezula, 14 Khanyo Mafunda, 13 Aya Oliphant, 12 Josiah Twum-Boafo, 11 Aya Matroos, 10 Waqar Solaan, 9 Praveen Bosch, 8 Tertius Groenewald (captain) , 7 Azola Mahonga, 6 Bevan Prinsloo, 5 ConnorThalrose, 4 Travis Outram, 3 Sive Mazosiwe, 2 Aphiwe Febana, 1 Michael Biggs

Replacements: 16 James Scott, 17 Ruan Jonker, 18 Travis de Bruin, 19 Philip Weyer-Henderson, 20 Bradley Nelson, 21 James Neubert, 22 Uan Tait, 23 Damien Smuts

Grey College: 15 David Kriel, 14 Henk Cilliers, 13 Janco van Heyningen, 12 Jaco Wessels, 11 Marnus Boshoff, 10 Mario Vieira, 9 Rewan Kruger, 8 Dian Schoonees, 7 Juan Venter, 6 Wihan Kloppers, 5 Jaco de Beer, 4 Marcel Theunissen, 3 Gideo Beukes (captain), 2 Matthew Wessels, 1 Naudé Naudé

Replacements: 16 Ru-Hann Greyling, 17 WJ Kruger, 18 Wihan Marais, 19 Michiel Burger, 20 Arno Niewoudt, 21 DC Odendaal, 22 PR Serfontein, 23 Nico Prinsloo

Referee: Rodney Boneparte (Eastern Province Referees' Society)

Results Down the Years

The first match, in 1929, was in Bloemfontein.

There are scores missing in 1972 and 1973. It would be so good if we could fill them in. If you have some fillers, please, send to paul@sportsmedia365.com.

1929: Grey Bloem won 16-0

1930: Grey Bloem won 9-7

1953: Grey Bloem won 13-3

1963: Draw 8-8

1968: Draw 5-5

1972: Grey Bloem won

1973: Draw

1976: Grey PE won 13-12

1977: Grey Bloem won 21-18

1978: Grey PE won 19-17

1979: Grey Bloem won 28-6

1980: Grey Bloem won 24-12

1981: Grey Bloem won 30-7

1982: Grey Bloem won 27-9

1983: Grey Bloem won 30-3

1984: Grey PE won 18-10

1985: Grey Bloem won 41-12

1986: Grey Bloem won 26-6

1987: Grey Bloem won 57-0

1988: Grey Bloem won 16-9

1989: Grey Bloem won 39-17

1990: Draw 6-6

1991: Grey Bloem won 32-7

1992: Grey PE won 20-16

1993: Grey Bloem won 38-3

1994: Grey PE won 18-10

1995: Grey Bloem won 38-10

1996: Grey PE won 13-3

1997: Grey Bloem won 23-13

1998: Grey Bloem won 10-3

1999: Grey Bloem won 39-6

2000: Grey Bloem won 31-6

2001: Grey Bloem won 18-15

2002: Grey Bloem won 41-3

2003: Grey Bloem won 51-6

2004: Grey PE won 17-14

2005: Grey Bloem won 22-16

2006: Grey Bloem won 34-21

2007: Grey Bloem won 44-26

2008: Grey Bloem won 22-17

2009: Grey Bloem won 16-0

2010: Grey Bloem won 38-8

2011: Grey Bloem won 69-21

2012: Grey Bloem won 22-3

2013: Grey Bloem won 50-21

2014: Grey PE won 27-20

2015: Grey Bloem won 34-22

2016: Grey Bloem won 33-7