Boishaai continue to win
It doesn't come better than this – blue sky, restful mountains, green trees, a perfect field, weather that was just not cold, a bit of a wind, a large, enthusiastic crowd and wonderful rugby match where running and tackling were the order of the day. There were 11 tries scored in a match where the tackling was outstanding.
There were 11 tries scored in a match where the tackling was outstanding.
It doesn't get better than this.
Neighbour played neighbour, nothing given away, hard and determined but with the manners to help an opponent up from the ground or give him a pat on the back when he scored – and none of that childish, pointless pushing of opponents in a meaningless display of anger.
It doesn't get better than this.
The first half, when Paarl Boys' High played with the wind, ended with the score a sedate 14-7. The second half was all energy, a try after a minute and 50 points in the half as a whole.
Boland Landbou is nearly a century younger than Boys' High and a lot smaller. Boland Landbou has about 320 boys in the school, all boys, all boarders and everyone involved in rugby.
Just recently they rejoiced in defeating Paarl Gim and would have loved a double against the other powerful Paarl school but despite coming back from 26-7 down they did not make it and in the end were five points behind, just five points behind a side enjoying its third unbeaten season in South Africa, the team ranked No.1 in the country.
The match started with Boys' High running and Boland Landbou tackling and not missing tackles. They were close when big Francke Horn looked about to score but was tackled out by flank Franco Venter.
Thaakir Abrahams was about to score but put a foot into touch. Cornell Kotzé broke but the defence was resolute, and instead it was Boland Landbou who scored.
From a line-out, the Farmers advanced till they were bashing at the line and Francois Venter, an excellent flank, was over for the try which scrumhalf Gavin Mills converted. 7-0 after 17 minutes. It took half the half for a try to be scored.
Boys' High kept on running with the ball, but it seemed that they were individual attempts, coped with by the defence.
As Boland Landbou had scored from a line-out, so did Boys' High. Landbou were penalised for an air tackle and that gave Boys' High a five-metre line-out, from which hooker Cullen van der Merwe scored and Abner van Reenen converted. 7-7 after 24 minutes.
On the stroke of half-time, Adrian Alberts, a lock who had a giant of a game, won a line-out. Paarl were not getting too far with the ball till Alberts again got it and drove ahead.
The ball came back to scrumhalf Eric Myburgh. He hesitated and then broke close to the ruck and had a clear 15-metre run to the posts.
That made the score 14-7 to Boys' High at half -time.
Scoring just before half-time and just after it is important in rugby for the momentum that it gives a team. Boys' High did it just before half-time and then twice just after half-time and it seemed that they were going to run away with the match.
A minute into the second half Van der Merwe scored his second try. Hendricks kicked off to start the half and Boys' High ran and kept running – left, right, left, right and left where Francke Horn gave Van der Merwe the pass that sent the hooker in for his second try. 19-7 after 36 minutes.
From the kick-off Boys' High came running back and there was Alberts, brought to ground but stretching for the try which Abner van Reenen converted. Suddenly in five playing minutes, Boys' High had scored three tries and were leading 26-7.
Left wing Erik Lambrecht, sometimes a scrumhalf, ducked and made headway down the left. Landbou were held up, which gave them a five-metre scrum.
Their handling went awry but they got back on the attack and went wide left where a long pass by Derren Hendricks found Francois du Toit who forced his way over to score. Mills converted from touch. 26-14.
Back came Landbou bashing at the line. Held up they had another five-metre scrum. From the scrum, on their left, Mills passed to Lambrecht cutting back.
He was tackled, burly prop Christiaan Olivier picked up and rumbled over under the posts. Suddenly it was 26-21 with 17 minutes to play.
Boys' High, whose handling into the breeze was better than with it, came straight back and some brilliant play by Van Reenen going right took out two defenders before offloading to Abrahams who passed to Stuart Tait who scored in the right corner as Armandt Adendorff did his level best to stop him.
Tait was hurt in this and replaced by Sabri Jacobs. Van Reenen converted from touch, and Boys' High led 33-21.
A penalty for "truck and trailer" obstruction gave Landbou a line-out on their right.Their maul stopped, they went left and then Mills passed to his right where Hanro-Daniël van der Merwe shot over to score. 33-26 with 8 minutes to play.
Boys' High won a Landbou line-out just inside the Landbou half. They went right and Van Reenen chipped ahead. It seemed an innocuous kick but substitute Jacobs chased down the right touchline and was on hand to grab the bouncing ball and dot it down for a try. 38-26 with 6 minutes to play.
Landbou attacked and lost the ball. Boys' High kicked and Landbou countered. They bashed along the Boys' High line from left to right but the defence held and Landbou knocked on.
From their scrum five metres from their line, Boys' High kicked out. Landbou won the line-out and went left, getting closer and closer to the goal line.
They moved across the goal-line to the right and then Hendricks came left. He threw a long pass to Sebastian de Klerk who stepped inside one and was over far out as he was tackled.
That made it 38-33, the final score – the difference was one try more.
It doesn't get much better.
Scorers:
For Paarl Boys' High:
Tries: Cullen van der Merwe 2, Stuart Tait, Eric Myburgh, Adrian Alberts, Sabri Jacobs
Cons: Abner van Reenen 4
For Boland Landbou:
Tries: Hanro-Daniël van der Merwe, Sebastian de Klerk, Francois du Toit, Marko van Niekerk, Christiaan Olivier
Cons: Gavin Mills 4
Teams:
Paarl Boys' High. 15 Thaakir Abrahams, 14 Stuart Tait, 13 Divan Enslin, 12 Le Roux Malan, 11 Luka Ferreira, 10 Abner van Reenen, 9 Eric Myburgh, 8 Francke Horn (captain), 7 Cornell Kotzé, 6 Vian Fourie, 5 Adrian Alberts, 4 Armandt Conradie, 3 Joshua du Preez, 2 Cullen van der Merwe, 1 MJ Strauss.
Boland Landbou: 15 Luther McKay, 14 Hanro-Daniël van der Merwe, 13 Sebastian de Klerk, 12 Francois du Toit, 11 Erik Lambrecht, 10 Darren Hendricks, 9 Gavin Mills, 8 Armandt Adendorff, 7 Franco Venter, 6 Thys Kitshoff, 5 Herman le Roux (captain), 4 Marko van Niekerk, 3 Christiaan Olivier, 2 Tiaan Drotskie, 1 Albert Coetzee.
Referee: Jonathan Kaplan (Western Province Referees' Society)
