Boishaai - just

In a Mutual & Federal Premier Interschools match in Paarl on Saturday, the home side, Paarl Boys' High just got home against Paul Roos, winning a tense match 21-20 with a try just under two minutes from the end.

It was a gripping match all right. Paarl Boys' High were generally expected to win. After all they were at home and had a better record than the erratic Stellenbosch side. But Paul Roos clearly didn't believe that they were meant to lose for they got stuck in from the start. They were met to be beaten up in the scrums but gave as good as they got. They were expected to be overshadowed in the lose but they gave much better than they got as the united behind the tackle place and drove in with vigour.

The line-outs were a strange feature of the match. Boys' High threw into 12 and lost six; Paulo Roos threw into 12 and lost six.

It was not the weather's fault as the rain stayed away till late in the second half and then it was a feeble drizzle. But the field was heavy after the week's rain and the main match was the fourth played on it on Saturday. But the heavy underfoot does not explain the wonky line-outs

There was a stage in the first half when it looked as if Boys' High were going to run away from the match after Paul Roos had scored inside the first five minutes.  The home side then went to 16-7 but back came Paul Roos to take the lead which they kept till shortly before the end.

At the first tackle Paul Roos tore in and won a turnover. And then they scored. From a scrum in midfield, they played 8-9-14 – Michael Meyer to Herschel Jantjies who ran strongly at an oblique angle, taking two defenders with him before working a scissors with right wing Joel Heugh. The wing burst through the gap that Jantjies had made and scored. He converted his own try. 7-0 after 4 minutes.

Conversions threatened to decide the game as Heugh kicked both while Boys' high missed all three.

After eighthman Charl-Francois du Toit had made a long break to set his side on the attack, Paul Roos were penalised at a tackle and Stefan Gouws. 7-3 after 6 minutes.

Boys' High had a five metre line-out but lost it on an overthrow. Paul Roos tried to clear from a tackle/ruck but massive Thomas du Toit charged the kick down, gathered the bouncing ball and scored. 8-7 after 10 minutes.

Eighthman Du Toit had another break but Paul Roos got back into the Boys' High half. From a line-out in his own half Charlton Jonas, the Boys' High flank, broke and raced many metres downfield. He veered to his left in search of support, found it and gave to outside centre Curtley Grain who put Keanan van Wyk in for a try. 13-7 after 16 minutes and five minutes later Gouws goaled when Paul Roos pushed an opponent in touch. 16-7 after 21 minutes and Boys' High seemed in the ascendant but it was 47 minutes before they scored again.

First Boys' High pushed in touch and were penalised. Heugh goaled. 16-10 after 25 minutes.

Two kicks ahead by Daniel du Plessis put Paul Roos on the attack. Du Plessis was close and then flyhalf Reinhardt Fortuin was held up over the line. From the subsequent scrum Paul Roos bashed. Jantjies was close and then biG JP Botha was over for a try at the posts. 17-16 to Paul Roos.

Brilliant Dante van der Merwe raced down the left touch line and later Paul de Wet darted ahead from an overthrown Paul Roos line-out. Then at the other end Paul Roos seemed to score after Fortuin had chipped but the referee detected a tiny knock-on. Still Paul Roos, who had the better of the second half, went further ahead when Heugh goaled from a tackle infringement. 20-16 after 53 minutes.

Paul Roos had their tails up and more then ever the breakdowns were fierce contests.

As the rain came down Grain had a strong run but his attempted scissors with  Dale Daniels was a flop. Dante van der Merwe chipped and footed on but Meyer saved. Sadly Van der Merwe was taken off which was clearly a painful leg injury.

Paarl Boys' High swapped a kickable penalty for a five-metre line-out. Matthew le Roux caught the ball in the line-out and Boys' high formed a maul and rushed it over the line for a try credited to Jonas. 21-20 after 68 minutes.

Time was up when De Wet kicked out from a scrum which signalled dancing glee for the boys in blue, grievous disappointment for the boys in maroon.

Charlton Jonas was named man of the match.

Scorers:

For Paarl Boys' High:

Tries: Thomas du Toit, Keanan van Wyk, Charlton Jonas

Pens: Stefan Gouws 2

For Paul Roos:

Tries: Joel Heugh, JP Botha

Cons; Joel Heugh 2

Pens: Joel Heugh 2

Teams

Paarl Boys' High: 15 Dante van der Merwe, 14 Daylen Daniels, 13 Curtley Grain, 12 Luan Boshoff, 11 Keanan van Wyk, 10 Stephan Gouws, 9 Paul de Wet, 8 Charl-Francois du Toit, 7 JJ van der Spuy, 6 Charlton Jonas, 5 Hein Kritzinger, 4 Matthew le Roux, 3 Francois van der Merwe, 2 Ruan Brits, 1 Thomas du Toit (captain)

Replacements: 16 Piero Passerini, 17 Wynand Cilliers, 18 Hannes Mostert, 19 Bulla de Villiersd, 20 Damian Stevens, 21 Dewald Naude, 22 Darren Papier.

Coaches Elmo Wolfaardt, Richard Visagie, Gerhard Visser

Paul Roos: 15 Muller Brink, 14 Joel Heugh, 13 Tristan Cramer, 12 Daniel du Plessis, 11 Edwill van der Merwe, 10 Reinhardt Fortuin, 9 Herschel Jantjies, 8 Michael Meyer, 7 Christo van der Merwe (captain), 6 Mitchell Carstens, 5 Lohann Louw, 4 Daniel Buitendag, 3 Christiaan Hamman, 2 Jacques van Zyl, 1 JP Botha

Replacements: 16 Gerrie le Roux, 17 Ian Hauptfleisch, 18 Mitch Lingeveldt, 19 Pieta Smith, 20 Calvin Nell, 21 Matt Gallow, 22 Chris Smit

Coach: Hein Kriek

Referee: Jacques Pienaar (Western Province Referees' Society)

Assistant referees: Nathan Barry (Western Province Referees' Society), Hennie Heydenrich (Western Province Referees' Society)