Boishaai too good in the Mud
The match at Paarl Boys' High’s home ground at Brug Street was played in atrocious weather conditions and a playing surface that turned out to be a mud bath.
The highly rated Bishops outfit, which included a number of provincial players, started the match well and initially piled the pressure on the hosts. Bishops forwards were particularly effective in the scrums, where they won two tightheads. They also used the wind at their backs well, with some excellent tactical kicking.
However, the Paarl Boys' defence held out superbly and the only reward from the visitors was a penalty goal from pivot Cornel Smit.
Shortly before the break, Paarl Boys' High gained a 7-3 lead, through a well-worked try by powerful right wing Tareeq Cassiem-February.
After the break, the Paarl outfit’s forwards gradually wore down their opponents with impressive rucking and mauling. Andreas van Wyk (flank) and Quintin Vorster (prop) did yeoman work. Their backs also were full of running against their much more vaunted opponents. Centre Curtley Grain proved to be a handful and February capped off a fine performance by scoring a hat-trick of tries.
For Bishops, William Day (prop), Tim Kuhn (lock) and Mervano da Silva (No.8) put their bodies on the line.
Paarl Boys’ victory was revenge for their unexpected 10-0 defeat against Bishops in a 20-minutes-a-side match at the WP Schools Rugby Day early in the season at Newlands.
Scorers:
For Paarl Boys' High:
Tries: Tareeq Cassiem-February 3, Paul de Wet, Derrick Marais, Stefan Gouws.
Cons: Stefan Gouws (3).
For Bishops:
Pen: Cornel Smit.
Teams
Paarl Boys' High: 15 Rayhaan Lombaard, 14 Tyreeq Cassiem- February, 13 Curtley Grain, 12 Heinrich Möller, 11 Wian Gouws, 10 Stefan Gouws, 9 Paul de Wet, 8 Phillip Coetzee, 7 Christo Mostert, 6 Andreas van Wyk, 5 Dean Schwartz, 4 Wian Botha (captain), 3 Derrick Marais, 2 Carel van Zyl, 1 Quintin Vorster
Coach: Sean Erasmus
Bishops: 15 Gerard Pieterse (captain), 14 Keenan Jacobs, 13 Jesse Wilensky, 12 Justin Heunis, 11 Devon Bruiners, 10 Cornel Smit, 9 Justin Rowe-Roberts, 8 Mervano da Silva, 7 Max Linley, 6 Nic Bester, 5 Tim Kuhn, 4 Sam Mitchell, 3 Jean-Pierre Smith, 2 Keanan Alexander, 1 William Day
Replacements: 16 Patrick Mitchell, 17 Matt Jordan, 18 Jarryd Lurie, 19 Luciano da Graca, 20 Michael Inskip, 21 Luke Leach, 22 Tristan Leyds, 23 Jonathan Sheefeni
Coaches: André Jacobs, Mike Bayly
Referee: Quinton Immelman (Western Province Referees' Society)
By Leon Kruger
