Boys' High benefit and win

One could not fault the Kwaggas' determination and commitment. They were missing four first-choice players who were injured at Paarl Boys' High's international festival, but they did everything to make up for it against a school that had beaten all other schools in South Africa in the last three years. Outeniqua made 105 tackles in the match to Boys' High's 49, missing seven to Boys' High's eight. From start to finish both sides tackled with a will.

It was overcast and cold in George during the match. The wind blew but the rain stayed away.

Outeniqua had the better of the early stages of the mat chg, using the wind for territorial game while Boys' High ran the ball.

It took 15 minutes for the first score, when Darren Fortuin goaled a penalty from a tackle infringement. 3-0.

The lead lasted for 16 minutes in the exciting match.

At pone stage Boys' High lost a player to the sin bin, apparently for striking an opponent. 

Throughout the match, Outeniqua struggled to win their line-outs, losing seven of them, and it was a lost line-out in Boys' High's half that brought the first try of the match.,

The line-out was on Boys' High's left and they went wide right where fullback Riis du Plessis raced down the touchline and gave inside to outside centre Trent Sivertsen who got away from a tackle attempt and scored far out. From far out flyhalf Kian Meadon converted. 7-3, which was the half-time score.

Boys' High attacked first in the second half. Big Even Roos was placing the ball for a try as sturdy Eldon Lotz and lock Hanno du Plessis tackled him.

From a scrum five metres from their line, brave Outeniqua burst out. From a scrum fullback Matthew Thorne had a strong run, playing to Dillon Pieterse, but there was no breaching the Boys' High  defence.

From a line-out, Boys' High drove a maul over 30 metres to five metres from the Outeniqua line. bit the home side kept resisting them till Lotz won a turnover.

Du Plessis launched a counterattack and Boys' High were attacking again.

It was then that Outeniqua lost a played go the sin bin for a high tackle.

The resultant penalty gave Boys' High a five-metre line-out. They bashed along the Outeniqua goal-line till lock Adriaan Alberts, who played for SA Schools last year, managed to ground the ball on  line. Again Meadon converted from far out. 14-3 after 58 minutes.

Back came Boys' High with a spot of good luck. Meadon chipped a kick which bounced wildly. The defence could not get the ball but hooker Cullen  van der Merwe did and raced away gleefully to score under the posts. 21-3 after 63 minutes.

Boys' High were penalised in midfield on their 10-metre line. From there Fortuin kicked a magnificent touch for a line-out five metres from the Boys' High line. From the line-out, Outeniqua wet wide and sturdy Fortuin cut through the defence to score a try which he concerted.

When the final whistle went, there was none of the exuberant hugging that ends many matches. the each team shook hands with their opponents.

It was a schools rugby match of many virtues.

Scorers

For Paarl Boys' High:

tries: Trent Sivertsen, Adriaan Alberts, Cullen van der Merwe

Cons: Kian Meadon 3

For Outeniqua:

Try: Darren Fortuin

Con: Darren Fortuin

Pen: Darren Fortuin

Teams

Outeniqua: 15 Matthew Thorne, 14 Herchelle Otto, 13 Darren Fortuin, 12 Hendrik Hatting, 11 Dillon Pieterse, 10 Zinedine Robinson, 9 Aylen Scabort (captain), 8 Ruan Barnard, 7 Bennet Nortje, 6 Braam van Huysteen, 5 Hanno du Plessis, 4 Andre Pretorius, 3 Brian Williams, 2 Eldon Lotz, 1 Jaco Gerber 

Replacements: 16 Chad Coetzee, 17 Jonathan Joseph, 18 Arno Gerber, 19 Dean Malherbe, 20 Leon Volschenk, 21 Abre Minnie, 22 Gerhard Ackerman, 23 Adriaan Bouwer 

Paarl Boys' High: 15 Riis du Plessis, 14 Carlu Uys, 13 Trent Sivertsen, 12 AJ Johnson, 11 José George, 10 Kian Meadon, 9 Wian van der Sandt, 8 Evan Roos, 7 Renier Janse van Rensburg, 6 Louwan Horn , 5 Adrian Alberts (captain), 4 Emile van Heerden, 3 Rhynardt Rijnsburger, 2 Cullen van der Merwe, 1 De Wet Wolhuter

Replacements: 16 Williams, 17 Du Toit, 18 Degenaar, 19 Loedolf, 20 Van Wyk, 21 Van Rensburg, 22 Rossouw, 23 Horn

Referee: Franciois Davids

Assistant referees: Botha van Greunen, Laurentia Fred

Recent Results

2010: Paarl Boys' High won 22-17

2011: Paarl Boys' High won 20-7

2012: Paarl Boys' High won 33-26

2013: Outeniqua won 45-36

2014: Paarl Boys' High won 18-13

2015: Paarl Boys' High won 23-17

2016: Paarl Boys' High won 29-27

2017: Paarl Boys' High won 47-16

2018: Paarl Boys' High won 21-10