Boys' High settle it

Before Saturday there may well have been an argument about who of Paarl Boys High and Paul Roos was the better, who thus deserved to be ranked top of the FNB Top 20. Boys' High settled the argument with a 29-10 victory in Paarl on Saturday afternoon.

Admittedly it was on their own turf but the dominance of their pack could have happened on anybody's turf and the climate change from Stellenbosch to Paarl is not significant. It had rained in both places during the week and Saturday was a perfect Cape winter's day, cloudless, sunny, windless and warm – perfect weather for rugby.

The match started with great intensity. There was no sign of fear in any of the players on the field as they grabbed the loose ball and contested the breakdown area. But already at the breakdown Paarl Boys' High were getting greater numbers and so effecting turnovers.

Paarl Boys' High were the first to score when Jean-Luc Cilliers goaled a penalty. It was a significant score as there was little difference in the tries scored – two to one in Paarl Boys' High's favour. But the Cilliers's boot made the big gap in the scoring. He kicked seven kicks out of seven and scored a try for a total of 24 out of 29 points. His first penalty gave the home side a 3-0 lead after 11 minutes.

Four minutes later Kristoff Baard levelled the scores with a penalty goal but Cilliers kicked a long goal to restore Paarl Boys' High's lead.

Somewhat surprisingly, Paul Roos levelled the scores when a perfect, swift pass from Damian Willemse put Joshua Vermeulen into a gap and the fullback sped over for a try at the posts which Baard converted. 10-6 to Paul Roos after 26 minutes.

Paarl Boys' High came within an ace of scoring next the to posts when they bashed at the line, but in the close-quarters battle the ball was lost over the line after a brave tackle by Dean van Tonder.

Just on half-time Cilliers goaled yet again and at half the break Paul Roos led 10-9.

There was a rare decision in the second half of this excellently refereed match few penalties – just four in the second half. But the referee freekicked Paul Roos for foot-up in a scrum. In these modern times of rickety scrums, such a decision is rare.

Paul Roos attacked but their handling let them down. A knock-on presented Paarl Boys' High with a turnover which scrumhalf Bradley Thain booted a long way downfield with Tyreeq February in rapid pursuit and the Paul Roos defences in disarray. Jason Myburgh got back to the ball first but immediately February tackled him, got to his feet, grabbed the ball and darted over for a try. After 40 minutes of the match Paarl Boys' High led 16-10.

At this time Paul Roos had a horrible setback when Vermeulen was stretchered off. He was taken to hospital and found to be suffering with mild concussion. Hein Steenkamp took his place.

When Paul Roos, well into the Paarl Boys' High half, dropped the ball the big Paarl Boys' High eighthman, Khanya Ncusane footed on and kept footing on while Paul Roos scrambled in desperate defence. Manuel Rass latched onto the bouncing ball and scored. Paarl Boys' High led 23-10 after 47 minutes. Cilliers kicked two more penalty gaols before the final whistle signalled great joy amongst Paarl Boys' High who stay unbeaten and have stamped the top spot on the top 20 as belonging to them.

It was a schoolboy rugby match of the highest class.

Scorers:

For Paarl Boys' High:

Tries: Tyreeq February, Jean-Luc Cilliers

Cons: Jean-Luc Cilliers 2

Pens: Jean-Luc Cilliers 5

For Paul Roos:

Try: Joshua Vermeulen

Con: Kristoff Baard

PO en: Kristoff Baard

Teams

Paarl Boys' High: 15 Jean-Luc Cilliers, 14 Tyreeq February, 13 Manuel Rass, 12 Jan-Louis la Grange, 11 Urgene Johannes, 10 Rayhaan Lombaard, 9 Bradley Thain, 8 Khanya Ncusane, 7 JC van Schalkwyk, 6 Andreas van Wyk (captain), 5 Salmaan Moerat, 4 Ruben de Villiers, 3 Leo Kruger, 2 MC de Jongh, 1 Wikus Groenewald

Coaches: Sean Erasmus, Elmo Wolfaardt

Paul Roos: 15 Joshua Vermeulen, 14 Nico Leonard, 13 Troy Payne, 12 Kristoff Baard, 11 Jason Myburgh, 10 Damian Willemse, 9 Joss van Eeden, 8 De Wet Castelyn, 7 Dean van Tonder, 6 Malan Basson , 5 Joa Swart (k), 4 Lazlo Pschorn, 3 Drè Calitz, 2 Robert Matthee, 1 Muammir Salie

Replacements: 16 Christiaan van Deventer, 17 Abrie Coetzee, 18 Stephan Annandale, 19 Louis Conradie, 20 Roelf Burger, 21 Tiaan Coetzee, 22 Hein Steenkamp, 23 Sebastian Uys

Coaches: Hein Kriek, Lucas Roothman

Referee: Stefan du Toit (Western Province Referees' Society)

Assistant referees: Hennie Heydenrych (Western Province Referees' Society), Bulela Qwane (Western Province Referees' Society)