Burger semifinals yield tryfest
A fairly large crowd was treated to some exhilarating rugby at the Western Province-Boland Burger semifinals at Paarl Gym on Wednesday, 22 August (2012).
Paarl Gym slaughtered battle-weary Hugenote 58-0 in the Big Schools play-off and Augsburg Gym did much the same to a bamboozled Hottentots Holland (55-18) in the Medium Schools clash, while Dirkie Uys eventually prevailed 27-22 against Bellville South in a cliffhanger of a Small Schools eliminator.
The Moorreesburg Tigers thoroughly deserved their narrow victory after trailing for a large part of the match, including 12-19 at half-time, as they ran in four textbook tries to the one by their Western Province opponents.
The Boland side's tries were scored by outside centre Dirk de Jager, flank Pierre du Preez, wing Wian van Schalkwyk and his replacement in the closing stages, John-Lee Persens, to which flyhalf Du Toit Maree added two conversions and a penalty.
Bellville South had to rely heavily on the slide-rule boot of fullback Nigel Giddion, who converted inside centre Grayvon Maxim’s try and slotted five penalties.
Without detracting in any way from the Bellville team’s performance, it is the achievements of tiny Dirkie Uys, some 100 kilometres from Cape Town, that never cease to amaze local rugby folk. Week in, week out they prove that their festival wins over Tygerberg and Pearson at Tony Stoops Rugby Festival 2012 were not just the results of Lady Luck’s machinations.
Augsburg Gym actually looked a bit bemused by the expansive pattern and lively pace with which Hottentots Holland began the game, but, once they got the measure of the boys in gold and black, they turned on the charm to run in nine great tries.
Leading 24-8 at the break, they raced out of sight in the second half, particularly when flank Junior Joubert, who has been injured for much of the season, decided to make up for all that lost time by scoring their last three touchdowns. Perhaps it was unfair to expect everyone else to keep up with him on his rampage during the dying stages after the hard five months they've had.
Arguably the pick of the tries was the opener from accomplished Boland Craven Week scrumhalf Corné Sharp, who outflanked the opposition to dive over wide out on the right, but, in the final analysis, every single one was just as important. Plus Sharp’s five conversions didn't hurt either!
Hottentots Holland face a tough Interschools against in-form Strand this Saturday. Although they by no means disgraced themselves on the day, they would do well to reflect on their defence around the fringes of set pieces as this is where the Clanwilliam lads were given far too much room to manoeuvre.
Some people were of the opinion that, given their injury-hampered, energy-sapping last few weeks, Hugenote might have been wise just to concede the semifinal to Paarl Gym, whose last outing was Interschools eighteen days ago, and finish the season on a high, boosted by the happy memories of last Saturday’s Interschools victory over Swartland.
That number included about 98% of the crowd by the end of what was, in effect, a mismatch along the lines of putting a heavily sedated arthritis-ridden sixty-year-old in the ring with one of the Klitschko brothers.
It was pretty harrowing stuff for the Blackies’ supporters, particularly when their heroes lost first their shape, then their drive and finally their self-discipline.
That said, the first half was, for the most part, fairly even as Hugenote kept the hosts honest, an early try by left wing Loek van der Merwe (5-0) being all that separated the sides until two key events occurred in the space of a few minutes.
Firstly the visitors’ hopes were suddenly boosted by a brilliant break from their own 22 metre line, sparked by No.8 Larry Maralack, only for expectations to be dashed when the surge petered out fifty metres downfield. Secondly, and how crucial it was to prove later, Hugenote fullback Daylan Samuels was yellow-carded for a second tackle on van der Merwe in which he did not use his arms.
The nippy wing enjoyed another breathtaking run in the 22nd minute, but the second try eventually fell to right wing Arno Swart. (10-0.) Just a minute or two later fullback Grant Hermanus cut through to provide Handré Pollard, who had come on for the injured HP Momsen early in the game, a relatively straightforward conversion. (Half-time 17-0.)
For the last nine minutes of the first period matters were fairly even, as were the first five minutes of the second half, with Hugenote tackling like dervishes.
Then a great line-out take by Jakkals Schickerling, followed by slick passing saw outside centre Wesley Cupido break the temporary deadlock. 22-0. Not long afterwards Hermanus broke beautifully from the back, enabling Pollard to send in inside centre Altus Momsen near the uprights. The conversion stretched the score to 29-0.
The retirement with injury of Maralack at this stage dealt the Blackies’ cohesion – and any hopes they might have harboured of a fightback – a bitter blow.
Next to cross the line was lock Attie van Rensburg, who was on hand to dot down in the right-hand corner for what Pollard turned into a seven-pointer. 36-0.
The last twelve minutes were pretty well one-way traffic as Gym ran in for more tries. Swart nabbed his second, lock Hennie Botha got on the scorecard as did replacement flank Lohandré Luus and finally van der Merwe, still looking as sharp as he did at the start. Pollard converted Botha’s effort and the scoreboard read 58-0 at the finish.
Sadly Hugenote did not win themselves any friends with what could euphemistically be described as some churlish play which resulted in referee Wimpie Annandale, who had a great game, being left with no alternative but to issue Samuels a second yellow – and thus a red – card and flank Kevin Ceaser a yellow one in separate incidents for dirty play in the dying stages.
Gym did have a scare when Pollard limped off just before the last try, but he appeared to be quite comfortable shortly after the game.
A lovely – if decidedly chilly towards the end – day of rugby which greatly pleased competition organiser Riaan Gerber. The fact that the three games yielded 26 tries attests to that.
Now it’s all eyes on Gym’s trip to Drostdy on Saturday followed by the Burger Finals at Outeniqua on 1 September.
By Tony Stoops
