Grey Win Great Match

What a wonderful match, this FNB Classic Clash between Affies of Pretoria and Grey of Bloemfontein played in Pretoria on a warm, pleasant Saturday afternoon! It was a delight, the sort of thing that restored your faith in rugby football as a game worth being interested in.

If you had watched the miserable affair on a miserable day before a small crowd in Canberra, your faith in the game would have plummetted. You would have believed that the efforts of William Webb Ellis and his friends to make it a handling game had been reversed as the game was being bashed back into a kicking game. Then you watched the schoolboys playing in Pretoria and you knew that possibilities of the game as a skilful, adventurous, romantic affair. Perhaps it is at its very best when played by schoolboys innocent of the corrupting influence of paymasters.

The two teams ran from start to finish – thrilling start to thrilling finish. In all 11 tries were scored, and that was not because of feeble tackling. Both sides went at it hard, but still mindful of their manners. There was silence at kicks for goal, no soccer-like hugging at scores and no pushing and jeering as in a nursery school playground at break.

Affies may not have had a great season so far this year but their performance in this match was outstanding. They were not lambs waiting to be slaughtered.  

In fact they were well on top at the start and scored the first try when DP du Plessis, wandered over in the belief that his side had knocked on in the build-up but the referee believed the ball had fallen backwards.

By the way the referee was excellent. He watched the match and reacted only to what was clearly and obviously wrong, helping the players to get things right and allowing them the freedom to play. There was excellent advantage taken by both sides.

A penalty gave Grey an attacking line-out. They went wide left and Julian Jordaan  cut back to score. 7-7 after 11 minutes and he scored again four minutes later after a great run by Henry Immelman down the left. The fullback passed inside to the centre who swept over. 12-7 to Grey after 15 minutes.

Affies levelled the scores when three penalties in quick succession gave them an attacking line-out and a maul and a try for Vic Meyer, son of Heyneke who coaches the Springboks. 12-12 after 24 minutes.

From a drop-out, flyhalf Wayne Wessels of Grey broke brilliantly down the middle of the field on a long telling run. He passed to big wing Lourens Steenkamp on his right and he got away from defenders to score. 19-12 to Grey after 27 minutes.

The fullbacks, Henry Immelman and Eduan Keyter, on both sides were outstanding, fully involved players, the lineal descendants of HO de Villiers, JC Heunis and André Joubert. It was all the sadder when tall, elegant Henry Immelman, only just back from injury, clashed with Eddie Fouché and was taken off the field on a mobile stretcher.

There was a penalty at that tackle, not because there was anything illegal about the tackle but because of a routing tackle infringement. Lourens Steenkamp goaled. 22-12 after 30 minutes.

Just before half-time  Eduan Keyter broke, Affies set up a phase attack going forward and Janco Booysen was over in the corner. Eddie Fouché converted from touch.

The half-time score was 22-19 in Grey's favour.

In the second half it seemed that Grey would run away with the game. First Henry Slabbert was over in the right corner after phases. Then after a second set of attacking phases Neill Stannard was over on the left corner. 32-19 after 55 minutes. From the kick-off Grey came surging back and a great pass by Alex Jonker sent Lourens Steenkamp in for his second try., which he converted. 39-19.

From the kick-off Affies attacked, sharply, with Eduan Keyter involved . Eddie Fouché took a popped pass from his fullback near the line and scored a try which he himself converted. 39-26 after 58 minutes – three tries in three minutes!

After the kick-off Affies ran again with Eduan Keyter prominent and eventually captain Rohan Roelofse burst over for a try. 39-31 after 62 minutes.

Julian Jordaan kicked a long penalty to end the scoring. But there was nearly a score when flyhalf Wayne Wessels raced for the right corner and Eduan Keyter tackled him into touch with a brilliant tackle at the cornerpost.

It was a wonderful match.

Scorers:

For Affies:

Tries: DP du Plessis, Vic Meyer, Janco Booysen, Eddie Fouché, Roland Roelofse

Cons: Eddie Fouché 3

For Grey:

Tries: Julian Jordaan 2, Lourens Steenkamp 2, Henry Slabbert, Niell Stannard

Cons: Henry Immelman 2, Lourens Steenkamp

Pens: Lourens Steenkamp, Julian Jordaan

Teams

Affies: 15. Eduan Keyter, 14. Tiaan Schmullian, 13. Rhyno Lourens, 12. Henco Jordaan, 11. Janco Booysen, 10. Eddie Fouché, 9. Divan Henning, 8. Eduan Lubbe, 7. Vic Meyer, 6. Gavin Forster, 5. Human Bodenstein, 4. Rohan Roelofse, 3. Reinhardt Goosen, 2. Viaan Mong, 1. DP du Plessis

Grey College: 15. Henry Immelman, 14. Lourens Steenkamp, 13. Julian Jordaan, 12. Mike Anndrade, 11. Niell Stannard, 10. Wayne Wessels, 9. Dian Badenhorst, 8. Alex Jonker, 7. Henry Slabbert, 6. De Wet Bezuidenhoudt, 5. Kassel Rothman, 4. Jurie Burger, 3. Janu Botha, 2. JC van Vuuren, 1. Ruben Terblanche        

Replacements: 16. Daniel Rust, 17. Callie van Vuuren, 18. Janco van Tonder, 19. Marius Kruger, 20. CJ Lotter, 21. Glen Erickson, 22. Lourens Steenkamp, 23. Raynard Esterhuizen        

Referee: Jaco van Heerden (Blue Bulls Referees' Society)

Results Down the Years

A few years ago Affies beat Grey twice in succession and then yielded 40 points in the next match. It happened again this year except that Affies were much more competitive.

1953: Grey won 3-0

1954: Grey won 9-3

1955: Grey won 19-0

1956: Grey won 6-6*

1957: Grey won 22-0

1958: Grey won 14-6

1959: Grey won 14-3

1966: Grey won 25-11

1967: Grey won 22-0

1970: Grey won 16-11

1971: Grey won 19-0

1973: Grey won 10-3

1974: Grey won 14-6

1992: Grey won 24-3

1993: Draw 26-26

1994: Grey won 13-6

1995: Grey won 37-13

1996: Affies won 25-3

1997: Grey won 19-9

1998: Draw 23-23

1999: Grey won 17-13

2000: Draw 17-17

2001: Draw 12-12

2002: Grey won 46-21

2003: Grey won 33-3

2004: Grey won 32-29

2005: Affies won 27-20

2006: Affies won 18-13

2007: Grey won 47-10

2008: Grey won 31-12

2009: Grey won 30-13

2010: Grey won 23-6

2011: Grey won 16-11

2012: Affies won 35-29

2013: Affies won 37-31

2014: Grey won 42-31