One-point Thriller in Paarl

That one point is worth all other one points this year for Boys' High , a really valuable one point, in fact invaluable.

For Gim, who led for much of the match, that one point was heartbreak, enough to make rugged players cry. Their season, despite all the grand achievements of the year, was wrecked at the Faure Street Stadium on Saturday, the referee's final whistle just the worst sound of the year – perhaps of all 12 years of schooling.

Ecstasy and agony at the same time in Paarl on a magnificent, warm winter's afternoon with the Rock keeping an eye on activities.

The sides scored three tries each. Two of Boys' High 's tries came when Gim had a player in the sin bin for being silly and taking the ball away at a penalty. At the time Gimmies were leading 11-9. Two of the three tries came from mauls after a penalty had produced an attacking line-out. But then Gimmies conceded many penlites in the second half.

A close game is the order of the day at Interschools, making it all the more gleeful for the team that wins and all the more bitter for the defeated team.

The Interschools lasts the whole week, leaving just four matches to be played at Faure Street on the Saturday. Regardless of all other results, it is the 1st XV result that counts, it defines who wins Interschools.

Much was as it ever is – more than 20 000 packed into the ground, lots of good cheer from two ardently partisan groups, teach school lined up to meet the principals, and to sing the school song with their schoolmates packed into the stand – 'glorious and blessed' and 'sy glorie en sy eer' – and to enjoy the warcry. The singing, egged on by the cheerleaders in their tail coats, went on throughout the match, interrupted only by cheering.

Then they let off balloons – blue and white for Boys' High and green, yellow and maroon for Gimmies – for Galpille and Bloedworse.

Every bit of the day is memorable for a lifetime.

With a bit of breeze behind them, Boys' High kicked off and from start to finish both teams ran and ran with ball in hand. Kicking was minimal. And from start to finish the tackling was hard and definite.

Gim scored first – a penalty by flyhalf Theo Boshoff when Boys' High went offside. But at this stage Gim lost flank Janus Swart who looked groggy when he left the field. Bryan Buitendag took his place.

Three minutes later Gianni Lombard levelled the scores when Gim were offside. Another penalty at a tackle enabled Boshoff to restore the Gim lead. 6-3 after 10 minutes.

Boys' High attacked down the left when a Lombard grubber found touch five metres from the Gim line. Boys' High won the subsequent line-out and attacked. Francke Horn stepped and charged, but the defence held and eventually Boys' High settled for a drop goal by Lombard to level the scores after 20 minutes.

The first big run of the match came with a break-out by Urgene Johannes and Boys' High settled to phases but three penalties in quick succession set Gim attacking. From a scrum they bashed at the line. Big Muller Uys was close and then captain Zak Burger picked up, threw a big dummy and dived over the score. 11-6.

Just before half time Gim tapped a penalty goal and attacked but the score at the break remained 11-6.

From a scrum near the half-way line, Gim went wide left where Manny Rass anticipated a long pass and brought the catches heavily to ground. He got up, grabbed the ball and Boys' High launched a rapid attack. Khanya Ncusane was over the line but held up. The referee went back to a penalty, which Lombard goaled. 11-9 after 39 minutes.

At this stage Gim lost a man to the sin bin.

From a line-out on their right Boys' High went wide left and slender Takir Abrahams went on a long swerving run till tackled by Wian van Niekerk. But Boys' High retained possession and went wide right for Ncusane to score in the corner and for the first time in the match Boys' High had the lead – 14-11.

five minutes later Gim had the lead back. A penalty gave them a five-metre line-out and they bashed at the line but André Booysen held up. Back the referee went to a penalty on the five-metre line. This time Gim tapped and went wide right where Christopher Willemse slipped through for a try which Boshoff converted. Now Gim led 18-14.

Rass broke brilliantly and passed inside to Lombard who was over but held up. Instead they kicked a penalty into touch for a five-metre line-out, mauled and rumbled over for a try credited to hooker Daniël Jooste. 19-18 to Boys' High .

At this stage the yellow-card recipient returned to Gim. But another penalty to Boys' High produce another line-out, another maul and another try to Jooste. Lombard converted and Boys' High led 26-18 with 10 minutes to play.

time enough for Boshoff to score Gim's third try and convert it. 26-25.

A penalty again gave Boys' High an attacking line-out and Francke Horn was over but brilliantly held up by Boshoff. That gave Boys' High a scrum and a chance to attack but a forward pass gave Gim a scrum five metres from their line. They ran from behind their own line but Boys' High tackled as if still fresh. They won a turnover and Michael Visser kicked the ball.

Out Boys' High horde charged gleefully onto the field to ensure that the team knew that they were heroes.

Scorers

For Paarl Boys' High :

Tries: Daniel Jooste 2, Khanya Ncusane

Con: Gianni Lombard

Pens: Gianni Lombard 2

Drop: Gianni Lombard

For Gim:

Tries: Zak Burger, Christopher Willemse, Theo Boshoff

Cons: Theo Boshoff 2

Pens: Theo Boshoff 2

Teams

Paarl Boys' High: 15 Gianni Lombaard, 14 Urgene Johannes, 13 Manuel Rass, 12 Hanri van Heerden, 11 Takir Abrahams, 10 Rayhaan Lombard, 9 Michael Visser, 8 Khanya Ncusane, 7 Francke Horn, 6 Charl Serdyn, 5 Ewie Loubser, 4 Salmaan Moerat (captain), 3 Adam Neethling, 2 Daniel Jooste, 1 Reece Bezuidenhout

Replacements: 16 Wilhelm Barnard, 17 MJ Strauss, 18 Armandt Conradie, 19 Vian Fourie, 20 Eric Myburgh, 21 Tiaan du Plessis, 22 Gerdre Ferreira, 23 Riaan Barnard

Paarl Gimnasium: 15 Wian van Zyl, 14 Jan Jordaan, 13 Christopher Willemse, 12 Wian van Niekerk, 11 Muller du Plessis, 10 Theo Boshoff, 9 Zak Burger (captain), 8 Muller Uys, 7 Henco Martins, 6 Janus Swart, 5 Raymond Nel, 4 Adriaan Ludick, 3 Adriaan Staples, 2 Sehan du Toit, 1 André Booysen

Replacements: 16 Michael Houndsome, 17 Daniël Wessels, 18 Francois Staples, 19 Bryan Buitendag, 20 Ryno Beukes, 21 Bernu Engelbrecht, 22 Morné Buxmann, 23 Ryno Boonzaaier

Referee: Egon Seconds (Western Province Referees' Society)

Assistant referees: Mornay Colville (Western Province Referees' Society), Jaco Smith (Western Province Referees' Society)

Results Down the Years

Both schools are considerably older than the Interschools but take 1915 as the date of the first Interschools, though they were playing well before then.

1915: Boys' High won 10-0  

1916: Gim won 7-5

1917: Gim won 3-0

1918: Gim won 3-0

1919: Gim won 9-0

1920: Gim won 20-0

1921: Draw 6-6

1922: Draw 3-3

1923: Boys' High won 3-0

1924: Boys' High won 13-5

1925: Boys' High won 7-3

1926: Boys' High won 6-5

1927: Gim won 5-3

1928: No match

1929: Draw 3-3

1930: Boys' High won 5-3

1931: Gim won 6-0

1932: Gim won 7-3

1933: Boys' High won 3-0

1934: Boys' High won 5-4

1935: Draw 0-0

1936: Gim won 11-6

1937: Gim won 5-3

1938: Gim won 5-3

1939: Gim won 9-8

1940: Draw 3-3

1941: Gim won 6-0

1942: Draw 0-0

1943: Gim won 9-6

1944: Boys' High won 6-0

1945: Boys' High won 14-6

1946: Draw 3-3

1947: Boys' High won 8-3

1948: Draw 3-3

1949: Gim won 9-3

1950: Boys' High won 6-3

1951: Boys' High won 6-0

1952: Boys' High won 11-0

1953: Boys' High won 6-5

1956: Gim won 6-3

1957: Gim won 5-3

1958: Gim won 11-0

1959: Boys' High won 11-3

1960: Gim won 9-3

1961: Boys' High won 6-0

1962: Boys' High won 6-0

1963: Boys' High won 8-0

1964: Gim won 9-8

1965: Gim won 11-0

1966: Gim won 8-0

1967: Gim won 8-6

1968: Gim won 3-0

1969: Boys' High won 8-5

1970: Gim won 19-8

1971: Boys' High won 11-6

1972: Boys' High won 6-3

1973: Boys' High won 19-6

1974: Gim won 9-3

1975: Boys' High won 3-0

1976: Gim won 8-6

1977: Boys' High won 15-6

1978: Gim won 13-10

1979: Gim won 12-6

1980: Gim won 9-3

1981: Gim won 12-0

1982: Boys' High won 16-15

1983: Gim won 15-6

1984: Gim won 10-4

1985: Boys' High won 16-6

1986: Draw 0-0

1987: Boys' High won 15-7

1988: Draw 6-6

1989: Gim won 15-4

1990: Boys' High won 10-6

1991: Boys' High won 8-4

1992: Gim won 20-15

1993: Boys' High won 19-17

1994: Boys' High won 11-6

1995: Boys' High won 17-3

1996: Gim won 18-16

1997: Gim won 13-10

1998: Boys' High won 16-5

1999: Gim won 13-6

2000: Boys' High won 15-7

2001: Boys' High won 12-3

2002: Gim won 15-0

2003: Boys' High won 25-6

2004: Gim won 13-3

2005: Gim won 22-10

2006: Gim won 23-17

2007: Gim won 10-0

2008: Gim won 35-8

2009: Boys' High won 24-12

2010: Draw 19-19

2011: Gim won 22-19

2012: Gim won 16-9

2013: Gim won 37-26

2014: Gim won 16-15

2015: Boys' High won 16-10

2016: Boys' High won 26-25