Patient Gym Wear Down Oakdale
A beautifully crisp, cloudless morning, which gave way to pleasantly warm conditions for the noon kick-off, encouraged a sizeable crowd to turn out for what turned out to be a nail-biter of epic proportions.
Although they lost right wing Max Thalwitzer and scrumhalf Zak Burger to injury, the Gym management team must be extremely satisfied with their very well-paced performance, especially, coming as it did, after two matches in which they visibly ran out of steam in the last quarter.
Gone was the frenetic swinging of the ball behind every attacking ruck; in its place came more of the methodical driving by the pack seen so often in the Bothma-Vermeulen-Schickerling years.
Oakdale were highly competitive from the opening minute to the last, but manifestly suffered from a lack of regular exposure to top opposition. This did not, however, hamper their game plan of snatching quick turnover ball and driving close to the breakdown point.
The hosts started spiritedly, driving from the kick-off and launching an up-and-under, which the Bulls knocked on, giving them the chance to thrust upfield again. Unfortunately, a quick shift of the ball to the right broke down when a vital pass flew wide of the intended recipient.
Oakdale No.8 Renaldo Ferreira wasted no time in making his intentions clear, breaking on a trademark thirty metre run, taking play back to the half-way line, where his side were awarded a penalty.
Although fullback Darren Adonis’s attempt fell barely a metre short, the visitors took much heart and quickly got into their attacking rhythm. Lock Adré Smith and burly hooker HP van Schoor led a penetrative attack, but the ball was held up in the ensuing maul.
Undeterred Adonis broke brilliantly from the back before feeding lock Ewan Coetzee who cut through a hesitant home defence to score. The fullback converted. (Paarl Gym 0 Oakdale 7 – 11 minutes)
This evidently wasn’t included in the version of the script handed to Gym and worse was to follow as Oakdale flank Bertie de Bod latched onto an interception, feeding tighthead Chrisjan du Toit who forced his way over next to the uprights. Adonis stretched the lead to 14 points. (Paarl Gym 0 Oakdale 14 – 13 minutes)
Gym seemed to have regained their equilibrium when they gained turnover ball, but could only knock on. Next Ferreira bustled into a half-gap from the scrum, but was scragged, only for Gym to concede possession when the ball was held up in the ruck.
Adonis continued his plan of all-out attack, but the move collapsed when right wing Daine Kannemeyer couldn’t hold onto a pass. However the right wing redeemed himself almost immediately when he cleared after Gym had threatened, kicking through a dropped Bulls pass.
Sensing a change in the game’s dynamic, Gym flank Johan Visser took the ball up strongly. When the move faltered due to a high tackle, fullback Naudé Wessels set up a five-metre line-out, from which Visser, appropriately enough, drove over. (Paarl Gym 5 Oakdale 14 – 22 minutes)
Ferreira again caused havoc with his aggressive running from the restart, but lost the ball, providing Gym flyhalf Wian van Zyl and inside centre George Lourens with the chance to threaten the visitors’ line, left wing Keenan Abrahams unfortunately being tackled out on the cornerflag.
Oakdale attacked in turn, captain and flyhalf Boeta Hamman taking play into the hosts’ half. Hard as it may to believe, Oakdale were seizing the upper hand in the forward exchanges, a situation that was not improved by hesitancy amongst the Gym backs.
Matters weren’t improved when Visser was yellowcarded for not retreating at a penalty, but Oakdale couldn’t turn this to their advantage and play fluctuated between the 22s for a few minutes.
As the first half drew to a close, a quick switch to the right gave reserve back Taigh Schoor – on for the injured Max Thalwitzer – the opportunity to dive over. Wessels added the extras on the whistle for the break. Half-time: Paarl Gym 12 Oakdale 14.
Another strong start by the hosts saw Wessels just wide with a penalty for a tackle without the use of arms and a fine attacking move by Lourens, who was tackled into touch just short of the line, these being countered n turn by a long relieving kick by Hamman.
As is their habit, Oakdale immediately used this territorial turnaround to their advantage, Smit breaking clear on the left to thunder over in the corner from 35 metres out despite several vain attempts to bring him down. Adonis converted. (Paarl Gym 12 Oakdale 21 – 41 minutes)
Another raking Hamman touchfinder was soon returned with interest by Wessels, who took play deep into the visitors’ 22. However, nothing came of this and play was confined to midfield as both teams kicked and drove in attempts to breach their opponents’ defences.
Eventually Gym’s patient approach paid off as the forwards took the ball through several phases when the Oakdale backs let the ball go astray, Man of the Match Visser breaking through to score from eight metres out. Wessels reduced the deficit from the tee. (Paarl Gym 19 Oakdale 21 – 50 minutes)
Matters were really heating up and Smith came close to scoring from the restart when he was frighteningly close to catching the kick on the charge, but knocked on, much to the local supporters’ relief. Visser managed to settle the home side down by consolidating possession and then turning over Oakdale ball in quick succession.
At this point Gym suffered a serious blow – especially with an eye on Cape Schools Week – when lively scrumhalf Zak Burger was stretchered off and taken from the field in an ambulance. However, there was welcome consolation when play resumed with a five metre line-out to Gym, Visser (who else?) crashing over for his third five-pointer. (Paarl Gym 24 Oakdale 21 – 59 minutes)
Gym looked to attack again from the kick-off, but found Adonis unshakeable under pressure. This momentum was maintained with a sizzling break by Oakdale left wing Nicolus van Eeden and it took a massive tackle by Gym lock and captain Ernst van Rhyn to force Ferreira into touch on the right hand corner flag.
However, Oakdale were subsequently awarded a penalty which they chose to run at the hosts from eight metres out, Du Toit making the vital final yards to force his way over. (Paarl Gym 24 Oakdale 28 – 65 minutes)
Superhuman final efforts to sway the outcome saw play move all over the field, but the hosts had the last smile – the players were too tired to laugh – when a darting move to the left gave Schoor the honour of winning the game. Wessels converted. (Paarl Gym 31 Oakdale 28 – 70 minutes).
The few minutes of injury time allowed by referee Divan Uys, who generally had an excellent game, saw Gym resolutely protect their narrow lead. Final score: Paarl Gym 31 Oakdale 28.
The Bulls never give anything less than 100% and can take several positives from the game, even in defeat. Ferreira was awesome at the back of the scrum, while the loose play of the tight five was a real eye-opener. The counterattacking flair of young Darryl Adonis must be the source of much envy amongst all who face him. Hopefully, the SWD Eagles Craven Week team will be able to harness this ability.
Gym’s ability to come out on top without having to depend heavily on their frenetic side-to-side switching of play is testament to how a team’s real quality can be measured by its capacity to adapt its playing style seamlessly when the situation so demands.
And so, a lovely morning in the hospitable capital of the Winelands saw the vast majority of the spectators head home hot, but happy.
By Tony Stoops
