Paul Roos power past SACS
Paul Roos got a much needed win against the South African College High School (SACS). Paul Roos have had a slow start to the season and desperately needed their 32-nil win before heading off the Wildeklawer Competition.
Paul Roos started the game with a bang and spent the first ten minutes in the SACS half. SACS defended manfully to repel them and conceded only three points later in the half when flyhalf Aidynn Cupido converted a drop goal. The fact that Paul Roos resorted to a drop kick was a moral victory for SACS as Paul Roos were unable to breach their defence. The crucial try came in the last minute of the first-half when SACS lost another lineout. SACS lost their hooker, Struan Murray, in the first minute and struggled in the lineouts throughout. Cupido converted his captain Christo van der Merwe’s first try to see Paul Roos lead 10-nil at the interval.
The game was essentially won at the breakdown and Paul Roos’s hunger for possession at the contact points was immense. They had numbers at every breakdown and turned SACS over or gave them slow ball on numerous occasions. SACS could not keep defending for the entire game and as one would expect Paul Roos scored a couple of tries in the last quarter.
Van der Merwe got his second after a quick tapped penalty under the SACS poles before the backs got on the scoreboard. Wing Joel Heugh scoring after Paul Roos created an overlap on the right and replacement Herschel Jantjies exploiting a tired SACS defence to open them up in midfield.
Paul Roos were full value for their win and will go into their games against hosts Maritzburg College and Affies at the Woildeklawer this week feeling a lot more confident. SACS go on the road now for five weeks, starting with Strand High away next Saturday.
Scorers:
For Paul Roos:
Tries: Christo van der Merwe 2, Joel Heugh, Herschel Jantjies
Cons: Aidynn Cupido 3
Drop: Aidynn Cupido
Pen: Aidynn Cupido
Teams:
SACS: 15 Seb Roodt, 14 Damian Rawstorne, 13 Richard Rodgers, 12 Keagan Wheeler (captain), 11 Matthew Wadling, 10 Shane Fourie, 9 Michael Henning, 8 Devon Barnard ,7 Justin Joubert, 6, Yandisa Maqenukana (vice-captain), 5 Dean Basson ,4 James Ambler-Smith, 3 Wesley Futter, 2 Struan Murray, 1 Joel MacQuene
Paul Roos: 15 Chris Smith (vice-captain), 14 Joel Heugh ,13 Tristan Cramer, 12 Daniel du Plessis, 11 Pieter Rossouw, 10 Aidynn Cupido, 9 Calvin Nel, 8 Vernon Petersen, 7 Christo van der Merwe (captain), 6 Andrew Yoko , 5 Lohann Louw , 4 Daniel Buitendag, 3 JP Botha, 2 Jacques van Zyl, 1 HW Barnard
Referee: Divan Uys (Western Province Referees' Society)
