SACS Unable To Contain Paarl Boys' High

The South African College High School (SACS) played host to Paarl Boys’ High on a lovely winter’s morning in Newlands.

After Boys’ High’s loss to Oakdale Landbou last week SACS had high hopes of inflicting another defeat on their visitors. With “Inter-Skole” against Paarl Gimnasium next weekend Paarl Boys’ High were desperate to lay down a marker. They duly did so, winning by 25 points to ten.

Paarl Boys’ High started well and were camped in the SACS half for the quarter of the match. SACS defended and scrambled well. The pressure eventually told though. The dam wall had to burst and it did after nineteen minutes. High-tempo phase play seeing left wing Javier Farmer go over in the right-hand corner.

Errors from kick-off receipts cost both teams three points soon after. SACS struck with a penalty via their left-wing Matthew Hayes, while fullback Trent Sivertsen landed one for the visitors. SACS had only one visit to the Paarl Boys’ High half and on thirty-one minutes Paarl Boys’ High converted more pressure to points when they kicked an offside penalty to extend their lead to 11-3.

Having soaked up much pressure SACS would have happily gone into the interval eight points down. With time up on the clock a missed touch kick gave Paarl Boys’ High one more chance to counter-attack. This ultimately led to a try for centre Quan Horn, which was converted to extend the half-time lead to 18-3.

This was to prove a crucial score as the second half was drawn seven-all. SACS were playing towards the school in the second half, as they did in their epic comeback against Paarl Gim in 2017, and were looking to raise those spirits but too many elementary errors continued to cost them.

The opening stages of the second half saw both teams unable to penetrate and proceedings were camped around the halfway line. Eleven minutes in, though, Paarl Boys’ High had a scrum inside the SACS quarter. Massive SA Schools No.8 Evan Roos picked up and was stopped just short of the line. A few phases later his fellow SA Schools player, lock Emile van Heerden, crashed over.

At 25-3 Paarl Boys’ High felt comfortable bringing on some subs to allow their star players some rest before next week’s derby. SACS came into the game and began to attack with more success. Right wing Kabelo Mokoena was their biggest threat and it was he who scored their try with ten minutes remaining. A deft grubber from lock Jordan Thomas allowing Mokoena to get over in the corner.

SACS had threatening line-breaks from scrumhalf Thurston Cloete and flank, and surely their man of the match, Jean Minnaar in the closing stages but were unable to convert either into points.

Paarl Boys’ High will need a more polished performance if they are to topple their local rivals next week and so will SACS if they hope to avenge their first round defeat to Bishops next week. Both games should be hugely entertaining.

Scorers

For SACS:
Tries: Kabelo Mokoena
Conversion: Matthew Hayes
Penalty: Matthew Hayes

For Paarl Boys’ High:
Tries: Javier Farmer, Quan Horn, Emile van Heerden
Conversions: Trent Sivertsen 2
Penalties: Trent Sivertsen 2

By Graeme Wepener