SACS succumb to Paarl Gim

Paarl Gimnasium South African College High School 24-10 in Paarl on Saturday.

In an error-ridden game played in Paarl, in exceptionally hot winters weather, SACS showed great character in containing their much-vaunted opposition. SACS had their chances but maybe just didn’t have the belief that they could actually upset their hosts.

Neither team showed the ball enough respect, and both coaches would have been disappointed with the execution of the basics by their teams.

Gim were first to score and it came from a SACS error. SACS executed a simple 10/12 switch in the Gim half but lost the ball in contact. Gim immediately moved the ball wide to the left where wing JH Potgieter had enough pace to beat the cover. Flyhalf Jurgen Visser converted.

SACS came straight back at Gim though and went close to scoring three times. Poor handling and bad options cost them a five pointer and they had to settle for a penalty converted by flyhalf Tim Carr. After watching SACS play all the rugby, Gim noticeably upped the ante and ran in two tries in quick succession. First skipper Rossouw de Klerk was driven over in a pile of bodies and then centre Johann Sadie was played in by the lanky Visser, who converted both tries. At 21-3 it looked like one-way traffic, but SACS showed great resolve to stay in the hunt until the final whistle.

SACS struck back via an interception from centre Aaron Jacobs and should have scored soon after when Dean Holland intercepted again. Holland was reeled in far too easily and SACS’s failure to score just before the interval proved costly in the end. Instead of turning four points in arrears they had to settle for a 21-10 half-time deficit.

Gim had the majority of the play in the second half as SACS were unable to successfully clear their lines. Dropped passes and knock-ons at critical stages meant Gim were unable to add to their try tally. Their best chance fell to the strong running Johan Sadie but the referee deemed him to have knocked the ball on when it looked for all money as if he had scored.

SACS managed to get down in the Gim half towards the end of the match and put together a sustained period of pressure in which they should have scored. A couple of half chances were thwarted by poor hands and then a gilt-edged chance fell to replacement wing Matthieu Theron, who cut in with the corner at his mercy.

One expected a more polished performance from a Gim side containing six players who have made the Western Province Craven Week team, but credit must go to SACS who showed great determination throughout.

Scorers:

For Paarl Gimnasium:
Tries: JH Potgieter, Rossouw de Klerk, Johann Sadie
Pen: Jurgen Visser

For SACS:
Try: Aaron Jacobs
Con: Tim Carr
Pen: Carr

By Grame Wepener