Paarl Boys' High defeated bitter-rivals Paarl Gymnasium 16-10 in the 100th annual inter-city clash at Faure Street Stadium. MARIETTE ADAMS reports.
Gimmies had held the upper hand in this fixture for the previous four years, but Boys' High did enough to overturn that wretched record on Saturday to continue their undefeated streak in 2015.
Boishaai started strongly and opened the scoring in the second minute of the match through eighthman Khanya Ncusane with fullback Jean-Luc Cilliers converting.
Cilliers and his opposite number Theo Boshoff then traded penalties as Boishaai took a 10-3 lead into the break. Gym could have narrowed the deficit before the interval but turned down the opportunity to kick at goal twice.
The second stanza was a tight affair, but Boishaai still enjoyed a greater percentage of possession and territory. Gym, however, levelled matters – albeit against the run of play. Outside centre George Lourens intercepted the ball and drew two defenders before offloading to Boshoff who did the rest for a self-converted effort in the left-hand corner. Gimmies were buoyed by that opportunistic try and started to play with more confidence, but stern defence by Boishaai kept them at bay.
Under the cosh, the winners turned to their bench and the reinforcements did well to relieve the pressure Gimmies exerted. Cilliers stepped up to add another long-range goal kick, but then pulled up with cramps before the restart.
It didn't make much of a difference, though, as acting fullback Johan Grobbelaar succeeded with a similar effort off the kicking tee to seal Boishaai's first derby win in five years and their 18th consecutive victory of the season.
Paarl Boys’ – Try: Khanya Ncusane. Conversion: Jean-Luc Cilliers. Penalties: Cilliers (2), Jandré Grobbelaar.
Paarl Gym – Try: Theo Boshoff. Conversion: Boshoff. Penalty: Boshoff.
Paarl Boys’ – 15 Jean-Luc Cilliers, 14 Tyreeq February, 13 Manuel Rass, 12 Jan-Louis la Grange, 11 Urgene Johannes, 10 Rayhaan Lombaard, 9 Bradley Thain, 8 Khanya Ncusane, 7 JC van Schalkwyk, 6 Andreas van Wyk (captain), 5 Salmaan Moerat, 4 Ruben de Villiers, 3 Leo Kruger, 2 MC de Jongh, 1 Wikus Groenewald.
Paarl Gym – 15 Theo Boshoff, 14 Max Thalwitzer, 13 Taigh Schoor, 12 George Lourens, 11 Keenan Abrahams, 10 Wian van Zyl, 9 Zak Burger, 8 Muller Uys, 7 Gustav Marais, 6 JA van As, 5 Ernst van Rhyn (captain), 4 MJ Hayes, 3 O'Neil Thiart, 2 Johan Grobbelaar, 1 Rohan Hamman.
Photo: Luke Warren/Gallo Images
