Glenwood scored a late try to secure a 25-25 draw with Grey College in Durban on Saturday. THEO GARRUN reports.
Grey College were looking to preserve their unbeaten record ahead of the season-ending decider against Paul Roos Gimnasium on 18 August, while Glenwood were hoping to keep theirs intact ahead of their last game against Waterkloof next weekend.
And they both did just that, in a thrilling draw. Although they would both, no doubt, have preferred to have won it, they live to fight another day and both still have that elusive zero losses column in sight.
Glenwood were first on the board but Grey fought back to lead 13-10 at the break.
The lead changed hands three times as the sides swapped tries in the second half, with Grey drawing clear five minutes from the end only for Glenwood to level the scores with two minutes remaining and come within a missed conversion of causing a major upset.
WATCH: Glenwood vs Grey College (full match)
In the end, the scorelines were almost identical – three tries and two conversions each, with Glenwood adding two penalties and Grey a penalty and a drop goal.
‘It was a great rugby match and an example of the top standard schoolboy rugby in South Africa,’ said Grey College coach Wessel du Plessis. ‘We had our chances but Glenwood have a quality team this year and they were at the top of their game on their home field. It’s a pity they don’t play more of the top teams.’
Glenwood’s Derek Heiberg concurs.
‘I thought it was a fantastic game of rugby with both teams playing at a high intensity with huge commitment. Grey seized on our errors and a few decisions went against us but that’s sport. Overall, I was so proud of the resilience my boys showed in dealing with these setbacks and in the end, I felt that we were rather unlucky.’
Paul Roos Gimnasium beat Boland Landbou 30-15 on Saturday, so they are also still on track for a perfect season, and their showdown with Grey College in Bloemfontein on the 18th is really looking like the grand final of the schools rugby season.
Glenwood – Tries: George Luzulo, Jean le Roux, Reghardt Jonker. Conversions: Joe Jonker (2). Penalties: Jonker (2).
Grey College – Tries: Danwick Beukes, Wyclif Vlitoor, De Wet Marais. Conversions: Zander du Plessis (2). Penalty: Du Plessis. Drop goal: Du Plessis.
