28 April 2023
Two late tries provided Paarl Boys’ High with a convincing 22-point victory over Glenwood on Friday evening in Kimberley in an Absa Wildeklawer clash, putting an exclamation point on a 35-13 win that was, maybe, a little unkind to Lithemba Mfupi and his team.
Paarl Boys played the early part of the game in the Glenwood half, and they had an early opportunity to open the scoring, but a kick from distance in rainy and windy conditions, was far off the mark.
Without the ball, the boys from the Western Cape were up quickly on defence, catching Glenwood behind the advantage line on a number of occasions, but the Green Machine finally made their way into the Paarl 22m area for the first time in the 10th minute, after sending a penalty kick into touch. Paarl, though, turned over possession and took the game back to the middle of the park.
Soon, the rain was bucketing down. On the field, the ball and surface were slippery. Thankfully, the heavy downpour did not last for long.
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https://www.pinnacle-schools.com/2023/04/06/rugby-kerf/
Breaks, but no support
Adopting a very direct approach, Glenwood began to experience some success, with Paarl being caught offsides on a number of occasions as they worked to stem the Green Machine’s attacks around the fringes of the rucks. Glenwood managed a few nice breaks, but support was slow in arriving and they lost momentum.
When the Paarl Boys’ hooker missed his jumpers inside the Glenwood half, the Green Machine’s hooker Keagan Goosen made good ground. The ball was then moved wide left to the speedy winger Bakhosibakhe Gamede and he took play up to the 22. Jaco Williams made further metres, but Paarl forced a penalty by contesting for the ball on the ground, and another attack faltered.
At least, for the KZN school, Paarl’s early territorial advantage had been turned around.
Missed opportunity
Gamede then got himself onto the end of a cross-kick to put Paarl Boys under further pressure just outside their 22. Another cross-kick by flyhalf Andrew Martins, to the opposite side of the field, however, was over-cooked and went out of play when a well-judged nudge would have seen the Cape side trapped a little too far infield.
Eventually, though, the opening score went the way of Paarl after 23 minutes when they managed to string a number of phases together. Ruben Dames provided the finish, smashing into a defender and carrying him across the try-line for five points. Daniel van der Merwe, then, sent the kick through the posts to put his team 7-0 ahead.
Paarl continued to press, driving their way towards the Glenwood try-line. When the Durban boys conceded a penalty, Paarl opted to kick to touch and force a five-metre lineout. It was messy, but Boys’ High kept possession and sent the ball wide to the right where Scott Nell stepped inside the Glenwood defence to cross for a try. As time expired in the first half, Daniel van der Merwe struck a sweet conversion from the side-line to give Paarl a 14-point advantage at the break.
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https://www.pinnacle-schools.com/2023/04/09/rugby-kerf-2/
Second half
In the second half, Paarl maintained their defensive line speed, which, in the early going, prevented Glenwood from passing the ball out to their dangerous wingers. Boishaai, meanwhile, found success counter-attacking, running very direct lines just off of the rucks.
Then, when they moved it wide from a Glenwood kick, they were rewarded. It began with fullback Jean Claude Mars, who sliced through the Glenwood defence with a sharp side-step. A dummy then opened it up for Juan Lootz to take the final pass and go over for a try. Van der Merwe’s conversion made it 21-0, giving them plenty of breathing room.
Glenwood, though, were almost immediately on the scoreboard in reply, thanks to the boot of Tyrique Hardnick, reducing the deficit to 18 points.
Boys’ High responded immediately, surging back onto the attack and showing more adventure than the Green Machine in the offensive aspect of the game. But, with Paarl mere metres from the Glenwood try-line, they were penalised for a player entering the maul from the side and Mfupi’s men exited their quarter. Paarl, though, were relentless and soon play was back in the Durban side’s 22 again. They were playing the game pressed deeply into their half.
Taking the game to Paarl, though, Glenwood’s Gamede got himself onto the end of a Martins’ chip just inside the Boys’ High half. It looked dangerous, but the last Paarl cover defender timed his tackle perfectly to carry the exciting winger out across the touchline.
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Glenwood try
After 55 minutes, Okonta Chijundu went over for Glenwood’s opening try, chipping over the Paarl defence and then winning the race for the ball before forcing his way over as a Paarl defender tried to stop his drive towards the line. It was just reward for a strong period of play from the Green Machine.
A couple of minutes later and Gamede, on the opposite wing, was over for another Glenwood five-pointer. He broke away from some loose play, then beautifully executed an extravagant dummy, which opened up a path to the try-line. Hardnick slotted the conversion to make it 21-13.
Late Paarl tries
Unfortunately for the Green Machine, they spilled the subsequent kick-off and substitute Aiden Jacobs snapped up the loose ball to go through for a simple and deflating score. Daniel van der Merwe kept his clean conversion record with another successful kick to make it 28-13.
Time was almost up, but centre Bryan Burger wasn’t satisfied with a 15-point win. He made a clean break, beating a couple of players with sharp pace and changes of direction to go over for Boishaai’s fifth try. Van der Merwe was straight and true with his conversion again and Paarl Boys’ High were convincing 35-13 victors.
A good fightback from the Green Machine had been marred by the two late tries, turning a competitive looking scoreline into a clear-cut win for the young men from the Winelands.
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