29 April 2023
Early on Saturday afternoon at the Absa Wildeklawer Festival in Kimberley, DHS ran out against Paul Roos Gimnasium for the first time ever. Ultimately, they came up just short, going down 14-21, but they made it a very uncomfortable day for the team from Stellenbosch.
“I was proud of the boys. We were up for this game. We wanted to perform and do well for our school,” DHS Director of Rugby, Peter Engledow, told Pinnacle Schools shortly after the final whistle.
The contest began with a setback for Paul Roos. Following a good early break, their captain Andreas Oosthuizen took a hard knock as he was tackled and dispossessed of the ball inside the DHS 22. He couldn’t regain his feet and that, unfortunately, was the end of his game. Thankfully, he managed a thumbs-up as he exited the arena.
From the resulting scrum, DHS flyhalf Deano Boesak picked out centre Zingce Simka, who cut inside. Running into a big gap, he raced into the Paul Roos half, then found his left-wing Maurice Willemse on the outside.
Willemse, his foot on the gas, outstripped the pursuing defenders to go over for a sensational length of the field score. Boesak converted to give the Horseflies an early 7-0 advantage.
(Video clip from SuperSport Schools)
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Paul Roos responded with a good attack down the right and put the ball to boot, kicking it just over the DHS try-line, but Hopewell Ntshangase was alert to the danger and came across on the cover defence to dot down.
Fast ball movement
The fast ball movement from DHS was impressive, which challenged the PRG defence and forced them to play from within their own half. Christian Everitt and company were doing a good job of maintaining possession until Paul Roos forced them into giving up a penalty for holding onto the ball on the ground.
The Stellenbosch boys then drove into the DHS 22, keeping it tight through a number of phases before releasing the ball down the backline. Then, when a pass didn’t go to hand, it bounced kindly for the Capetonians and flyhalf Leejay Petersen, tidying up, went over for five points. He made it seven with a simple conversion.
Next, the game moved into the Paul Roos half, with DHS starting to edge the battle in the set scrums. A curious blow went against the Blue Typhoon as they mauled, however, robbing them of the momentum they had built up. It was one of a number of puzzling refereeing decisions.
A subsequent penalty enabled PRG to move deep into the DHS half and a driving maul then gobbled up huge metres. With the line beckoning, prop Ryan Jack provided the finish next to the posts and Petersen converted to put Paul Roos 14-7 ahead.
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Fantastic feet
From the kick off, DHS regathered and quickly pressed Paul Roos back into their 22. It looked as if they had messed up the attacking opportunity, however, when the pass from the base of the scrum went awry. But Boesak showed off outstanding awareness and fantastic feet, gathering the ball and spinning his way through five prospective tackles to go over under the posts. He knocked over the conversion to level the scores at 14-14.
(Video clip from SuperSport Schools)
“He has had an outstanding season, and I hope he goes on and enjoys some professional rugby, because he has had a phenomenal two years at DHS,” Engledow said of the silky-skilled pivot.
DHS made most of the early play in the second half, but neither team was giving anything away. Paul Roos tried for a breakout, but the Horseflies claimed possession off of a grubber. Unfortunately for School, after fullback Ntshangase was tackled, he was isolated and PRG forced a penalty.
Props on the scoresheet
They advanced deep into the DHS 22 with a kick for touch, and from the lineout that followed forced DHS to make tackle after tackle. The defence was fierce, but Oliver Reid eventually joined his fellow prop Ryan Jack on the scoresheet with a powerful drive across the line. Petersen was successful with a conversion attempt for the third time to take his side 21-14 clear.
Time was slipping away as DHS skipper Christian Everitt urged his team on. They crushed Paul Roos in a scrum and then sent the ball spinning down the backline. PRG scrambled, DHS probed, but the move ended when School knocked on.
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“The scrumming was very good”
Commenting on the set piece dominance of DHS, Director Engledow said: “The scrumming was very good. I was very happy for Ronnie Uys, our scrum coach. He has been working with [tighthead prop] Simphiwe Ngobese and the other front row guys, and it was great to see it, especially against a school like that.”
With time almost up, Paul Roos sent DHS right back to their try-line with a clever kick from scrumhalf Adeeb Boraine, and the Blue Typhoon were unable to come up with a late score to grab a share of the spoils.
“I thought a draw would have been a fair reflection”
“We had one or two chances we didn’t take,” DHS Director of Rugby Engledow commented. “I thought a draw would have been a fair reflection of the game. Well done to Paul Roos. They’re a big, traditional rugby school and I was surprised by how well we competed. The boys gave their best, and that’s all I can ask of them.
“We didn’t get the win, and we wanted to do well, so it’s not the greatest of afternoons,” he added, before concluding optimistically, “I’m looking forward to Monday. We’ll get over today and we’ll focus and start again.”
DHS take on HTS Drostdy on Monday, 1 May, at 13:50. You can watch the game on the SuperSport Schools app or website.
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