Bishops clinch cliffhanger

A try in the left-hand corner by playmaker Cornel Smit was enough to see Bishops edge out visitors Paarl Gym 35-32 in a truly spectacular advertisement for the schoolboy game at the Piley Rees field on Saturday 18 April 2015.

It is difficult to find words to describe a game in which the hosts ran up a 28-8 lead early in the second half, only to seemingly wilt under massive forward pressure from a refocused Gym side who eroded that advantage bit by bit until they actually led 32-28 three minutes from the end.

The match had barely kicked off in clear, warm weather (26 degrees, with only the slightest hint of a southeasterly breeze) when Bishops inside centre Cornel Smit slipped a tackle and made thirty metres up the middle, but Gym’s defence held, turning possession over and pushing the hosts back into their own 22.

With Gym swinging the ball wide from the resulting scrum, Bishops left-wing André Manuel executed a despairing tip-tackle on an opponent to earn a yellow card in only the fourth minute.

Cognoscenti know that Bishops need no invitation to run and that’s what they did virtually immediately after suffering this set-back. Smit cut through the defence on a dazzling 70 metre run and, when the hosts earned a penalty from the resulting ruck, they spun it left where flyhalf James MacDonald sold the defence a neat dummy to score. Smit converted. (Bishops 7 Paarl Gym 0 – 6 minutes)

The visitors’ response was to run back at Bishops, but forwards in the backline saw the ball knocked forward several times in a brief spell, which invariably saw the hosts probing the cover defence in return, almost breaking through twice themselves.

This was cut-and-thrust rugby of the highest calibre – all inside the opening quarter !

Gym were struggling to break the shackles and were frustrated by a relieving kick going directly into touch. They quickly regrouped and put Manuel under enough pressure to force a knock-on, but, even though they had a clearance charged down, the hosts cover defence was in fine form.

Eventually the territorial pressure told and Gym flyhalf George Lourens landed a 42 metre penalty from a favourable angle to put the Winelanders on the board. (Bishops 7 Paarl Gym 3 – 23 minutes)

Eager to atone for his earlier indiscretion, Manuel launched a telling run, after which indefatigable scrumhalf Brandon Salomo took play deeper into the Gym red zone.

This was merely setting the stage for an astonishing piece of individual talent by rake-thin full-back Tristan Leyds, who coolly chipped over the oncoming defence and won the footrace to score. Smit converted. (Bishops 14 Paarl Gym 3 – 27 minutes)

A spirited 40 metre charge from loosehead William Day from the kick-off put Bishops right back onto the attack. From the breakdown the home captain, flank Jarryd Lurie, broke to the left and sent an immaculately-timed pass out to Manuel, who scored in the corner. Smit obliged from the tee. (Bishops 21 Paarl Gym 3 – 32 minutes)

A lack of concentration and some uncharacteristically jittery handling enabled Lourens to sell the defence a sublime dummy to cross midway out on the half-time whistle. Half-time : Bishops 21 Paarl Gym 8.

The second half started with a great break by Lourens, which Leyds coolly turned into a counter-attack that came to naught due to poor handling.

The visitors looked set to score, but inside centre Taigh Schoor ignored a triple overlap on his left and was brought down by a stretched defence.

The hosts’ response was the try of the match, probably the season.

Salomo started the move some 30 metres from his tryline, fed energetic flank Joel Paarwater, who made twenty metres before releasing to Manuel, who headed for the corner before offloading on his inside to Leyds who went round under the crossbar. Smit kept up his record – which was going to be hugely significant in the outcome. Bishops 28 Paarl Gym 8 – 44 minutes)

Game over, done and dusted ? You wish !

Gym were not about to capitulate and it was Schoor who redeemed himself with a lovely inside-outside feint to score midway out. Lourens converted. (Bishops 28 Paarl Gym 15 – 48 minutes)

It was left to Leyds to rescue another parlous situation with a fortuitous toe-through, but the relief was of short duration as the visitors’ big forwards started applying enormous pressure on the smaller home eight.

This eventually told as replacement loosehead Jan Neveling squirmed his way over from a ruck on the Bishops line. Lourens converted. (Bishops 28 Paarl Gym 22 – 53 minutes)

Great anticipation by Lourens saw Gym stay on the attack and a brilliant break straight down the midfield by full-back Wian van Zyl saw the no.15 tackled on the line and his offload maddeningly knocked on. Crucially, as it turned out, Lourens had to leave the field shortly afterwards.

Although Smit briefly relieved the pressure, Gym put the squeeze on again, van Zyl being more successful this time, sneaking over from a scrum on the Bishops line. (Bishops 28 Paarl Gym 27 – 61 minutes)

There was only one side in it at this stage, as Gym mounted relentless attacks against a wavering – and tiring – defence, the pressure taking its toll within three minutes as powerful left-wing Max Thalwitzer made the extra man by joining out on the right flank to score. (Bishops 28 Paarl Gym 32 – 67 minutes)

Digging as deep as it gets, the hosts mounted a last onslaught, gaining a vital penalty five metres from the Gym line in the right corner of the field. Being Bishops, they swung the ball all the way out to the left where Smit was on hand to etch his name in history, capping it off with his fifth successful conversion. Final score: Bishops 35 Paarl Gym 32.

There was a time when Platinum Blues supporters had unsettling visions of last year’s opener in which their side turned over a huge half-time deficit to beat Boland Landbou. Fortunately these were to prove transitory.

It would be crass to suggest that the result represents a triumph for gleeful exuberance over a more regulated game-plan. As it turns out, the Man of the Match didn’t even score, Brandon Salomo earning the accolade for his faultless service behind an outweighed pack and this despite having to receive medical attention on several occasions.

Bishops may have got 35 points and Paarl Gym, 32; but the winner was schoolboy rugby.

By Tony Stoops