Boishaai beat Grey in Paarl
On Saturday, in the new Premier Interschools initiative Paarl Boys' High became the third team to beat mighty Grey College this year when they won 28-18 on Saturday.
The field was wet from recent rains and considerably narrower than is usual, but the two teams played their hearts out, ending with Boishaai deserved winners, the third after Affies and Paarl Gim.
It was a special match, one for drums and songs and a great complement of pupils from each school. There were many, many activities over the weekend and Grey brought nearly 700 boys from Bloemfontein in busloads for the occasion. They would all be at the rugby match which was the climax of the weekend.
The sides ran out through supporting tunnels., the whistle went and the game was on.
Boishaai were first to attack and first to score when Tiaan Mouton goaled a penalty after six minutes but the first back to set the game alight was Grey's lanky fullback EW Viljoen.
Grey infringed at a tackle and Tiaan Mouton, a right wing, goaled again. 6-0 after 13 minutes
Pieter Jordaan, Grey's captain, kicked two goals to level the scores. 6-6 after 26 minutes.
A shuddering tackle by Jean-Luc du Plessis on Lezar Marnewick won Boishaai a turnover and they sped down the left touchline. Joust when it seemed that slender Dante van der Merwe would score, Lezar Marnewick tackled him into touch, but the Grey left wing, covering on the right, was penalised and Tiaan Mouton goaled. 9-6 after 32 minutes.
Then came a moment or two of Jean-Luc du Plessis's magic. From the kick-off after the thirds Boishaai penalty, Jean-Luc du Plessis gathered and kicked a clever little kick to his left when Dante van der Merwe gathered and went speeding. Challenged he passed inside to Jean-Luc du Plessis who then again kicked ahead, this time into the Grey in-goal where big centre Dewald Naudé won the race to the ball and scored. Tiaan Mouton converted and Boishaai led 16-6 at the break.
The match was really very even except that Boishaai created and took scoring chances. They went through phases and big lock Sebastiaan Ferreira, who ruled the afternoon's line-outs, took a pass from captain Craig Corbett and scored. Tiaan Mouton converted. 23-6 Soon afterwards he was on hand to plunge over for this second try. 28-6 after 41 minutes.
Boishaai led 28-6 and one would be forgiven in imagining that the floodgates would open. There are no floodgates at Grey and the brave Grey side came back with two tries of their own.
First two penalties set them up in an attacking line-out and then they tapped a third penalty, bashed at the line and hooker Corniel Els went over under the posts in a bundle. Pieter Jordaan converted.
Boishaai scrumhalf Pieter Schoonraad chipped, caught his chip and seemed to be about to set up a try but it fizzled out.
From a scrum on the left Grey went wide right where just inside the touchline EW Viljoen took a short pass to score as Johan Botha tackled him. It was a tight squeeze.
Just before the end there was a wonderful, long passage of play when Boishaai attacked but turned the ball over and off Grey went to the Boishaai line where the home side won a turnover.
At the final whistle there was great Blue and White joy in Paarl.
The scorers:
For Paarl Boys' High:
Tries: Dewald Naudé, Sebastiaan Ferreira 2
Cons: Tiaan Mouton 2
Pens: Mouton 3
For Grey College:
Tries: Corniel Els, EW Viljoen
Con: Pieter Jordaan
Pens: Jordaan 2
The teams:
Paarl Boys' High: 15 Darrian Hock, 14 Tiaan Mouton, 13 Dewald Naudé, 12 Henri Nimb, 11 Dante van der Merwe, 10 Jean-Luc du Plessis, 9 Pieter Schoonraad, 8 Johan Botha, 7 Jeandré Brink, 6 Derek Taylor, 5 Sebastiaan Ferreira, 4 Burger van Niekerk, 3 Liam Hendricks, 2 Craig Corbett (captain), 1 Wesley Adonis.
Grey College: 15 EW Viljoen, 14 Pieter Faber, 13 Stephan Janse van Rensburg, 12 Pieter Jordaan, 11 Lezar Marnewick, 10 Barend Bornman, 9 Heinrich Sander, 8 Reinhardt Arndt, 7 Stefan Koen, 6 Gareth de Bruyn, 5 Dylan Harlen, 4 Edward Schmidt, 3 Ruan Kramer, 2 Corniel Els, 1 Andrew du Plessis.
Referee: Quinton Immelman (Western Province Referees' Society)
Results down the years:
1950: Grey won 10-6
1953: Grey won 12-9
1954: Grey won 6-3
1954: Grey won 8-3
1956: Grey won 13-3
1957: Paarl Boys' High won 9-3
1960: Grey won 14-0
1960: Grey won 11-3
1973: Grey won 24-0
1974: Grey won 21-7
1977: Grey won 29-13
1978: Grey won 29-13
1979: Paarl Boys' High won 16-13
1980: Grey won 13-4
1983: Paarl Boys' High won 14-0
1984: Grey won 19-14
1984: Grey won 32-12
1987: Grey won 31-14
1989: Grey won 23-6
1993: Drew 0-0
1995: Grey won 18-6
1996: Paarl Boys' High won 16-9
1997: Grey won 20-16
1998: Grey won 20-6
1999: Grey won 34-16
2000: Paarl Boys' High won 17-10
2001: Grey won 38-15
2002: Grey won 23-6
2003: Grey won 27-16
2004: Grey won 38-3
2005: Grey won 38-13
2006: Grey won 20-5
2007: Grey won 48-24
2008: Grey won 34-24
2009: Grey won 50-8
2010: Grey won 32-12
2011: Drew 15-15
2012: Paarl Boys' High won 28-18