Gim punish sloppy Landbou
Paarl Gim weathered a determined first-half effort by visitors Boland Landbou to coast home by a somewhat flattering 38-13 margin in their Western Province Super League A fixture on Saturday, 16 June.
As late as ten minutes into the second half this was still anybody’s game at 12-6 to the hosts, but a touchdown by tearaway flank Jacques Vermeulen finally broke the back of the Men from Windmeul, effectively opening the door for three more in the closing stages, during which Landbou’s only response was their one converted try.
A beautiful cloudless day had become pleasantly warm by the time the First XVs took the field shortly after noon, with Boland setting up camp in the Gim half early on.
However, early signs of frustration did become evident as flyhalf Heinrich Bühr only managed to slot two out of four penalty attempts with the Gim forwards being blown up for everything from side entry and dropping the scrum bind to lifting in the front row and using hands in a ruck. (Boland Landbou 6 Gim 0.)
It wasn't until the 18th minute that Gim managed any attack of note, but a powerful break by sensational No.8 Rikus Bothma was snuffed out by an almost-successful intercept in the midfield in the following phase. However, the hosts’ efforts were soon rewarded as Bothma was credited with a pushover try after his side had used a penalty to set up an attacking line-out. (Landbou 6 Gim 5.)
If they weren't disquieted enough at this stage, Boland saw a possible ten points go amiss in the closing stages of the first period. First Bühr missed another penalty, then a flying smother tackle by Vermeulen dislodged the ball from outside centre Attie Louw’s hands as he dived over the Gim tryline.
Just to rub salt into the opening wound Gim outside centre Wesley Cupido sliced through the defence, creating the opportunity for nippy scrumhalf Lotter Pretorius to notch the first of his hat-trick of tries. Flyhalf Wyatt Murphy’s conversion put the home team 12-6 up at the break.
Realising that they were wresting control from their opponents, Gim put together several promising phases early in the second half, left-wing Loek van der Merwe getting tackled into touch in the first minute and tighthead Ollie Regue almost setting up a second try for Pretorius shortly afterwards.
The building pressure told in the eleventh minute when quick third-phase ball reached Vermeulen, who drove over midway out. Murphy converted and Gim led 19-6.
Landbou’s occasional forays were basically reduced to one- or two-man efforts as the home side heavies took control, with towering Grade 11 Craven Week lock JD 'Jakkals' Schickerling in outstanding form.
Fifteen minutes from time Regue took off on another battering-ram run as a result of which Pretorius darted over for his second try, goaled by Murphy (26-6).
The sum total of Boland’s by-now-customary fourth quarter revival proved to be a pushover try by substitute flyhalf Tian Nel, whose conversion lent a semblance of respectability to the score at 26-13.
However, the hosts were by no means finished and ran in two more tries. First fullback Dawie Dyason shifted the ball quickly out to the left for hooker Evan 'Skillie' McDonald to dive over in the corner. Then, in the final minute, Pretorius was the grateful scorer after some crisp passing had cracked the dispirited Landbou defence. Murphy converted the first of these, leaving the final score 38-13.
So, what lessons can be learned from this game?
Well, for a start you can't hope to compete with a side blessed with such all-round strength as Paarl Gim unless you take every opportunity that comes your way. As Landbou coach Faffa Coetzee sadly observed: “Paarl Gym had the chance to score 42 points and scored 38; we had the chance to score 32 points and managed only 13.”
The Windmeul lads dominated up front for a large part of the first half only to see the possession stakes change dramatically in the second half. The fact that Gim then proceeded to give them an object lesson in how the ball could be utilized effectively must really have stung the visitors, but they will surely have learnt a lesson upon which they will have five long weeks to reflect.
One indication of the visitors’ increasing anguish could be seen in their wholesale half-time backline reshuffle. Nel took over at flyhalf, Bühr moved to full-back, skipper Faffa Botha exchanged his No.15 duties for those of second centre, from which position Louw was shunted out to the wing.
As far as Christoff Lötter and Hendrik Weber’s charges are concerned possibly the only negative was the string of penalties conceded up front early on. OK, and, strictly speaking, several of Pretorius’s tries weren't the product of adherence to the team’s highly successful system, but, hey, a little bit of spontaneity never hurt anybody, right?
A trip out to this magnificent school is not a fixture; it is more like an outing, such is the warm camaraderie and delightful spirit one has come to expect in Noorder-Paarl. A day to be long remembered, albeit for different reasons, according to whom you support!