Unbeaten Paarl Gim dominates visiting Wynberg
Paarl Gimnasium extended their unbeaten run to 18 games on Saturday, defeating the visiting Wynberg Boys’ High 68-22 in a dominant display on the J.A. Kriel Field.
SA Schools‘ captain, Markus Muller, delivered another outstanding performance, with two tries and seven conversions.
His teammates, Ethan Barker, at inside centre, and Johan Kleynhans, on the wing, also secured braces for themselves in a game defined by precision and speed.
From the first try, it became clear that Saturday’s showdown was going to be a memorable encounter. Only 75 seconds into the game, the visitors worked their way down to the hosts’ five-metre line and it was game on.
From there, SA Schools scrumhalf, Morné Noble, delivered a crisp service, with long passes out wide to forward pods before he picked out Albert Lourens on the wing. The speedster jumped quickly to catch the ball, then dived over the try-line even quicker to snatch a lead for the Cape Town school only 90 seconds into the match. Western Province Schools flyhalf, Achmat Behardien, missed the narrow-angled conversion.
Stung by going behind so quickly, Gimmies struck back with a vengeance, leaving Wynberg staggered after scoring six tries to go into the halftime break with a commanding 40-8 lead.
The match – and is has been a feature of most of Paarl Gim’s games this season – featured a sensational start to the second half from the hosts. Playing phase after phase at blitz speed, they had the Wynberg defensive line struggling to keep its shape.
SA Schools’ eighthman, Quinton Potgieter, pierced the ragged line with a trademark charge onto the ball. SA Schools A scrumhalf, Mickyle Booise, laid on a short flat pass, which Potgieter juggled in one hand, before running into space and bowling through the opposition defenders to score next to the posts.
There were no secret ideas or subtle nuisances in the move. Gimmies simply overwhelmed their opposition with their cohesive speed and brute athleticism.
Wynberg did not lay down but continued fighting until the end and were rewarded with two tries in the second half.
With long passes from the base of a ruck inside the Gim 22, they were able to get the ball to the edge and Lourens was over for a second try. A clever back of the hand pass from Noble to Western Province Schools’ prop, Luqobo Makwedini, also enabled the big man to crash over from close range.
Paarl Gim produced some moments of individual brilliance, including when flyhalf Louis Koen grubbered the ball through from 20 metres out. That decision caught the Wynberg defence flatfooted, without any cover, and Barker chased and gathered to easily dot down for a second time in the game.
Kleynhans also snagged a brilliant intercept and turned on the jets to outstrip the chasing defenders and score his second under the uprights from 50 metres out.
It was, however, the team effort from the home side that demonstrated the wide gap between two talented sides. Smart support lines met elegant, one-handed offloads, and quick distribution from the breakdown cracked the Wynberg defensive code, just as Paarl Gimnasium has done to all opposition this season.
Next Saturday, Gimmies hosts Paarl Boys’ High in the Paarl Derby. Boishaai have lost only once this season – a narrow 26-28 setback against an excellent Oakdale Landbou side. They would love nothing more than ending their neighbours unbeaten streak, but it would take some doing.
Scorers
Paarl Gim 66 (28): Tries – Markus Muller (2), Johan Kleynhans (2), Ethan Barker (2), Quinton Potgieter, Adriaan van der Lingen, Hendré van der Westhuizen, Divan Pieters. Conversions: Markus Muller (7), Louis Koen (2); Wynberg 22 (8): Tries – Albert Lourens (2), Luqobo Makwedini. Conversions – Achmat Behardien, Laeeq Davids. Penalty – Achmat Behardien.
Other Results
u19 – Paarl Gim II 33 Wynberg II 0, Paarl Gim III 31 Wynberg III 5, Paarl Gim IV 59 Wynberg IV 10, Paarl Gim VI 20 Wynberg V 17, Paarl Gim VII 7 Wynberg VI 22.
u16 – Paarl Gim A 27 Wynberg A 14, Paarl Gim B 67 Wynberg B 7, Paarl Gim D 26 Wynberg C 19, Paarl Gim E 36 Wynberg D 24.
u15 – Paarl Gim A 26 Wynberg A 7, Paarl Gim B 36 Wynberg B 28, Paarl Gim C 24 Wynberg C 0, Paarl Gim D 41 Wynberg D 5, Paarl Gim E 55 Wynberg E 5.
u14 – Paarl Gim A 29 Wynberg A 21, Paarl Gim B 42 Wynberg B 0, Paarl Gim C 40 Wynberg C 6, Paarl Gim D 54 Wynberg D 0, Paarl Gim F 87 Wynberg E 0.
