Gimmies defeats Grey College, Millies draws, the Jade Brigade wins big
Just as they did last year, Paarl Gimnasium defeated Grey College. This time, they won by 29 points to 14 on the J.A. Kriel Field in Paarl on Saturday.
With the defeat, for the first time since 2015, Grey College has lost three successive matches.
They previously went down to Stellenberg High and Australia’s St Joseph’s Nudgee College.
The Bloemfontein outfit opened the scoring just over 10 minutes into the game through left wing J.G. Horn. He chased a high kick from flyhalf Christoff Crous. Under pressure, the ball was spilt, and Horn pounced onto it, running in the opening try of the contest.
Gimmies‘ flyhalf Louis Koen responded with a try only three minutes later. From about 25 metres out, he sold a dummy, then cut inside to slice apart the College defence.
The action was intense, but Grey found their attacks consistently stymied by the Gim defence.
Hooker Charles Whitehead scored next for the hosts. From there, the difference widened. Near the end of the half, captain and inside centre Ethan Barker broke the line to score, and the home side went into the half-time break with a 17-7 lead.
In the second half, Paarl Gimnasium added another two tries. Fullback Lamla Mgedezi pulled one back for Grey College with one of his trademark darting runs, but it was a lonely moment of individual brilliance in a frustrating match for the Bloemfontein school.
Since losing 19-20 to Stellenberg High at the start of the season, Paarl Gim has been a force to be reckoned with, and they’ll be aiming to extend their five-game winning streak at the ABSA Wildeklawer Festival next weekend, where they face Helpmekaar Kollege and Durban High School (DHS). When those sides met at the Kearsney Eastern Rugby Festival, DHS won 39-27.
After six consecutive losses, Milnerton High avoided defeat, but was unable to post a victory, playing to a 15-15 stalemate with Hoërskool Brackenfell on Saturday.
Millies ran in three tries to two, with scrumhalf Callan Lakay, flyhalf James Ferreira, and tighthead prop Kyle Janse van Rensburg dotting down. Milnerton was unable to convert any of their tries, however, and that denied them a first victory of the season.
Brakkies couldn’t quite avenge last year’s 8-22 loss. Eighthman Seth Braaf and blindside flank Derose Manya scored tries, while flyhalf Yusuf Hannibal slotted a conversion and a penalty.
Stellenberg High continued their phenomenal form, overwhelming Hoërskool Melkbosstrand 64-0.
Inside centre Matthew van Wyk was the only one of the nine try scorers to dot down twice in a dominant performance from the hosts.
Liam Jacobs converted three tries, while Franco van der Merwe nailed four conversion kicks after coming off the bench.
Melkies will face a less demanding challenge next weekend, when they take on Brackenfell.
Scorers
Paarl Gimnasium 29 (17) – Tries: Louis Koen, Charles Whitehead, Ethan Barker, Jayden Steyl, Corné Niemand. Conversions: Koen (2). Grey College 14 (7) – Tries: J.G. Horn, Lamla Mgedezi. Conversions: Christoff Crous (2).
Milnerton High 15 – Tries: Callan Lakay, James Ferreira, Kyle Janse van Rensburg. Hoërskool Brackenfell 15 – Tries: Seth Braaff, Deros Manya. Conversion: Yusuf Hannibal. Penalty: Hannibal.
Stellenberg High 64 (24) – Tries: Matthew van Wyk (2), Ethan van Biljon, Liam Joubert, Daniel Wilds, Jean-Roux Wessels, Daniel Coetzee, Robert Hewitt, Emile Cilliers, Attie de Lange. Conversions: Franco van der Merwe (4), Liam Jacobs (3). Hoërskool Melkbosstrand 0.
Results
U19
Paarl Gimnasium I 29 Grey College I 14, Stellenberg I 64 Melkbosstrand I 0, Milnerton I 15 Brackenfell I 15
Stellenberg II 40 Melkbosstrand II 0, Milnerton II 34 Brackenfell II 22
Stellenberg III 14 Melkbosstrand III 15, Milnerton III 5 Brackenfell III 49.
U16
A: Stellenberg 26 Melkbosstrand 3, Milnerton 33 Brackenfell 3.
B: Stellenberg 40 Melkbosstrand 26, Milnerton 31 Hoërskool Brackenfell 7.
U15
A: Stellenberg 41 Melkbosstrand 0, Milnerton 21 Brackenfell 7.
B: Stellenberg 55 Melkbosstrand 5, Milnerton 0 Brackenfell 15.
U14
A: Stellenberg 67 Melkbosstrand 0, Milnerton 0 Brackenfell 61.
B: Stellenberg 43 Melkbosstrand 8, Milnerton 3 Brackenfell 40.
