Muller again the magic man for Paarl Gim in Absa Wildeklawer opener
A draw between Oakdale Landbou‘s Bulle and Hoërskool Garsfontein’s Bere was a fitting reflection of the 70 fiercely contested minutes that preceded the final whistle on Thursday at the Absa Wildklawer tournament, in Kimberley.
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With the lead changing hands on multiple occasions, Bere flyhalf Joshua Gouws slotted his third penalty of the match to level the scores at 30-30.
In addition to his accurate goal-kicking – three penalties and two conversions – Gouws delivered a commanding all-round performance. His incisive attacking play consistently tested Oakdale’s defence and provided Garsfontein with crucial momentum throughout the contest.
The opening 20 minutes, however, belonged to the side from Riversdal.
Starting strongly, Oakdale’s forward pack dominated early proceedings, providing quality possession for fullback Reinhart Viljoen and company to launch attacking movements with freedom.
Garsfontein responded through their talismanic tighthead prop, Luan van den Berg, whose powerful carries have been a hallmark of their season.
He was ably supported by the “Tower from Namibia”, lock JJ Fourie, who imposed himself across the field, particularly on defence. Hooker Justin Blom also impressed, bringing energy and dynamism to broken play.
The much-anticipated clash between Van den Berg and Oakdale’s Kai Pratt materialised, not so much in the scrums, but through some sizzling handling and impressive running lines from both front-rowers that captivated the crowd.
In the match that followed, Paarl Gimnasium opened their Wildeklawer campaign with a commanding 46–20 victory over Northwood.
The outstanding Markus Muller, as usual, stood out for Gim, further bolstering his claim for the SA Schools no. 13 jersey by scoring his fourth hat-trick of the season.
Up front, blindside flank Hendré van Zyl delivered a fine performance, helping to set the tone for Gim with his boundless energy and relentless work rate. Despite the margin of defeat, Northwood can take pride from their performance after putting 20 points on a side that many consider to be the finest team in the country.
Northwood’s refusal to back down was commendable, with flashes of brilliance on display, most notably from outside centre Bongane Khumalo, whose attacking flair caught the eye.
Earlier in the day, Outeniqua and Hoërskool Monument played out a thriller, with the Kwaggas edging the Wit Bulle, from Krugersdorp, by a single point, sneaking a 21-20 victory.
Outeniqua fullback Jade Peterson lit up the A-field at Hoërskool Diamantveld with his scintillating counter-attacks, one of which caught the Krugersdorp side completely off-guard.
For Monument, captain and eighthman, Vincent Roberts, delivered arguably his best performance of the season. A formidable ball carrier, Roberts repeatedly breached the gain line, giving his team the ascendancy for the better part of 60 minutes.
SCORERS
Paarl Gimnasium 46 (24) – Tries: Markus Muller (4), Migael Turner, Hendré van Zyl, Quinton Potgieter, Thomas Saunders. Conversions: Liam Koen, Muller, Divan Pieters. Northwood 20 (13) – Tries: Aphiwe Maphisa, Lusanda Mabizela. Conversions: Trevor van Vollenstee (2). Penalties: Van Vollenstee (2).
Oakdale Landbou 30 (15) – Tries: Jakobus de Villiers (2), Reinhart Viljoen, Diaan Augustyn. Conversions: CT Vosloo (2). Penalties: Vosloo (2). Garsfontein 30 (10) – Tries: JJ Fourie, Penalty Try, Stefan van der Vyver. Conversions: Joshua Gouws (2). Penalties: Gouws (3).
Outeniqua 21 (0) – Tries: Henru Nell (2), Jade Peterson. Conversions: Virgil Pockpas (3). Monument 20 (6) – Tries: Dean Hartman, Ewan van der Walt. Conversions: Jaydon Viljoen, Cameron Kourie. Penalties: Viljoen (2).
