Niemand scores four tries as Paarl Gim runs wild at Noord/Suid
Paarl Gimnasium’s 20-21 loss to Hoërskool Stellenberg on 14 March felt like a distant memory at the NMI Toyota Noord/Suid Tournament after Gimmies amassed 134 points across their two matches at Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool (Affies) in Pretoria.
Relive all the action on SuperSport Schools – (www.supersportschools.com)
The Gimnasium juggernaut built upon a big 61–10 win over Hoërskool Noordheuwel on Saturday by brushing aside Die Hoërskool Menlopark 73–17 on Tuesday, the final day of the four-day tournament.
The clash between Gimmies and Parkies held special significance for referee Stephan Geldenhuys. A seasoned official, it was the 1000th match Geldenhuys has overseen.
Unfortunately, for him, it proved to be a bittersweet occasion as an injury forced him from the field at half-time, with Reghard O’Neill stepping up to referee the second half.
Corné Niemand, Gimnasium’s openside flank, enjoyed a dream outing, crossing the whitewash four times. His third try was the pick of the bunch, with Niemand racing the length of the field after intercepting a pass deep inside his own 22.
Paarl Gim’s loose trio delivered an outstanding performance, as they did in their opening match. Despite his four tries, Niemand‘s performance was eclipsed by eighthman Hendré van Zyl, who excelled when carrying the ball and linking play.
Parkies’ right wing Lucian Reed was the local team’s biggest thorn in Paarl Gimnasium’s side, impressing on the attack and dotting down two of Menlopark’s three tries.
Earlier in the day, Oakdale Landbou was forced to exercise patience against a resilient Hoërskool Noordheuwel outfit.
Nories‘ trademark physical defence was evident early on, with a series of heavy tackles setting the tone. The Bulle from Riversdal, nonetheless, found a way to score four tries and claim a 27–19 victory, which was largely thanks to their clinical finishing out wide and the composure they maintained throughout the contest.
Their team came out on the wrong side of the result, but loose forward Kean Lourens and the lock pairing Jared Coetzer and Robert Hurn led a tireless defensive effort from Noordheuwel, making tackle after tackle.
Scorers:
Paarl Gimnasium 73 (42) – Tries: Corné Niemand (4), Sebastian Bekker, Dirk Hugo, Ethan Barker, Thomas Saunders, Penalty try, Karel Dirker, Ruan Lindeque. Conversions: Louis Koen (8). Menlopark 17 (7) – Tries: Lucian Reed (2), Juan Joubert. Conversions: Willie Pieterse.
Oakdale Landbou 27 (12) – Tries: Nathan-Lee Gordon (2), Dylan Jordaan, Myburgh Eksteen. Conversions: Caleb Williams, Nathan-Lee Gordon. Conversion: Nathan-Lee Gordon. Noordheuwel 19 (12) – Tries: Kean Lourens, Miguel Elliott, Llewellyn Lourens. Conversions: Devonde Hoff (2).
