Prinsloo’s brace barely enough as Paarl Gim sneaks past Affies

Afrikaans Hoër Seunskool came very close pulling off an upset of high-flying Paarl Gimnasium after a back-and-forth battle in Pretoria on Saturday.

Relive all the action on SuperSport Schools. (www.supersportschools.com).

Affies dominated up front, but Paarl Gimnasium had the last laugh.

In the end, the side from the Western Cape came out on top by a single point, winning 20-19, in the seventh Premier Interschools clash between the two schools.

The home side’s pack had the upper hand, ruling the set pieces, especially the scrums. This starved the visitors of the free-flowing possession that they’re accustomed to receiving. As a result, Gim’s dangerous backline lacked its usual potency.

Gim did, however, catch the Affies’ defence napping early on, with right-wing, Immanual Prinsloo, bursting through for the first of his two tries, and the only five-pointer of the half.

Ruben Pienaar’s trusty right boot kept the home side within touching distance, however, as he slotted two penalties, leaving Affies trailing by only one point at the break.

The second half developed into a see-saw battle between the two kickers, as Pienaar and the visitor’s fullback, Freek de Kock, each knocked over two penalties.

Then, the hosts’ best player on the day, left wing Eagan Roux, capitalised on a well-executed training ground move, to dive over for a try, which gave Affies the lead for the first time in the match.

Prinsloo’s dream game, however, wasn’t yet complete as he read an Affies’ backline move like a book to intercept the ball on his 22-metre line before flying down the field for a five-pointer for Gim.

That crucial piece of magic meant that the left-winger – who until a few weeks ago still ran out for the 2nd XV – had bagged an invaluable double, and he went on to earn man of the match honours.

De Kock’s clutch second penalty of the half was the final nail in the coffin as Paarl Gimnasium held onto their lead from the last couple of minutes to claim a sweet and very hard-fought victory away from home.

Scorers

Paarl Gimnasium 20 (7) – Tries: Immanual Prinsloo (2). Conversions: Freek de Kock (2). Penalties: De Kock (2). Affies 19 (6) – Try: Eagan Roux. Conversions: Ruben Pienaar. Penalties: Pienaar (4).

Other teams:

u16: Paarl Gimansium 46, Affies 32
u15: Affies 19, Paarl Gimnasium 5
u14: Paarl Gimnasium 11, Affies 7

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Franco Oberholzer

Franco is a sports fanatic from Tzaneen, a small town in Limpopo. Obsessed with both cricket and rugby, he still does the sport at club level when given the chance. Combining the rush of sports with his other passion, writing, gives him the fix any sport-crazy fan needs. In his spare time, he spends quality time with family and friends, preferably around a braaivleis fire.

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