Grey College v Paarl Boys’ High Historic Overview

May 10 • General News, School • 3053 Views • Comments Off on Grey College v Paarl Boys’ High Historic Overview

On Saturday 13th of May Premier Interschools will present their fourth edition for 2017 and a real humdinger of a match. The undisputed two top dogs will fight it out for the No 1 spot in SA Schoolboy rugby.

While Boishaai has been the trendsetters the last two years going unbeaten, the rugby factory from Bloemfontein has been re-charging its batteries and came out roaring in the 2017 season.

They have swept away all opposition with ease so far with their toughest match being against Affies on Saturday which they won 35-32 thanks to a Rikus Pretorius penalty after the hooter sounded.

They once again possess a backline of sublime speed and skill with another set of Kriel-brothers being instrumental in most of the moves. Fullback David and younger brother Richard who can play wing or centre is usually in the thick of things when the ball is on the move.

Flyhalf, Christopher Schreuder, is a well-rounded pivot with great hands, vision and an educated boot that can dictate any situation on the day. On his inside is a 2016 SA Schools’ player in Rikus Pretorius. This hard running big centre keeps opposition defence channels very busy and creates space for his teammates to run into.

At outside centre, they have Janco van Heyningen who represented the SA Schools’ A-side last year. This quick footed player can dance through any opposition defence at the slightest chance and should be watched very carefully.

At the base of the scrum, they have youngster Ross Braude who has a quick crisp pass and feeds his backline good ball, while always keeping an eye open for the opportunity to slip around the blind side.

The captain, Marcel Theunissen, is a hard-working flanker who leads from the front and set the example for the rest of his forwards. They will have to be at their best when they face the juggernaut pack from Paarl.

Grey College season so far:

Paarl Boys’ High had an exciting start to their season by travelling to New Zealand to play some of their top rugby schools. The school travelled with 4 teams (u19A, B and C and u16A) and won all their matches by healthy margins except the last one which the First XV lost in injury time in Christchurch to a dubious penalty. Shades of the Springbok tour of 1981 came to mind. In a funny twist, one of the parents of the u16 team was a Springbok on that self-same 1981 tour.

They hit the ground running on their return when they played the Easter Festival at St John’s College and then disaster struck against Affies when their influential flyhalf, Henry (Boeta) Chamberlain, got injured and will not partake in most of the season.

Coach Sean Erasmus had to re-shuffle is backline and it looks like he prefers the SA Schools’ A fullback Abner van Heerden to take over the pivot role from Chamberlain.  This provides him with the opportunity to move his 2016 winger Thakir Abrahams to the fullback position where this elusive runner will have more space and can create havoc in opposition defences.

Long standing centre combination Luka Ferreira and Divan Enslin will most probably have to break up with Ferreira moving to wing and youngster Noegh Hayward slotting in at outside centre. Stuart Tait will remain out on the right wing where he is a threat with his hard running and rock solid defence.

Captain, Francke Horn, will guide the team from the No 8 spot. This inspirational player is a vital cog in the Boishaai team and is the catalyst between the forwards and backs.  Once he gets going he will create running opportunities for both backs and forwards from his sublime vision.

Paarl Boys’ High had a couple of injuries in their forwards, non-more critical than hooker Wilhelm Barnard and lock Pierre Pretorius.  These two could be available for the Grey match and that will help dynamic flanker Vian Fourie to roam more freely and do his work in the loose. This dynamo reminds one of a young Heinrich Brüssow and can steal a ball from any ruck situation as if by magic.

Paarl Boys High season so far (SA games only):

Scores Through the Years

Rugby at Grey College

Grey has served Bloemfontein, the Free State, South Africa and the world well over the past 150 years. Grey has been able to make adjustments and remain relevant in a changing environment in which it has developed, grown and excelled.

The brand is known and revered throughout South Africa and even internationally and the products of the school make a positive difference wherever they are. Parallel medium education, tolerance, respect for others and loyalty to the school are not only traditions but firm foundations in a global village.

Grey is structured on these foundations and it is constantly adapting to new developments. The wave of change washing over our country confirms the value of Grey’s traditions.

Grey has produced 46 Springbok rugby players. Since WWII it has produced more Springbok players than any other school in SA, their latest being Cheetah captain and centre, Francois Venter.

List of Grey Springboks:

Rugby at Paarl Boys’ High School

Rugby is an integral part of the Paarl Boys’ way of life. It is important to win, but that should not be the primary objective. A sportsman may never be abused to ensure the success of a team. The primary objective at Paarl Boys’ High must be one of enjoyment, for both player and coach. Whereas they agree with the legendary Vince Lombardi when he said: ‘’Winning isn’t everything; it’s the only thing’’ they hold winning to be more than just points on the board. Winning relates to the values, commitment and the pursuit of the best of one’s abilities.

Boishaai has produced 20 players that have represented South Africa since 1906. They have provided some of the legends and most famous Springbok rugby players ever to have played in the Green and Gold. Players like Oom “Boy” and Fanie Louw, Piet “Spiere” du Toit, Mannetjies Roux, Ryk van Schoor, Carel Du Plessis and Corné Krige.

Paarl Boys’ High provided eight SA Schools players in 2016 which is a new record for any school in one year. They also provided five SA u20 players for the 2017 Junior World Championship squad to be played in Georgia later this year.

Paarl Boys’ High Springboks.

1. Cocky Hahn (1910)
2. Dirkie de Villiers (1910)
3. Louis Louw (1912)
4. Theuns Kruger (1921)
5. Champion Myburgh (1924)
6. Jack Bester (1924)
7. Boy Louw (1928)
8. Manie Geere (1933)
9. Fanie Louw (1933)
10. Ben du Toit (1938)
11. Ryk van Schoor (1949)
12. Theuns Briers (1955)
13. Piet du Toit (1958)
14. Mannetjies Roux (1960)
15. Haas Schoeman (1963)
16. Carel du Plessis (1982)
17. Wium Basson (1997)
18. Corné Krige (1999)
19. Gürthro Steenkamp (2004)
20. Frans Malherbe (2013)

The game will be broadcast live on Saturday 13 May on SuperSport Select channel 210 at 14h00.

You can also catch the build-up Premier Interschools Magazine Show from Wednesday 10 May at 18.45 on SS1 featuring EW Viljoen and SP Marais

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