Another close call Paarl Interskole Derby! Just 3-points in it.
THE FIRST 10 MINUTES
Mainly Boishaai! Gim saw precious little ball but Boishaai in spite for taking a hold of the match early on, could not turn possession into points.
THE KYLE SMITH SHOW
Gim flyhalf Kyle Smith would go on to be named as the player of the match and deservedly so. His tactical kicking came to the fore as Gim slowly started to gain ascendency in the T&P stats. The telling blow was delivered in the 17th minute, when a well-worked lineout presented a chance for Smith to manufacture a hole in the Boishaai defence. The vital linebreak would be added to with an assist for his halfback partner Dawid Kotze to finish off with a try and hand Gim a 7-0 lead.
From there the score grew to 10-0, then 13-0 by halftime.
Interestingly one of the core Gim supporter gripes after last year’s Paarl Interskole loss was the omission of Smith for that showpiece in spite of his irresistible form especially in the lead up to the big game in 2022.
UNDERRATED PLAYERS IN HIGH PROFILE TEAMS
High profile teams usually don’t have a shortage of eye-catching players but its not that often that you look at some highly dependable players on the park and acknowledge that the serve they have provided for their respective schools in relation to how they are generally rated is immense.
On the day, in the match, Boishaai flyhalf Ruan van Willing was excellent. Van Willing seemed to be the favoured target of just about every Gim tactical kick and his composure in handling the pressure was a highlight of the match. He was really tidy. When combined with what he achieved on the frontfoot, it was a performance to be proud of.
As for Gim’s 80-something kg lock Marco Steyn, wow! Talk about a player who punches well above his weight. Fantastic in the lineout to the extent that he gave Gim a huge edge in this department. He is workhorse of note in the loose, including as a ball-carrier who is able to get metres. What an excellent season he has had.
I’ve talked before about the Pieter Rossouw Blueprint – the style of play that had made Gim the team to beat in 2020, 2021 and 2022. The Blueprint seemed to be missing at the start of 2023 but it’s return seemed to coincide with the promotion of u17 inside centre Kobus Blanckenberg to the starting line-up. Brackenberg proved to be a go-to player and had a huge game!
The determined run by the compact low-centre of gravity centre after a lineout sent Gim over the touchline just 5m from the Boishaai tryline in the 43min. It would prove to be the main ground gainer in the build-up to the decisive try that ultimately won Gim the Paarl Interskole of 2023.
Marco Steyn would do his thing in the lineout and steal a crucial ball. Gim then pounded the Boishaai defence, which had been standout in resistance on their own line at times before. After a couple of collision outside centre Hennie Otto bashed over for the try.
The score now 20-0 and seemingly game over!
THE BOISHAAI LINEOUT THE NEVER GOT FIXED
Ultimately it was a major Achilles in the Boishaai armour that once again let them down. A failing lineout that was not fixable throughout the whole season and which will certainly be a hot topic in the post-mortem.
THE PIETER ROSSOUW BLUEPRINT
Having discussed the PR Blueprint, it’s worth noting that this big match did not follow the normal patterns of strategic play. Interskole is known for a number of things including being the biggest schoolboy rugby match in the world and one of the all-time closest derby rivalries in any sport anywhere on the planet. What still needs to come to prominence is the amount of tactical planning that goes into the match. The effort now put in to understand the oppositions’ strengths and weaknesses, and develop game plans to counter these while at the same time creating designs that are unexpected, is taking this rivalry to another level.
THE LAST 20 MINUTES
All Boishaai! And all credit to them. Their spirit and love for the jersey shone through with the character they displayed. They could have thrown caution to the wind and made themselves vulnerable to turnovers and counter-attacks in the process. Instead they remained focussed and methodical in their approach.
Gim seemed to want to defend the lead rather than try to grow it. Their defence had memorable moments earlier in the match but when push came to shove, they really struggled to contain Boishaai.
JC Mars was Boishaai’s equivalent of Kyle Smith coming into the match and for the most part he was very well contained. He did however manage to have an influence on the scoreboard with a timed run at full tilt to breach the defensive line from close range on the right after sustained pressure. This make the score 20-5 in the 52nd minute.
Another Boishaai big name player Divan Fuller added to the scoreboard when he showed superhuman strength and excellent technique off the back of a scrum to stay low and power passed the tacklers, stretch out and score with three players on his back, making it 20-12 in the 61st minute.
In the 66th minute Boishaai managed to get the ball through the hands again. This time lock Van Heerden Pretorius made the defining carry to get to the tryline. Like the previous two tries, the right hand side of the field seemed to be a happy hunting ground for Boishaai. From here they recycled and drove it up one more time to inches from the line before appearing to lose patience and err by going wide without an apparent overlap or even a structure backline in place. Van Willing swung a desperate long wildish pass out to the left where it bounded and rolled to wing Jameel de Jongh who was all alone with two Gim defenders closing down on him. His finish in the left corner from there was against all odds and something special.
A fantastic comeback from 20-0 to make it 20-17.
KICKS WIN MATCHES
Coming into this match, Boishaai centre Daniel van der Merwe had established his reputation as amongst the most reliable kickers in the nation while Kyle Smith had become as dodgy as they get from the kicking tee. So this was one of the twists in the tale. Van der Merwe to his credit didn’t have an easy conversion. All three were from serious angles.
Preview
Paarl Boys’ High versus Paarl Gymnasium. Two national rugby powers just a few kilometres apart. The biggest schoolboy rugby match in South Africa costs R150 to attend and is sold out! It is also as close a rivalry as one could ever hope to find with an average point difference of just over 5 points dating back to 1915. It’s the one match where no one wants to predict a winner.
@beet: If the Jeppe groundskeeper reckons that 8k or 9k is the maximum, then that was probably the number at the KES game as it was overflowing. I’m not a crowd expert, but my two cents worth is listed below:
– Schoolboys probably occupy some 80% of the south sideline, so probably about 2.5k to 3k people there.
– Behind the poles on the west side is less wide than the sideline, but probably three times as deep, so I guess about 4k people there.
– Behind the poles on the east side is negligible.
– The north sideline is smaller than the south sideline, so perhaps only 1.5k to 2k there. Note that they move all the Jake White field stands across to the Collard field for the 1st team game. The Jeppe old boys, inter alia, sit on this side and sing chants back and forth with the Jeppe schoolboys on the opposite side.
– There is probably another 1k spread around – some watching the game (e.g. in the section above the tuck shop, along the pathway to the Jake White field, etc) and others not because it was simply too full, or they were manning food stalls, etc.
– So, I reckon 8k or 9k is about right.
@Roger: It might not be a bad idea to try out a larger stadium one year, but I’d prefer it if they find a way to keep the fixture at the schools.
@beet: Well the whole of SA is either moving there or to Hermanus, so might as well. A good 20k stadium as people move away from slums to gated estates near the coast. Maybe one in Val de Vie alone for the WP ;-)
@Grasshopper: There have actually been rumours circulating for a while that the Sharks are scoping out Balito as a place to build a new small stadium in line with thinking that one day a good deal of their core support base will reside on the north coast. Not sure how true this is
@OomPB: 2011 was indeed a big surprise Gim win…we had many injuries and lost against Outeniqua the previous week…I remember Christoff Lotter telling me after the Outeniqua game that we will win interschools…I just smiled thinking there was no chance. Saturday again showed me how the 2 schools feed off each other, they push each other to new heights and ensure that we keep on improving. Rumour is that Sean is moving on, taking up opportunity abroad. I hope we can keep our coaching team intact.
@Roger: do they not keep track of ticket sales at the gates?
@gimmie: 2011 was special. HJS was the big favorates and Handre made the difference. I am a big fan of Kyle but he played behind a very good pack compare to Handre in 2011.
@Roger: I know one thing that is more inaccurate, schoolboy rugby weights & heights. They always add on a few…
@beet: sort of on topic, I watch the Sharks at Kings Park and shocked by the tiny crowds, full top tiers covered in advertising. Wouldn’t it make sense to either knock the stadium down & do a great new 35k stadium with all the best facilities that can be used for multiple events? Then big school derbies could be held there too. I know this is a huge cost but will pay out in the end. Let’s not talk about the white elephant next door, Moses Mabhida. My uncle is a civil engineer who reviews it occasionally, he reckons it’s falling apart. A DHS vs Glenwood or College vs DHS could surely get close to 20k if as a curtain raiser to the Sharks. The smaller stadiums in Europe are awesome, such great atmosphere..
@beet: I also thought 8/9k is a touch optimistic, and there is no way there is sufficient parking near KES or Jeppe, although they do encourage everyone to Uber. I was quoting from Theo Garrun’s article (pasted below). My mates tell me that the biggest crowd they’ve ever seen at KES was this year against Paarl Boys High on the Saturday of the festival. 10k was the estimate but nothing is more exaggerated than school boy rugby crowds 🤣
I guess KES would have had an accurate count of ticket sales for day 2 of their festival too so perhaps 10k is correct 🤷♂️
@sharpshooter: Can’t agree with you more about Kyle Smith and Danio Botha.
I would go further to say that if I had to pick my personal player of the season for 2023 it would be Danio Botha. I’m not sure he was the biggest influence in the Paarl Interskole this year but he has constantly delivered top performances at the highest level throughout this season.
@Vleis: Hey Roger. One thing I find unique about Jeppe is it seems that non-schoolboy spectators can only sit on one end of the field behind the posts on the bank. The schoolboys occupy the length of the one touchline and the other two sides of the field are uninhabited by anyone other than key personnel. There are no stands on these two sides of the field.
So I’m shocked that they can get close to 8000-9000 spectators. My guess is 1200 x 2 schoolboys = 2400 + maybe 2000 spectators on the bank max surely???
Just to give some perspective on Pieter Rossouw’s record, my calculations shows that Sean Erasmus who I regard as a legendary schoolboy coach, record is 107 wins from 125 games translating into an 86 % win percentage, also an exceptional record by a superb coach..logic dictates that the 2 Paarl rivals schools must appreciate what they have got…
Oom PB, I have watched every game since 1970.. we have had some standout performances: my hero the late Dana du Toit in 1979, Louis Koen was special and Handré won in both 2011 and 2012 and Jandre Burger was outstanding in 2019..but nobody has bossed the game as Kyle did this year…
@gimmie: 50 years is a long time. In 2012 was daar Handre Pollard
Thank you to the Boishaaiers for your kind words…much appreciated. Congrats also to your team…the chips were down and they staged a fight back of epic proportions…some thoughts on the game: Gim targeted BHS line out successfully. It’s very difficult to win when you lose 7 out of 10 line outs… credit to Helmut for targeting this area successfully…13 of Gim’s points came from lost line outs..Gim withstood BHS early challenge which was crucial..BHS showed that they are a very good team with some real game breakers….Gim dominated from minute 10 – 50 and then the blue train kicked into gear…Kyle showed he is a very special player to produce probably the best display by a Gim 10 the last 50 years…Saturday was Pieter Rossouw’s 100th game as Gim head coach. He now has 88 wins 1 draw and 11 losses for an overall win percentage of 88%…we really live in a crazy world as I am not sure Pieter would have survived another loss. Standout Gimmies apart from Kyle, Blankenberg 12, Du Toit 7 and Steyn 5. Boishaai’s captain and 4 SA players were immense…it was a special day and all games were played in good spirit…we needed the win and I know my Boishaai friends know exactly what I mean…
@Roger: Great idea – schoolboy rugby needs to test new ideas!
@Roger: Agreed on the safety front. Watching the boys at Glenwood on wooden stands makes me cringe as they get excited and start jumping about (planks bending etc). I always hope the school puts them on the concrete stands instead. Also, exiting becomes tough if there is an issue, limited wide gates. It’s an accident waiting to happen in the crowd does get bigger than 8 to 10 thousand, that’s most inner suburb schools. Glenwood, rightly or wrongly, charge R20, so it helps to reduce the crowd a bit and also pays for ‘security’ sort of usher types. You cannot beat the vibe at a school though, tuck shop heaving, braai’s on the field afterwards etc. I loved the Monnas braai set-up on the banks. I think by going to a neutral bigger ground, it might take away the home and away advantage a bit. Running from particular stairs or archways etc…although that has changed over the years. Glenwood use to run from the pool area but mow from the pavilion so it can change to a stadium.
@Vleis: I believe so – Theo Garrun reckons he and the Jeppe groundskeeper did an accurate count of Jeppe at capacity and they can fit no more than 8/9 thousand (KES would be similar). Maybe a stadium for one year like Wits is not such a bad idea – given the demand ??
https://theogarrun.blogspot.com/2023/07/my-sporting-highlight-joburg-derby.html?fbclid=IwAR0KOh2OzDHZ6QGV5zhklERpSn-2aiuMSrWm3B51D4oXm_s4d56uwWL48aY_aem_AaP5siERrOBhry8tt5Dm5rnXVjzjF_bQ7Ar3aI3ZRbdu2ti2KqtSGjfVD2XWtvUmHBs&m=1
@Roger: I went to the KES v Jeppe fixture at Jeppe a few weeks ago. At 9am, it was already getting a little difficult to find a place to sit at the main field (Collard). When I returned at 11am (after watching a game on the top field), it was impossible to find a seat for three at Collard field…and the 1st team game only started at 1.45pm!
The place was heaving!
All this talk of derbies and spectator numbers – I read an interesting article recently on Facebook by Theo Garrun (he’s employed by Jeppe now I think) calling for the KES Jeppe clash to be moved to Wits stadium (or similar). Says the pressure on the schools to try and accommodate the demand is too much (as well as crowd safety, security etc etc). Not many agreed with him …..
It’s an interesting debate though – but not sure it will ever happen.
@Bush: he’s a Westville Old Boy. 2,3….Leafy suburbs!
@Grasshopper: That’s machine, Green Machine.
@Bush: haha! He’ll do it in under 20 secs then give you a klap you will never forget & do it again. You house Okes need to brush up on your English it seems; https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/have-a-few-too-many#:~:text=Definition%20of%20'have%20a%20few%20too%20many'&text=If%20you%20say%20that%20someone,full%20dictionary%20entry%20for%20few
@OUD ANKER: Never an easy place. Played my U20 rugby for Eastern Transvaal. I was at Army Gim in 1992/3 last In Take. Loved Koppa Stamp, was the only time you gave back and it was all okay
@Bush: Few too many brandewyn’s and coke down there in the Toti clubhouse it seems. Will Skelton is 145kg and an international player, you the one talking drivel…plenty of club level locks 130kg. This friend is massive naturally….
@sharpshooter: Die twee spelers van Gim is verseker uitstaande. Boishaai se 4 SA spelers ook briljant maar enige een wat die Paarl interskole verstaan sal vir jou kan vertel hoe min spasie daar vir buite agter spelers is. Ek persoonlik dink hulle was baie goed maar was goed geisoleerd omdat Gim baie meer voorvoet bal gehad het. Boishaai se ander SA speler ( Fuller) het ook baie goed gespeel. En soos jy sê was Gim se nr 10 die beste game breaker op die dag. Ek is tevrede dat my span hul beste gegee het maar Gim was op die dag beter.
@Smallies: my mate is similar, of Viking ancestry. Obviously at 45 he’s severely overweight but he was lean at 135kg & playing decent level club rugby 22 years ago
@Grasshopper: anyways enough talking kak …got to grab 2hours before I go to work
@Grasshopper: he was a fit 200kg with not a lot of bodyfat….I know a couple of guys who at 130 are having trouble trying their own shoes
@Smallies: at 6foot6 quite easily. He actually doesn’t even have an overhanging boep. Look at Hafthor Bjornsson, he was 200kg & 6foot7
@Grasshopper: I have a genuine legit question….how do you wipe your own arse at 175 kgs?
@Bush: he was 135kg then. 175kg now & I dare you to call him fat. We had a better pass rate than Westville this year. Rugby is around 65% win ratio for 1st team, one game left
@OUD ANKER: gelukkig het ek nooit daar geeindig nie ….Een keer wel in Dalveiw hosp nadat ek met my 50 neer gemoer het omdat ek gedink het die Stoffberg sirkel is silverstone en ek Valentino Rossie….het n week daar vertoef terwyl ek letterlik my wonde laat gesond word het ,het nou nog die merke op my rug van daai grappie
@Smallies: Verre Oos hospitaal, dis hoekom dit nie noodwendig ‘n goeie ding was as jy die fight gewen het nie!!
@OUD ANKER: Verre oos rand Hosp ….daai was n Scary plek ,toe ons net getrek het Brakpan toe het ons vir so ses maande in New State Area gebly net oorkant die hospitaal fokken dicey plek gewees….ek was kak bang vir daai hospitaal
@Bush: In Brakpan 50% meant you were either dead (you lost the fight) or you ended up in Verre Oos hospital in wards 4,5 and 6 (you won the fight)
@Grasshopper: 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣175kgs that a fat moose. Knocked 10/20 that’s 50% pass rate about GW average for both academics and rugby.
@Grasshopper: definitely not the same guy then
Well done Gim & hard luck Boishaai, feel for Sean Erasmus.
@Smallies: nah, mine was in 2002, leaving an Aussie pub called Down Under just off Grafton Street at 1pm after about 20 pints. My massive mate (6foot6 & 175kg) & I left the place & a gang of about 20 jumped us. We were shocked & just started swinging. My mate nailed about 10 of them in one go, I got about 5 then the rest ran. Real ‘knackers’ they are called, in white Kappa tracksuits, tattooed knuckles, gold calddagh rings & full of kak. I was 23, fun times. My glasses got broken in the mess & a few bruises but all good 👍 We both were playing rugby for Bective Rangers
@Leelu: my maat sodra ek n huisie in n dorpie 50 km suid van PE kan cash koop is ekke weg…
@Grasshopper: Did you work for Draft FCB? Which years?
@Smallies: Bewaarder wees is nie maklik nie en Goedemoed is een van die slegste tronke om by te werk. Ek lag somtyds in my mou wanneer van die “ouens” hul Tarzan stories om die braaivleis vuur vertel. Gaan jy vervroegde pensioen vat? Gelukkig is jy darem in beserings tyd…nog net ‘n paar jaar van bandiet oor.
Hierdie is glad nie n uitlok vraag nie maar ek wonder genuinely wanneer laas Boishaai teen Gim, Landbou en PRG in dieselfde seisoen verloor het? Dis vir my skokkend dat Kyle Smith en Danio Botha (wat laasjaar al vir die SA A span gespeel het) nie in die SA skole span is nie! Kyle Smith het hierdie naweek perform onder die meeste pressure wat enige skolerugby speler kan ervaar, losskakel en kaptein op Faure.
Ek vat niks weg van Boishaai se 4 SA skole spelers nie maar hulle almal was maar baie stil tot die 60ste minuut van die game. Ek weet hulle sou gemerk gewees het deur die Gimmies maar Kyle sou ook gewees het maar hy het steeds perform. Dis vir my jammer dat twee briljante spelers nie sulke kanse kry nie.
@Smallies: 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
@Grasshopper: I watched a video a while back of a bunch of laaitys attacking someone in dublin ,they beat the shit out of him….
@Smallies: which YT video?
@Grasshopper: was that you in that youtube video?
@Trots HJS (Tandem): by the way ,jy is een van die twee…
Well done to Paarl Gym with an unquestionably deserved victory. We always knew that our odds were not high so I was absolutely delighted with my teams bravery. Most importantly for me was the spirit in which the games were played over Friday and Saturday and the great behaviour of all spectators. It was also a victory for education in general. And next year we take up the challenge again!
@Smallies: some of the prisons in Ireland are hectic! Coke addicts rule. I got jumped by a gang of teens in white kappa tracksuits in Dublin, not fun.
@Grasshopper: all are equally kak but some are kakker….
@Smallies: sounds hectic, sorry about that. Being a prison guard ain’t fun, anywhere. Polsmoor must be hectic
@Smallies: trust me I do….but this isn’t a competition. I grew up on the Bluff in Wentworth…single parent family
@Grasshopper: you dont know the half of mental toughness .try walking into a prison with 1500 inmates all hating you with just a batton as your protection ,try facing 1000 inmates rioting an burning everything and you have to control them with just a batton and a shield ,try walking into a prison the day after you saw your colleague having her trought cut after she was raped ….chap money is just 1’s and0’s, you get to walk away from your job every day ,me I go on my knees every night thanking the Lord that I was able to make it to my wife in one piece …again you don’t know what stress is
@Bush: Savoy hotel in Brakpan mate 1 double for the price of two fist fights….
@Smallies: point is politics has ruined SA sport, the Boks should drill everyone based on the level of schoolboy rugby, but the kids get lost in the system after school. I fear this may be the last WC we competitive in. In terms of ‘toughness’ there is physical toughness, the easy one, try mental toughness running a multi-billion dollar account, way way harder. I’ve done both, having had to start work at 16 to pay my way. Also, debate means people don’t always agree, the world would be super boring without it. All the best
@Smallies: And Brandy Specials at the Crown Bar🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆
@Grasshopper: you could’ve stayed and made a difference….you chose to leave,and yes I do think im prettty tough ,I have a violent job dealing with very very violent people,the types you ran from ….Im done now debating this ,you made your choice ,live with it ….but dont come and Ivory tower us… rather keep quiet.
@Smallies: runaway brigade, that made me laugh out loud. Take takes massive kahunas to leave a country & start again. You so tough staying behind! My parents just left St Francis bay for Pennington of all places, probably the poorest & most badly run area in SA, but they are privileged to buy new in a gated estate. They will swallow, so 6 month there & 6 months here, best of both worlds. Oh yes, the Irish were treated badly by the English too, read it up. Oh & it was always Chevrolet before Toyota took over…I worked on the Toyota global advertising account for 3 years…..Toyota decided to stay during Apartheid much like Coke, Pepsi left. Makes you think.
@Grasshopper: Actually is sea sun braai and Toyota ….
@Grasshopper: typical it might be because you moaning and bitching is tipycal of the runaway brigade…..I’ve said my piece deal with it in wichever way you like ….oh and just so you know I intend to retire in the Eastern Cape ,possibly rhe poorest of our provinces ….because I love the Eastern cape and its people
@Smallies: typical response (like it’s easy to migrate, try it) & my family is from Ireland, we were made to fight in the boer war, so get your facts straight boet. Unfortunately politics & economy reflects sport, so it is valid. Anyway, be an ostrich & stick your head in the sand. It’s all sun, sea, braai & Chevrolet. I hope you do stop the rot & ensure SA doesn’t become just another failed African state. Schoolboy rugby I’m fine on thanks as long as it’s balanced & not focused on the western cape all the time….where everyone is running away too
Yes Hopper speak SBR or foot and sack
@Grasshopper: mate you are really scratching a nerve wich I don’t like scratching….I am one of those who you so ellequintly states have no other choice but to stay here….so let me put it this way, you chucked off to England,we can’t, so therfore I and many like me will work out butts of to make this coutry a success, we did it after YOUR ancestors burned it to the ground and basically committed genocide against my people BOTH BLACK AND WHITE….we WILL DO SO AGAIN….so keep your England and I’ll keep my South Africa …..stay there and please dont come back we dont need you’re tipe of negativity we have enough problems to fix without your bullshit….I hope I made myself clear on this ,If you want to chat schoolboy rugby do so by all means but stop crying about the situation in SA when you allready ran away….
Baie geluk aan Paarl Gim – Julle was klinies!
Dit was weereens n Interskole vir die boeke!
Ek is baie trots op my Alma Mater wat verbete teruggeveg het!
Interskole sal altyd spesiaal bly en n pluimie in die hoed van beide skole en ondersteuners wat die dag en spel in baie goeie gees gespeel en geniet het!
Rugby:
Wedstryde gespeel 19
Gim Wen 6
HJS wen 12
1 Gelykop.
@Djou: hit a nerve a see. I meant dollar millionaires but still 300k isn’t slot when it the only people paying tax for a country with real unemployment of close to 40% & a population of close to 60 million. Inflation & interest rates in the Uk are in line with the rest of the western world, in fact, 5.25% is actually pretty normal. We had years of zero % which unsustainable. Inflation is coming down due to higher interest rates with the goal of 2%, what is SAs plan? Maybe Russia or China can bail you out again. SA belongs to those two countries anyway. Piss off the US again and they will isolate further. I get some people ‘choose’ to stay, when in fact it’s no option really. I get it & I feel for them. Families, history & bonds too. Lastly, yes I am aware Rusties are 2nd tier, that’s fine. Glenwood teach boys to respect all opponents. Rusties must have had a decent year, Glenwood had a poor one compared to teams of the past. Our general win ratio in the weaker KZN division over 110years is 60%, we ok with that. We are a working class school who get through by getting up & fighting each day. To the other comment, agreed, blue collar guys are equals to CEO’s, my point there was these types leaving means the people they employ lose jobs.
@Kantman: ek mag wel verkeerd wees rondom my persepsie van n sekere groep Paarl burgers ,maar die persepsie wat hulle hier skep is dat die son uit hulle gatte uit skyn ….dit mag n minderheid van hulle wees maar daardie minderheid blyk hier in oorvloed te wees….ek weet van slegs twee hier wat nie so is nie .Indien ek verkeerd is sal ek onvoorwaardelik omverskoning vra…ek twyfel egter,dit is al die maandag na die groot geveg en sommige skitter in hulle afwesigheid ,hulle kon nog nie eers so ver k om die oorwinaars geluk te wens nie…
@Djou: Jy is seker nog besig met jou navorsing? Enige betekenisvolle resultate? Ons sien uit na die gevolgtrekkings as jy kans kry om jou Guinea Pigs in te lig.
@Jan Kriel: Nee wat, hoekom sal ek my bevuil oor jou niksseggende opmerking. Ek respekteer net ander interskole ook. Iets wat jy kan leer!
@Grasshopper: Actually, there are more than 300 000 individuals earning more than a million per year – according to SARS’ Tax Statistics. And 90% of them in the private sector.
We live here because we like it here. We live here despite the failures, we are not blind. It is our choice, but we prefer not to just criticise, but enjoy life because that is what we should do!
Just a quick question, I gather you did not criticise the UK government following the electricity and gas shortage/price debacle. And high inflation and interest rates. And stiff upper lips coupled with the condescending treatment of us poor South Africans.
I gather you know – Rustenburg plays in the second division in Noordvaal.
@Smallies:Ek love die ander interskole en kyk dit graag. Sou nie daarvan geweet het sonder die blog nie. Elkeen het egter sy plek, en my vriende in die Paarl is glad nie hoe jy hulle beskryf nie. Moenie fokus op ‘n paar bokse nie – daar is baie meer in gemeen as wat jy dink.
@Grasshopper: Can I ask you a question?, why if SA is such a kak place do you still bother to be on a school boy rugby blog of this kak place?
@beet. Nice summary of the game and key players and moments!
@Grasshopper: Cuzzy you got the wrong person here. I know fo$kal of wealth and all that other kuk. I’m a welder and in my spare time I straighten chassis. Okes must just use the right building material things won’t fall apart then. Mates???? Can’t see that🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
@Grasshopper: mate millionaires and CEO’s hardly counts as men worth their salt in my eyes ….men worth their salt to me are more your blue collar hard working family man types ….most millionaires and CEO’s are skelm soos die hell in any case
@Bush: I do love your blind faith & optimism for SA, it’s truly is an enduring quality. Building could be crumbling around you @ you would still say it’s lekker by die see! Classic! Maybe it’s because you from a toff wealthy background but not affected by the decline. Most of my mates are gatvol
@Bush: nope, everywhere. Glenwood is a suburb in severe decline. My mates left there are like bordered up with gates, chains & protection. A dump now unfortunately
@Smallies: seems all of them are leaving to me, I know if 30 CEOs of decent size businesses leaving in the past 6 months alone, those are only people I know. Taking their families with them. There are a finite number of millionaires in SA…..
@Grasshopper: Exodus of S.A must only effect GW
@Grasshopper: you’re wrong on that count mate ,still a lot of folks worth their salt left over north of the hole in the mountain….
@Bush: maybe but in my day a DHS vs Glenwood derby got 8 to 10k easily. These days maybe not, no one left in the country. A complete cultural change…actually anyone worth their salt has either left the country or semigrated to the Cape
@Grasshopper: Never ever not on your nelly. The HC Vs MHS would never get 30K people, even if they moved the fixture to Woodburn Stadium. I think possibly back in the day maybe 15k for a DHS Vs MC derby game. The Bois Vs Gimmies is a culture thing more than a derby game. It’s part of Paarl’s Culture. I reckon if you didn’t make the Interschools compulsory for the scholars, they would still come in droves to support their schools. The MHS Vs HC the same, GW Vs DHS don’t that would happen.
@Kantman: nou vir watter rede sal ek dit wil doen ,ek kan mos hier my mening mooi lig ,of julle daar onderkant die berg saam stem pla my min….hier is baie wat die selde siening rondom dit het as ek.
@Smallies: Ek waardeer dit, gaan skryf ‘n blog daaroor dan kan ons daaroor gesels en kyk wat die belangstelling is.
@Djou: Die meeste het stilgebly en hulle koppe geskud
@Jan Kriel: ek stem nogals saam met jou…julle manne van Gim is ook bietjie meer nugterdenkend oor die besigheid…
@Ploegskaar: Julle en Akkerdal sy wedstryd is die grootste Boere-interskole in die wereld, nou gaan Hopper, Djou en Smallies hulle seker bevuil
@Bush: more than the Sharks would attract if priced right. R50 a ticket. Same for 2,3 House vs Hilton
@Grasshopper: HC Vs College 30000 at Kings Park??? What are you smoking? You wouldn’t even get half of that.
@Ploegskaar: ek het vakansies in die Simba fabriek in Isando gewerk ,daar le nie regtig chips rond nie 🤣🤣🤣🤣maar ja ek kry jou vergelyking en stem saam…
@Kantman: orrrrrrrrrr it could be that we actually find it kind of funny exactly how self-centered some people south of the hole in the mountain are….like I said many a time for every single school their interschools day is the biggest and most important sporting event of the year….you will never convince the kids from Voortrekker and Witteberg that their interschools are inferior to the Paarl game,and that is how it should be ,By the way another interschools of note was played yesterday in Graf Reinette Union high against Volkskool….the whole town came to a standstill for 2 hours, do you think they even cared about what happened in Paarl? Enjoy your interschools, its big ,its kwaai ,its lekker, but take note that there are other interschools much older and with just as much tradition as the Paarl game ….you dont have the monopoly on interschools games nor did you invent them…..
@Ploegskaar: Oakdale v Boland is going to be such a good game…hard as nails, bone crushing, farm-fresh field plowing and jedi level mental strength required, no country for old men. One word – Eina! ….wow it will determine who is the toughest, hardest, most solid irone-boned, fire eaters south of the Vaal and Orange rivers sure, but probably south of the Equator and Arctic circle too, come to think of it.
@Djou: agreed, hence the FNB book from 30 years ago listing the top 50 or so rugby schools in SA, all with unique traditions. Paarl has sort of tried to do an American football style thing with placards of players etc. It’s all good & none is better than another. The ones here in the Uk are unique too, schools over 1,000 years old playing each other. Rugby school is amazing. The derbies in NZ are special too. Schools far bigger than any in SA. My sister, who Bush knows well, taught at Westlake. 2,500 boys & more than 40 teams plus 10 league teams
@Kantman: Wynboere vs Melkboere is altyd taai, soveel te meer in Riversdal met sy variables. Wedstryd sal bepaal of dit ‘n goeie of baie goeie seisoen was
Hier lê alweer meer chips rond as in ‘n Simba fabriek vanoggend. Shêm
@Kantman: Mooi man!
Die meeste van ons sien wat Hopper bedoel het.
En almal wat rugby volg weet die Paarl derby is die grootste in die wêreld, met tonne tradisie. Dit is iets besonders.
Tog, die wêreld is baie groter as Paarl. Gun die ander skole ook hul derbies met hul eie tradisies. Vir hulle is dit hul eie besondere gebeurtenis.
Baie het gister hul eie derbies dopgehou en nie die Paarl derby nie. En wanneer jy hulle almal saamvoeg kry jy ook ‘n groot getal mense.
Respek vir mekaar!!!!
First match between Hilton & Maritzburg College was in 1875! College vs Michaelhouse since 1897. If Hilton vs College was played at Kings Park it would get 30,000 plus or a stadium in Maritzburg, not sure if they have one big enough. Jeppe vs KES 30k plus too…Ellis Park?
@Palma: exactly! 23 years before the Paarl schools even started….
@Kantman: I just giggled there….in 1965 my uncle scored the winning points for Natal over WP, that’s what counts to me 👍. Doc Craven said to him personally you are the best wing & kicker in the tourno, even for a soutie
@Ploegskaar: Baie geluk, hoop die seisoen kan mooi afsluit teen Oakdale.
@BoishaaiPa: Well said. Always the same actors, regurgitating the same arguments every year. Some trying a poor joke, but only showing their jealousy or reminiscing about how great they use to be. Best to ignore them and their attempts at generating a response.
@BoishaaiPa: Ai….
@apple: I watched a Joe Rogen podcast recently where he was hosting Niel deGrasse Tyson ,they had a facinating conversation about how the Hugenote Tunnel is in actual fact a wormhole that opens a portal into Mordor….
@Grasshopper: you just made all the points I have been trying for a very long time,just in better words and less swearing…
@Grasshopper: Menlo vs Monnas was the biggest,can’t argue against the score.😝
@BoishaaiPa: you missed my point, there are numerous derbies in SA where the same passion & history are seen. Just because the Paarl one is biggest in spectators doesn’t mean it’s any better than say KES vs Jeppe, Michaelhouse vs Hilton, Glenwood vs DHS, Bishops vs SACs etc. The Paarl Okes love to harp on about it. I was just surprised it was such a young derby for two schools from one of the oldest towns in the country. They must have started rugby late. Also, I’m not a fan of neutral grounds, playing at home is special. The grounds are smaller which makes the atmosphere special too. Just an opinion. I have also been to two Paarl derbies, great occasions. It all is subjective & obviously means more to OBs who attended the school. It wasn’t meant as a jibe. Just an FYI Glenwood have played Maritzburg College over 150 times in 108 years, but some Okes in Paarl seem to think Glenwood is an upstart.
Interskole was uitstekend. HJS het pragtig terug geveg. Geluk aan beide skole.
@Kaya 85: 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣no ways otherwise I won’t get a ticket
@BoishaaiPa: I remember when Ireland was losing against Namibia in the 90s, and when they played England at Twickenham in the 5 nations, it was full. That is tradition. There will always be a full house at Faure, whatever those north of the tonnel would wish for. As for the 2023 team, we will never know what impact the affies match had on the team spirit, or the durbanville match before that on confidence, but the way they played in the second half showed what they could do, something to remember in old age. Any given day, that is what makes Interschools great. Wellington College, one of the famous schools in the UK, had a slightly different view on the match -https://twitter.com/RugbyWelly/status/1687862939020369921?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet
@BoishaaiPa: I don’t think the comments about the age of the derby were trying to take a dig at it or are jealous about the history of the derby, everyone knows Gim vs Boishaai is the biggest derby in the world, the incredible match between the two schools today just proves that. Maybe some people are just surprised that such a great derby is not older.
Congrats to Gimmies..you deserved this one. As always a great contest. Too all these comments about it not being the oldest. What is your point?.why is your 1850 derby not relevant anymore?…why do you have to comment about your derby being older?..Why?…Maybe because you dont have the history of consistant rivalry where the difference between scores are 5 points over 108 years. Where mutual respect has always been the core of this interschools. This is about 2 schools in the same town. With combined rugby history and players that served South African rugby for more that 100 years. You dont have to like it. Its just facts
@Grasshopper: First match between Selborne and Dale was in 1892.
Wil ook darem vir Gim geluk wens ,Julle eerste helfte was genoeg om Boishaai se tweede helfte te neutraliseer….well done ,ook vir Boishaai julle het nie opgehou jol nie ,se baie oor julle karakter en deursettings vermoe ….beide skole is n aanwins vir ons skole rugby gemeenskap
@Djou: was kliphard gewees ….
@Smallies: Thanks, soos altyd tough. Altwee dorpe daar om mekaar gas te gee!
@Ploegskaar: jho welm done aaan landbou ,dis n lekker score
@Smallies: Landbou 28 Roos 12
@Ploegskaar: score?
Gim hom amper weggebliksem, maar dis in die sakkie. Na vandag se uitspele is HJS dan 3de in Paarl en 4de in die Wynlande? Hart pilletjies in die Suide, vuil Coke in die Noorde en ‘n sagte rooi waar die eike blaar
@Kaya 85: it’s not THE BIGGEST INTERSCHOOLS IN THE WORLD ,but mate the passion that these two small eastern cape schools have is unmatched ,of that I’m 100% sure
@Smallies: I must see this next year
@Djou: Aliwal-Noord 9-5 Burgersdorp…..n riller soos altyd ,Halftyd telling 0-0
1st half thoughts: Smith is putting on a clinic at 10. Paarl gym are very well coached, the defense has been immense. Paarl boys have a SA schools back 3 and they haven’t been able to generate anything in attack. Their backline has played far too deep and lateral. Expect Paarl gym to cruise to victory.
Thank you to my good friend GS for arranging a ticket for the “Big Brag”. What an evening. Singing the school song, listening to Old Boys stories, incredible well put together evening. I have been to a few of the evenings before the “Big Derby Game” the common factor here is how incredible and passionate the OB’s are towards their school. They are the heart beat, the blood that flows through your veins. Some is Red, some is Green, and today most is Blue. Watch out for the Blue Train
2 3 Gimmies ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
@Playa: Hey Playa, great to hear from you. Hope you well. Age is against me, plus I have my amazing wife with me. I have my Sunday Suit on this entire weekend❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
@Playa: hey boet, hope you are well. I reckon the Dale vs Queens, Selborne, Graeme & Grey PE are older than the Paarl inter schools. Also, if any old derby was played in a big stadium it would get 20k plus crowds, more than the Currie Cup, URC & probably Boks. That ‘crowd’ at Ellis Park was pathetic. My Argentinian friend asked me honestly If SA disrespect them, I just said no boet, it’s a kak area & it’s safer watching the game at home on your tellie.
@Grasshopper: Grassy, old friend, how you doing bud?
On my way to Paarl Interskole 2023- 2 3 Gimmies
@PRondersteuner: Daai is maar n probleem met interskole. Dit sal n gekners wees van tande en die trane sal rol.
@BoishaaiPa: Yip, hulle is baie goed agter. Voor is daar ook ‘n paar ysters. Beide /11 en /13 spanne die jaar onoorwonne.
@OomPB: Ek was nog nooit bevoorreg genoeg om deel te wees van die Paarl interskole nie, maar ek verstaan die dorp is absoluut in twee gedeel vir ‘n week. Jare later brag die manne nog steeds oor hulle wat in hulle jaar gewen het. Sterkte aan albei skole. Geniet dit en onthou asb: DIS NET SEUNS. Nie betaalde professionele spelers nie. Wen met nederigheid en verloor met jou kop hoog.
@OomPB: Nee ek weet nie. Ek dink dis maar nog redelik gelyk…wiel rol nou weer na Kleinbois se kant toe, maar dinge verander gou.
@Rainier: Ja..ek het daai game gekyk. Grey se backs was net te goed op die dag. Daai senter en heelagter van Grey is baie giftig!
@Smallies: In Bloemfontein gaan dit maar knor vanjaar. Selfs met Grey wat ‘n heel paar spelers aan SA o18 afstaan, het julle ‘n baie sterk span. Op die stadium verloor PRG niemand, maar die WP XV kan dalk ‘n speler of 4 vat.
@BoishaaiPa: Dankie. Dis n groot pak. Wanneer laas het Kleingim gewen?
@BoishaaiPa: Die /13 span het net teen Grey verloor – dink dit was die naaste wat ‘n span aan Grey gekom het die jaar.
@BoishaaiPa: Spesiale talent in daai Klein Bois span
@OomPB: Klein Bois u13A wen rugby 45-3
PBH 19 – Gim 23
Dit wat ek gesien het van die spanne gaan dit close wees, maar soos genoem Gim gel beter saam as ‘n span volgens my alhoewel PBH het baie sterre wat dit interessant kan maak op die dag.
Ek kan nie wag vir Kaya se predictions vir hierdie week nie
@Smallies: Ek ken die Aliwal vs Burgersdorp interskole goed. Het gereeld ook teen hulle gespeel. Een jaar het ons vir Burgersdorp maklik gewen en teen Aliwal gelyk gespeel. Maar toe wen Burgersdorp die interskole teen die verwagting in.
Laat weet die score asb!
Gim 33 BH 19
Iemand dalk die u13A se rugby en hokkie telling? u13A Springkane se netbal en hokkie tellings?
@OomPB: ek dink dis ses ,nie heeltemal seker nie
@Smallies: Verseker. Ek neem aan Grey gaan baie spelers afstaan aan die SA Skole squad. Weet nie van PRG nie.
@PRondersteuner: Kyk ek was in daai Paarl box vir baie jare. Paarl interskole is huge. Van maandag tot saterdag is dit besig, baie besig. Ek wil nie die week in die Paarl wees nie. En dan hou dit aan want maandag moet jy die music face by die werk as jou span verloor het. Die slegste is daai wegstap van Faure Stadium na die kar saterdag middag want beide spanne live en werk in your face. Jy leer in die Paarl om nie voorbarig te wees voor die tyd nie. Maar ek het die PRG vs Grey intterskole baie meer geniet. Daar is n sportiewe gevoel tussen die twee skole se ondersteuners en help dit ook as die kinders by hul direkte opponente oornag. PRG is so gewoond om saterdag na die game terug te ry en te vergeet van die verloor en eerder die goeie tye tussen ondersteuners te onthou. In elk geval sterkte vir die twee skole se ondersteuners en geniet net elke oomblik of jy nou n graad1 skaakspeler is en of jy 1ste span rugbyspeler se ouer of ondersteuner is.
@PRondersteuner: jap….oor twee weke is dit ons beurt
@Smallies: @OomPB: Lyk my die stress loop hoog daar in die Paarl.
@OomPB: groot wereld anderkant die tonnel
@Smallies: dis maar n teken van groot word en algemeen. Daar is n wereld daar buite die box.
@Kantman: ons almal weet van DIE GROOTSTE INTERSKOLE IN DIE WERELD…..weet jy wat Burgersdorp en Aliwal Noord speel die naweek vir die 110 de keer interskole en vir die twee dorpies in die Oos kaap bestaan die Paarl interskole nie eers die naweek nie …..net so bietjie konteks vir jou
@OomPB: kan nie Boishaai wees nie,Hulle is dan the centre of the universe, according to them……
@Kantman: O ja, daai bril deel is baie NB. Nêrens is daar iets gesê oor Garsfontein nie.
Maar jy bring hulle in die gesprek in en sê ons moet dit nie oor hulle maak nie.
Regte hipokraat. 🤪🤪🤪🤫🤫🤫🙈🙈🙈
@Kantman: Kry ‘n chill pill, drink ‘n glasie wyn en log out – wil nie hê jou voortdurende jaloesie moet jou siek maak nie.
Of gaan sanik elders!
O ja, kry ‘n bril en kyk vir emojis. Dit beteken wel ietsie.
@Kantman: ai nie nodig om sooooooòooo ernstig te wees nie ,ons ploeg ma net so n bietjie met ou strepie …..
@Djou: Geen rede om alles oor Grey of Garsies te maak nie. Elkeen het sy plekkie in die son, ne? Lewer eerder kommentaar oor die rivalry as om die onderwerp te verander die hele tyd op elke thread.
@Smallies: is dit nou Boishaai?
@Djou: dat een ou skooltjie in die middel van nerens so n impak op skole rugby het is ongelooflik….
Only since 1915, I thought it went way further back. KZN & EC teams derbies are older…Glenwood vs Hilton since 1915.
@Strepie: Ja, by Grey Kollege!!!
Niemand kan dit mis nie!😃😃😃
Baie spesiaal.
As ek kyk na die eerstes se ranglys top 10 – weet ons waar die rugbykrag van SA le..