August 2024.
During the broadcast, top Cape schoolboy rugby commentator Andries Strauss had a slip of the tongue and referred to Paul Roos, the Stellenbosch Maroon Machine, as “Paul Reus!” He was spot on, though. Powered by a dominant pack of giant forwards, the Paul Roos Maroon Machine showed the required BMT (Big Match Temperament) to secure a comprehensive 36-3 home victory against Grey College on a wet Markotter Field. This was Grey College’s worst defeat against any of the modern-day rugby high schools in the country.
In doing so, Paul Roos, so well coached by Corne Uys, completed the season undefeated and claimed the title of UNDISPUTED National Champions of South African Schoolboy Rugby for 2024!
The Paul Roos pack was sublime. They completely controlled proceedings in the loose, generating plenty of go-forward and applying extra pressure on defence. They were also brilliant in the lineout set pieces. Every one of the eight forwards deserved a pat on the back for their performance. In the end, lock Charl Horwill was named the well-deserved Player of the Match. His locking partner, Truspe Schoeman, and the evergreen talent of Oliver Reid, one of the players of the season in SA, were close behind. Young livewire hooker Altus Rabe also showed why he is such a bright prospect for 2025, along with loosie Gert Kemp, whose father Bles played in the last unbeaten Paul Roos team back in 1991. The forwards were so outstanding on the day of this high-profile national championship match that one momentarily forgot that two of their most dependable players, captain Riley Norton and Reuben Kruger, were unavailable due to SA U18 international commitments.
The Paul Roos backs complemented the pack. Despite the absence of their SA U18 scrumhalf, Adeeb Boraine, the step-up by fill-in halfback Liam da Silva met the requirements of the occasion. While the backs have often been overshadowed by the big boys up front this season, flyhalf Joshua Dampies has been consistently good all year. High-performance centre Sam Badenhorst may not be flashy, but he has talent and guts, acting as a hardcore defensive presence and a strong ball carrier or decisive distributor when smart decisions are needed. The backline certainly played their part in helping to build the scoreboard to this record win.
For Grey, very little went according to plan in this final. They soldiered on and showed tremendous commitment. Unlike Paul Roos, their key SA u18 players were sorely missed during this match. The dynamite midfield pairing of Pieter van Merwe and Ethan Adams had been a defensive nightmare to contain throughout the 2024 season. Their line-breaking, try-scoring feats consistently drew attention away from the engine room, created uncertainty, and even broke the confidence of the most competent well-drilled opponents. Both should be on anyone’s shortlist for Player of the Season, along with the missing young lock AJ Meyer. Meyer is arguably the hottest prospect in schoolboy rugby at the moment and easily one of the best in the world for his age. His lineout work, both in attack and defence, as well as his contributions in open play, proved irreplaceable.
Apart from the historic 36-3 win, it was an Interschools rugby day to remember for Paul Roos.
Played: 28
Won: 24
Drew: 1
Lost: 3
Average Score: 21-11
Grey College’s double-digit defeats to existing rugby high schools:
| YEAR | GREY COLLEGE | OPPONENTS | DIFFERENCE | |||
| 1 | 2024 | Grey College | 3 | 36 | Paul Roos | -33 |
| 2 | 1993 | Grey College | 12 | 34 | Monument | -22 |
| 3 | 1996 | Grey College | 3 | 25 | Affies | -22 |
| 4 | 1993 | Grey College | 8 | 28 | Paul Roos | -20 |
| 5 | 1993 | Grey College | 7 | 26 | Dale | -19 |
| 6 | 1994 | Grey College | 12 | 30 | Selborne | -18 |
| 7 | 1984 | Grey College | 9 | 26 | Queen’s | -17 |
| 8 | 1991 | Grey College | 3 | 20 | Paul Roos | -17 |
| 9 | 2012 | Grey College | 29 | 45 | Paarl Gim | -16 |
| 10 | 1943 | Grey College | 6 | 22 | Queen’s | -16 |
| 11 | 2017 | Grey College | 31 | 46 | HJS Paarl BH | -15 |
| 12 | 2022 | Grey College | 19 | 34 | Paul Roos | -15 |
| 13 | 1945 | Grey College | 4 | 19 | Queen’s | -15 |
| 14 | 1940 | Grey College | 6 | 19 | Louis Botha | -13 |
| 15 | 1964 | Grey College | 6 | 18 | Rondebosch | -12 |
| 16 | 1992 | Grey College | 0 | 12 | Randburg | -12 |
| 17 | 2015 | Grey College | 18 | 29 | Affies | -11 |
| 18 | 1952 | Grey College | 3 | 14 | Queen’s | -11 |
| 18 | 1962 | Grey College | 3 | 14 | Selborne | -11 |
| 18 | 1985 | Grey College | 3 | 14 | Queen’s | -11 |
| 21 | 1961 | Grey College | 0 | 11 | Pretoria BH | -11 |
| 21 | 1964 | Grey College | 0 | 11 | Paarl Gim | -11 |
| 23 | 2005 | Grey College | 19 | 29 | Outeniqua | -10 |
| 24 | 2012 | Grey College | 18 | 28 | HJS Paarl BH | -10 |
| 24 | 2016 | Grey College | 18 | 28 | HJS Paarl BH | -10 |
| 26 | 2015 | Grey College | 7 | 17 | Monument | -10 |
| 27 | 1964 | Grey College | 6 | 16 | Louis Botha | -10 |
| 28 | 1996 | Grey College | 3 | 13 | Grey HS | -10 |
| 29 | 1964 | Grey College | 0 | 10 | Worcester Gim | -10 |
| 29 | 1994 | Grey College | 0 | 10 | Paarl Gim | -10 |
@JongMatie (Comment #11)
23 Roos, wederom.
OK, ek moes net dit hoor om die seisoen op die blog af te sluit tot 2025. Dankie
@JongMatie (Comment #11)
Daar het ‘n Grey graad-aggie daar voor die Paul Roos Old Boys verby geloop met ‘n handdoek om die bal droog te maak vir Grey se haker. Net anderkant halftyd het die Paul Roos manne hom begin aanpor om die handdoek maar op die veld te gooi!
@JongMatie (Comment #11)
Welkom terug Smallies.
Nr 7 on that list was the day Darryll Cullinan played and kicked Queens to a convincing win in Bloem. He was probably the best schoolboy rugby player I have ever seen.
Ingo Machts agrees, and he has seen MANY teams play.
Ons wou eintlik 50 punte opsit teen Grey, maar daar was twee beslissende faktore.
1: op 50 sou die game in die OVS stop
2: die nat weer het ons bietjie teruggehou.
Maroon Machine storm voort!
Daar is maar net een skool.
Wynland Water al die pad.
2 3 Roos
CGB se span was sy senter paar heel seisoen as dit nie vir hulle 2 was nie kon hulle maklik teen Grey PE ook verloor het en nog ander games ook die seisoen. Geluk met julle wen was goed gedoen.
Die grootste verskil Saterdag was dat die manne wat PRG se SA Skolespelers vervang het fantasties gespeel het, en Grey s’n gesukkel het. Holwill en De Silva was beide besonders goed gewees. Grey se nuwe senterpaar het gesukkel, en so het Felix en die res van hulle agterlyn. Dit is die eerste keer wat ek ooit sien dat ‘n Grey-span voorlangs só geboelie word. Daar is sekerlik ‘n paar manne met ‘n blink toekoms in PRG se pak.
@Deon (Comment #6)
I mean…standing ovation prof…👏 👏 pure class. For merit of argument, literary style and allusion, wit and humour…AND not forgetting culinary appeal 👏 👏
@tzavosky (Comment #5)
My jaar op die blog sal eers verby wees wanneer Jongmatie vertel van Wynland Water en die Noordvaal verby is. Go Garsies.
@Kaya 85 (Comment #3)
Ek rook gnarrabos blare en waboom blare vandag. Nee broer, al wat ek rook is snoek. En vandag sal dit weer so wees. Rook die vars snoek op my PRG skoolvriend se Chardonnay eikehout vat skaafsels uit die Hemel-en-Aarde Vallei , net so tot half, en braai dit dan gaar op renosterbos vir die geur, tot haar dik wintervet die vlamme laat opspring. Augustus 2024 is eintlik nou die mooiste mooiste maand, met apologie aan Dirk Opperman, en bevat immers nie ‘n “r” nie, so die snoek is reg. Dan sal ek ons Maties jare se “security guard”, Gert Vlok Nel se rendisie van Leipoldt se Handvol gruis en PRG se Koos Kombuis se Boer in beton oor plaas grensdrade wat sing in die Karoohitte en Boishaai se Spoegwolf en Grey se boeremusiek orkes en die Oos-Rand se André Swiegers, hard oor en oor luister, terwyl ek snoekkuite eet en die vet van die snoekpens oor my grys baard loop, en ek my hande stilletjies afvee aan my bene wanneer my pantoffelregering nie kyk nie, en haar seuns agter hulle hande proes van die lag vir my. Gevolg deur koesisters en Kleinrivier Gruyère of my skool klasmaat se Simonsberg bloukaas en die sterkste boeretroos wat Gansbaai Coffee Company hier na my dorp uitvoer. En ek sal voel oor my plekkie op die aardbol en die onverstaanbare kontinuum van tyd hier in die verre Suide van Afrika, soos Drickus du Plessis vir Israel en ons eige Springkaan gisteraand laat verstaan het, en ek sal vir Grassy jammer kry terwyl ek vir hom in my gedagtes sê wat ou Hendrik Bibault vir die Stellenbosse landros gesê het in 1707 daar neffe waar beide Grey en PRG (eerste rektor) se Murray se beeld vandag pryk en die krans elke jaar op 1 April neergelê word. PRG, Amabokkobokko, Drickus du Plessis ……kitaar, dromme, swaar bekfluitjie…..Waboom blaar en gnarrabos blaar, waboom blaar en gnarrabosblaar, arm was ek gister en nou is ek ryk, nou skaaaaatryk.
@Deon (Comment #2)
Ja, maar jy kan nie iemand wat ‘n skool genaamd “Vryburg Gauteng” op sy rankings het ernstig opneem nie…
@Deon (Comment #2)😳
@Deon (Comment #2)
Wat rook jy?
No doubt today’s performance will earn PRG a demotion of 5 or more positions to 7 or 8 on the RUGGA rankings. So definitely not undisputed SA champs 2024.
Krediet aan die coaches.