Paarl Gim’s 43–31 victory over Grey College in Bloemfontein is a headline in its own right. However, becoming the first team to breach Grey’s fortress since May 2017—when Boishaai grand Blue Train won 46–31—speaks volumes about just how formidable Grey are at home and how tough it is to beat them on their revered A-field.
It was an outstanding day overall for Gim, particularly their A-teams. Given how well Affies had performed at Gim just a few weeks prior, this result marked a significant turnaround.
Perhaps the best advertisement for Paarl Gim’s rugby pedigree was the presence of their spirited supporters—more girls than boys—filling the away stand. Many of them had just competed against Oranje Meisies. It served as a reminder that Gim is a co-educational school and, in terms of numbers, by far the smallest among the five traditional schoolboy rugby powerhouses.
By their own standards, this was a relatively youthful u19A Gim side. Typically, they back their Grade 12s, and it’s not uncommon for them to field only one or two Grade 11s in their 1st XV. This time, they started with six U17 players. All of them impressed, but it was left wing Thomas Saunders—also U17—who stood out on the day with several outstanding individual contributions.
The always enjoyable to watch Gim blueprint epitomise team play, especially among their forwards, which makes it difficult to single out individuals for praise. They truly embrace the idea that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
Character and self-belief played a big role in this win. Although Gim started well, Grey eventually gained control and led 21–12 at one stage in the first half. That lead felt ominous, as it’s rarely overturned by an away side at Jock Meiring Street. But Gim stuck to their well-drilled structures—structures many believe are part of the best coaching system in the country. Under head coach Pieter Rossouw, widely regarded as one of the finest in the schoolboy rugby game, they showed composure, regrouped, and fought back to take a 24–21 lead. Grey’s new flyhalf, Darius Erwee—who had a solid outing—levelled things at 24–all just before the break.
The second half, too, didn’t follow the usual Grey College script. Normally, the home team find an extra gear in the last 35 minutes, but this time it was Gim who turned up the heat, stretching Grey’s defence while the hosts seemed short of ideas.
Post-match, opinions were sharply divided about how the two 1st XVs performed. Gim received plenty of praise, while aspects of Grey coaching, selection and individual performances came under scrutiny. But in truth, the match was far closer than many were willing to admit. It wasn’t vastly different from the 2024 clash, which Grey edged 29–27 on the Jan Kriel Field. Like that game, this one turned on a handful of pivotal moments.
At 29–24 to Gim, Grey were mounting a dangerous attack when one of their standout players this season lost the ball close to the Gim tryline. It sparked a nearly 100-metre counter-attack that ended in a magnificent team try—arguably a 14-point swing that changed the course of the game entirely. No Grey supporter will soon forget a missed opportunity in the first half either, when one of their brightest young stars opted not to release his wing, who had a clear run to the line, botching a potential 7-pointer.
All-in-all it proved to be a most entertaining match of rugby played in good spirit. Congratulations to both teams and their respective coaching staffs for making the effort put in to produce this showpiece.
@Smallies (Comment #14)
I wonder how Ethan will progress after school. I imagine that ever since started playing rugby, he’s enjoyed a huge strength advantage over most of his peers. This might continue for a year or so after school but by the time he gets to u21 there will be plenty of players who are his equal or greater in power.
I must say Ethan is comparable to Jurenzo Julius in terms of freakish physical attributes as an u18. JJ has done extremely well for himself.
@Smallies (Comment #18)
Agreed. The Factory has produced some nice 7’s post Covid: Lukas Meyer, Keegan Scholtz, Marno Stopforth and now Alexi Tyropolis
@beet (Comment #17)
He reminds me of Marnu Stopforth in 2023 ,Ithink he will be a dominant player for Grey next year,someone who Coach Jannie could build a pack around…
@Raps (Comment #15)
I think you’re spot on. Tyropolis always looks hungry for work and he really gets stuck in. At the moment based on his production and size, he has a very high ceiling in rugby.
@Raps (Comment #15)
In my eyes as a complete idiot
Ethan Adams = Schalk Brits 2.0
Tyropolis is definitely my standout 2nd row for 2025, he works hard on defence, loves to carry and excellent at lineouts and an added bonus is that he seems to have a lot of leadership qualities as I’ve seen him do the talking and motivating in team huddles. I’m a big advocate for players switching positions but the downside to that is that it slows the progression of players. There are currently big question marks over N Mchunu’s scrummaging, same questions were asked of JH Wessels. In the case of Ethan Adams I hope he makes it, I’d really love him to make it. I see him doing well at 7s
@beet (Comment #12)
Who will be the u 20 coach to rebrand Ethan Adams as a hooker???
I can see a great future for him at 2 ….
@Raps (Comment #11)
Jannie is a great guy and humble too, even during the recent unbeaten season. The Grey 1st XV coaching job has to be one of the most pressurised in SA if not top of the pile.
@Raps (Comment #6)
Some household names senior players have starred in other positions during their school careers
Examples. BJ Dixon was a lock at Paul Roos, Gerhard Steenekamp who’s scrum rating is higher than ever was a productive flank for Potch Gim. Marius Louw was a livewire flank for Grey College.
It’s not a death sentence to be in a best fit situation at school.
Tyropolis is a super player, already so good and almost certain to be one of the best players in SBR in 2026. Spending time in the secondrow won’t hurt his progress after school at all and if anything the versatility with the backrow makes him more of asset at this level for youth week and national selection.
I really don’t have much info on Grey in regards to coaching but I’ve ran into Jannie Geldenhuys a couple of weeks ago and he came across as a really good blokke and I’m positive he is doing all he can for Grey but like I said they need restructuring. I know at Jim Fouche the coaches progress with the the boys until u16 so basically it’s the same coach with the same group of players for 3 years and at 1st team level it’s the very experienced Mnr Erasmus and son of the headmaster at JF, Mnr Malherbe
@JongMatie (Comment #9)
Daai is nou nie vir jou om te besluit oor nie boetatjie …
@Smallies (Comment #8)
Genade…..ons wil nie met meer afrigters as spelers sit nie, wil ons…?
@Raps (Comment #1)
Ek neem aan jy beweeg redelik naby aan die skool ,is Tewis nog betrokke by afrigting?Ruan en Frans kan ook bietjie nader getrek word…
@Raps (Comment #6)
Smily het actually 2018 vir die playboys gespeel so ook Stokkies Stopforth…
Oor jou stelling rakende span keuses ,sonder om nasty te wees daai vaskoppe het Grey seer gemaak en baie momentum weg gevat
Thanks for the clarity on Luan and Simon! I rate Luan very very highly and JG Badenhorst has done really well for the 1st xv. In regards to recruitment I think bringing in players who are a bit older 15/16 years would maybe revitalise the program and maybe stear away from bringing them when they’re 12/13 because some players peak earlier than others and run out of steam before 17. Interestingly enough I had a chat with Shimlas head coach André Tredoux and he said something that really stuck with me, he said one of the reasons they recruit Grey 2nd xv players is that they have serious potential and that most of 1st xv have already hit their ceiling (Jandré ‘Smiley’ Nel was at Grey same time as Juan Dee Olivier and Tiaan Fourie but has arguably had a preferable post matric career than the other 2) and he also added he likes working with players from none top 5 schools (Off topic: I know they tried getting Eric Steyn Oakdale 2024 to Bloem but there was a stumbling block) and that Duncan Basson and Sbusiso Mahlangu from DHS are players they really like (now officially with Shimlas) but Mahlangu’s future is at 8th man or on the blindside because he is not tall enough for lock post matric. Got me thinking about if schoolboy rugby coaches really consider these sort of things or just try to field their preferred xv because I ran into Alexi Tyropolis the other day and he is definitely not tall enough for lock (perfect size for an open side) but he is an outstanding player so how do you go about that? Maybe explains the questionable selections over the weekend? Who knows
@Loubser (Comment #3)
Also I think Spoed gave JG Badenhorst a bit of overdue credit for being a good TH to fill the void that Luan left.
On the topic Pieta Cilliers is another great story for the Gim programme. He is the loosehead that had to take on Badenhorst’s scrumming power in the big game – well last year he was an openside flank slash hooker. So another big ask transformation to pull off in one offseason.
@Raps (Comment #1)
Simon Steyn is an interesting story. He left St Charles to join Grey College. He is a very good cricketer but made Grey u16A as a hooker which is no mean feat. He would probably have been a strong candidate to play Grey 1sts this year. I’m not sure Grey are settled on a first choice hooker this year and won’t surprise me if Smit is back on the side of the scrum for WK. Anyways Steyn at Hilton now where he is a tighthead prop and played 2nd XV vs his old school St Charles this past weekend. Both school have good cricket programmes I’m told
@RAPS (COMMENT1)
@Raps (Comment #1)
The drama at Grey is that a 100% season is the benchmark. So even if they have a good team, good players and good coaches, when they don’t achieve the unbeaten season milestone they are automatically relegated to the 20-somethingth best team or lower in Grey’s extraordinary history.
But credit to you for identifying that other schools have caught up. They have. The next question is how much room is left to get ahead again. And the answer is with the talent pool and coaching structures available, probably little to none. These schools at the top are likely to take it in turns to be number one from here on out.
I said Gim would win because Grey lack grit and a reader on here called me out for that. I assume they were thinking I’m taking a pop at Grey but that was far from it. School boy rugby programs have caught up, schools are fielding boys as equally as big, skilled, fast and strong. They’re able to lure out quality players from Grey (Luan vd Berg to Garsfontein and Simon Steyn to Hilton). They’re bringing in quality coaches like Peter Engledow to DHS in recent seasons and Nic Groom and Gary Porter down at Wynberg. I personally believe Grey have regressed post Wessel du Plessis. I think the coaching staff and recruitment model needs a bit of revamping…maybe get Adolf Swiggers more involved in recruitment with experience with working with boys with high ceilings, get old boys/current pros like Ruwan Kruger involved with the 1st xv. It’s not doom and gloom but I just think Players and management are a bit too relaxed at Grey