Paul Roos 34 Grey College 19

The Maroon Machine prove too strong in the mud on Markotter

Photo credit: Premier Interschools website

Paul Roos hosted Grey College in the final match of the 2022 season for both schools on a wet and windy Markotter, which had churned up after a full day of action on the main field of the Maroon Machine.

Both teams went into the game without significant players who were away on national duty at Paarl Gimnasium. Paul Roos were without 3 players (props Wilbur Loubser and Reno Hirst, as well as centre Jurenzo Julius). Grey College had double that number involved in the winelands in the form of Casper Badenhorst, JF van Heerden, Lukas Meyer, Caleb Abrahams, Bradley Giddy and Alfondso Isaacs.

Paul Roos had proved an inconsistent side in 2022, losing to Helpmekaar and Rondebosch, but beating Paarl Gim in Paarl. Grey College were also having a less than stellar season, having lost to the same Gim side at Wildeklawer and surprisingly drew with Oakdale.

The home side had a brilliant day, winning every game in the junior section from u14 - u16! A feat surely never to be repeated when one considers the power of the Grey College chequebook. The open section was even going into the main game, each school winning four.

Strong start from Paul Roos

Whilst both sides made some clumsy errors in the early stages, Paul Roos drew first blood from a brilliant counter attack after an exhausting passage of play where the ball was in play for close to three minutes! In the tenth minute, Paul Roos left wing Justin Levine ran the ball back at Grey College from inside his 22m and when he was caught, a decent blindside was exploited by captain Herman Lourens. In a one-two with hooker Seth Haddad, Lourens burst into the 22m before drawing the final Grey College defender to send centre Philip Groenewald over in the left hand corner for a 5 - 0 lead.

Paul Roos loosehead Cameron Miell made an excellent start to the game, winning three turnovers at the breakdown in the first fifteen minutes!

Grey College took the lead via a strong maul in the 23rd minute and the try scored by hooked Nic Greyling was converted by flyhalf Ian van der Merwe, who would struggle terribly on the day.

It only took Paul Roos a couple of minutes to reclaim their lead. Retreaded lock Wyatt Strydom took a great intercept in his own half and made a storming run before recycling the ball. Again, the blindside was exploited by Paul Roos and Lourens who was out wide in the trams to receive the pass from Reuben Noble and he had no one in front of him as he cantered over for the try which was again unconverted. Paul Roos led 10 - 7 with a little under ten minutes of the first half to play.

Photo credit: Grey College website

Grey College errors and the set piece battle

Grey lacked cohesion in the backline as could perhaps be expected considering their absentees but they also made a number of unenforced errors. Two restarts were kicked directly into touch by van der Merwe and centre Ulrich Wahl also kicked the ball dead to relieve some pressure on Paul Roos who were playing into a stiff breeze in the first half.

Grey were dominant at scrum time however, massacring the Paul Roos second string props in every scrum, whether it was their feed or not.

At the lineouts it was a different story as Paul Roos were imperious and Grey had no answer. The Paul Roos lineout maul was reaping rewards on every occasion and led to a try on half time. Following two penalties from infringements in trying to stop the maul, Grey College conceded a penalty try in added time at the end of the first half to give Paul Roos a solid 17 - 7 lead going into the break.

Paul Roos extend their lead

The home side’s dominant lineout continued where it left off and under pressure Grey conceded consecutive penalties at the maul as flank JH Smit was shown a yellow card for persistent infringing when he entered from the side to halt a promising move.

Shortly after this Grey felt the loss of Smit as their ball carrier was isolated as Lourens won a jackal penalty handy to the posts and Paul Roos extended their lead to 20 - 7.

Grey came back into the contest shortly thereafter when crashball enthusiast and inside centre Alex McIntyre rounded off some good pressure by Grey in the opposition 22m, finally the visitors were able to keep the ball through multiphase. The conversion went wide as Paul Roos’s lead was reduced to 20 - 12.

Photo credit: Grey College website

Intercepts foil Grey’s chances of victory

Grey’s third try scored by fullback Gunter Van Rensburg was the meat in an intercept sandwich as Grey’s van der Merwe completed a miserable afternoon on the big stage. He has a massive boot but was so predictable with ball in hand, turning his shoulders early when in possession and often shovelling the ball wide without looking at what was on the outside, or having any regard for the Paul Roos rush defence in the form of serial opportunist Luke Graham on the right wing.

Van der Merwe threw two intercepts in the second half and was close to another as well. Backlines up and down the country will surely be licking their lips at the prospect of facing him in 2023.

The final move of the game came when Graham stepped into the Grey passing lane and pirouetted out of a weak tackle by scrumhalf Roux Heyns as he burst clear to seal a convincing win in front of a massive home crowd who stormed the field on the final whistle.

Standouts

For the home side, it was an easy decision to award the MOTM to captain Herman Lourens who carried impressively and defended when he had to in a complete No. 8 performance. Miell was brilliant at the breakdown and from this performance one can see why the Leicester Tigers signed him in January. Philip Groenewald was strong in the centre and the tricky Graham needed to be well marshalled all game.

Grey College ended a harrowing day for the school with a rather abject performance as they signed off for 2022. Tighthead Jean Erasmus was excellent in the scrums and he will take some stopping in 2023. No. 8 JJ Theron carried well and he will also be back in 2023 to terrorise defences. Openside Morne Diedericks was a constant thorn in the side of Paul Roos who recycled the ball well in difficult conditions. His three jackal penalties kept his side in the game. The Grey backline was predictable and made a frightening amount of errors for a team one is so accustomed to being clinical. It would have been a harrowing trip back to Bloemfontein after surely their worst set of results on a Derby Day in their history.