Premier InterSchools: Paul Gim vs Paul Roos

Today, 22 April, Premier Interschools showcases the second of its 12 derby matches for the season. Paarl Gimnasium (Gim) travels to neighbours Paul Roos Gimnasium from Stellenbosch for their traditional yearly interschools matches. Paarl Gim had the boys in maroon’s number the last five years with the latter only winning once back in 2014, while Gim triumphed in four of them. It is however always a very close and tight fought match with the winner usually decided only in the last minutes of the game.

Together with neighbour school Paarl Boys’ High these two schools usually provide the bulk of the Western Province Craven Week side and on Saturday there will again be a lot of potential provincial players on display. Paarl Gimnasium has the Staple twins at prop and hooker Chris Rossouw (son of Springbok hooker and 95 World Cup winner Chris Rossouw), together with man mountain Adriaan Ludick at lock to anchor their scrum. Then they also possess dynamic eighthman, Henco Martins, who can run like a wing and seems to be everywhere on the field at once.

At the back, they have rock steady Daniel Beukes as their pivot and two classy centres in Ruben Scholtz and Dawid Kellerman. This backline though gets its injection from the back with captain and fullback, Muller du Plessis, a vital ingredient and mercurial runner with the ball in hand. His pace and insertions into the backline are what makes this Paarl Gim side so unpredictable and dangerous. This 2017 side has already dispatched the likes of Affies and Garsfontein and its not yet end of April.

Paul Roos themselves are however no slouches. The boys from Markotter have been quiet before the Easter weekend festivals and then hit the ground running. After a non-impressive win over HTS Drostdy at their own rugby day, it seems the Stellenbosch outfit went quietly to work in preparation for the Easter festival at St John’s College. They announced themselves with a very good 44-6 drubbing of Nelspruit and then came back from being behind to beat a very strong Helpmekaar team.

That win showed they have a very strong character and team spirit and that is what you need in a traditional derby match. Players from the Paul Roos pack to watch is prop Tristan Leitch, lock Breyten Maritz and flanker Philip van Dyk. In the back scrumhalf, Antonie Kock, impressed in the games against Helpmekaar and Parktown Boys’ High while the flyhalf, Marais Cloete, has good skills and vision. They also gave a great centre pairing in Reagan van der Westhuizen and Rufus Dercksen with Colia Louis at fullback making it a very effective attacking trio.

Paarl Gim Rugby History:

Paarl Gim is, without a doubt, one of the Big Five rugby schools in South Africa. They have to date produced 28 Springboks of which 18 have been capped in tests for South Africa.

Their biggest rivals are Paarl Boys’ High situated in the Southern Paarl. Their annual interschools have the unofficial title of “Biggest Interschools” in South Africa.

In 2012, while still at school, their captain and pivot Handre Pollard represented South Africa at the u20 World Cup tournament with aplomb. Called up for the injured Johan Goosen, Pollard played a vital role in SA winning the final against New Zealand. He again represented the Junior Springboks in 2013 and captained the side in 2014. The young man is currently plying his trade with the Blue Bulls SuperRugby-team and in 2014 he became Paarl Gym’s 20^th Springbok.

Paul Roos Rugby History:

The words Paul Roos and rugby are synonymous as the great man was the originator of the now famous Springbok emblem and name for the South African national team. He is seen by many as the “father” of South African rugby and it is fitting that the school that carries his name is such a powerhouse in South African school’s rugby.

Paul Roos has to date produced the most South African players to represent their country on a rugby field with Juandré Kruger becoming their 50th Springbok when he played against England at Kingspark on 9 June 2012. Their latest Springbok is fullback Willie le Roux who got his test cap against Italy in June 2013.

The game will be broadcast live on Saturday 22 April on SuperSport channel SS5 and SelSA from 12h25.