Dream run continues for Paul Roos, Waterkloof
WRAP: Paul Roos tightened their grip on the unofficial No. 1 ranking, while Waterkloof and Stellenberg recorded statement wins on another dramatic weekend for South African schoolboy rugby.
Paul Roos extended their winning streak to nine matches when they beat SACS 28-10 in Cape Town on Saturday.
It’s been a remarkable season for Corne Uys’ charges, who have already claimed the big scalps of Affies, Paarl Boys, and Rondebosch.
Paul Roos beat Waterkloof at a festival held in March. Two months down the line, that result has taken on more significance, as Waterkloof has emerged as one of the best teams in the Noordvaal region.
Overall, the results suggest that Paul Roos is the strongest side in the country.
Fans of Grey College and Paarl Gym may balk at such a statement, as the two powerhouses have also recorded a series of impressive results over the past few months. Both sides have lost matches, however, whereas Paul Roos remain unbeaten at this stage.
The result of the coming clash between Paul Roos and Gimmies will provide more substance for the debate. Until these giants collide, and until Paul Roos tackles Grey College on 17 August, we won’t have any definitive answers to these questions.
Paul Roos deserves all the plaudits, at least for now. Having scored four tries against a competitive SACS side, they will go into their next game against Gimmies with confidence.
Gimmies were made to fight for a 19-12 win against Rondebosch. It’s worth noting that Rondebosch scored 40 or more points in their previous three fixtures.
Since losing to Milnerton, they appear to have turned a corner, so Gimmies will have reason to celebrate this win and look forward to the next match against Paul Roos.
Grey College lost to Jeppe earlier in the season, and have made a point of winning all of their subsequent fixtures, some by emphatic margins. The boys from Bloem recently added Boishaai to their list of victims when they emerged from a hard-fought battle with a 40-28 win.
Meanwhile, Jeppe recorded an emphatic win of their own in Durban, when they beat Northwood 40-8. Maritzburg College bounced back from a heavy loss to Grey College when they edged a strong Michaelhouse side 24-17 at home.
While Paul Roos has racked up nine consecutive wins, another traditional powerhouse has recorded six losses in a row.
Bishops have lost to Milnerton, Wynberg, and SACS this season, and went down 19-25 to Stellenberg on Saturday. They will go into their next game against Boishaai, who were competitive for much of the recent contest against Grey College, as underdogs.
Wynberg are enjoying one of their best seasons in recent memory. That said, they have lost momentum over the past three weeks and will lament the 10-32 defeat to Boland Landbou at home.
Wynberg, Jeppe, and some of the ‘smaller’ rugby schools like Milnerton have already recorded several one-off wins against top opposition.
In terms of consistency, Waterkloof has been one of this season’s success stories.
Waterkloof beat local rivals Garsfontein 47-36 this past Saturday, with Ronan Bastiaanse scoring 22 points.
The Waterkloof fullback’s performance caught the eye of former Springbok flyhalf Vlok Cilliers. The France kicking coach, who has worked with greats like Morné Steyn and currently mentors the likes of Antoine Dupont, Romain Ntamack, and Thomas Ramos, described Bastiaanse’s 51m drop-goal as “Unbelievable” on X.
Waterkloof has won 10 matches this season, a run that includes victories against EG Jansen, Outeniqua, and most recently Garsfontein. Their only loss came against Paul Roos at the Noord Suid festival.
Many school rugby aficionados have charted Waterkloof’s ascent and rewarded the Pretoria-based side with a top 10 place in their rankings. At the very least, Waterkloof appears to be an early front-runner for the Noordvaal Cup title.
