Boishaaier 2019

RUGBY

“ T h e r e a r e n o s e c r e t s t o s u c c e s s . I t i s t h e r e s u l t o f p r e p a r a t i o n , h a r d w o r k , a n d l e a r n i n g f r o m f a i l u r e . ”

T he rugby season had many highlights but at the end the rugby is made special by the boys that attend the school. Their commitment and passion is incredible and unless you have experienced a season at Paarl Boys’ High you will probably never understand the culture, traditions and attitude of the boys involved in rugby. Any member involved in this is fortunate to be part of it. When one looks at the details of the season some interesting key points become evident. There seems to be a trend in the U14/15/19 groups of gaining great victories over Paul Roos and some other teams but then losing against Grey and Gim. The U14 group played 62 games, winning 41, losing 19 games and drawing 2. The following information is key: only our E team managed wins over Grey and Gim; in all our other games against those two schools we did not secure a win. The U15 group played 55 games winning 37, losing 16 and drawing 2, with our U15D side the only team to gain a victory over Gim. Turning to the U19A–E teams we see us losing all our games against Grey and Gim. We want to measure ourselves against the best and we will need to improve to be more competitive against these teams. By no means do these statistics make us negative; on the contrary it motivates us and keeps us focused to improve and actions have therefore been put in place to turn things around. Most of the matches of our U14C–F teams were played against other schools’ A/B/C sides which is good to strengthen our playing base. Our lower teams especially in this group did not play as many matches as the rest and we aim at putting this right. The U16 squad is a very talented and exciting group of players and their results make that apparent. However, it is not only the results that impressed spectators but also their style of play and the exciting rugby they played. The senior sides did not enjoy the successes of previous years and a big focus on coaching and attention to key areas of the game will be key to turning this around over the next couple of seasons. There are tactical areas and key focus areas we need to improve on, however. We are already making positive strides in key areas and I believe it is always a huge honour to wear the senior rugby jersey at Paarl Boys’ High. Congratulations to the boys who achieved Western Province and Springbok colours during the season and I believe we will see some of these boys playing rugby at higher levels in years to come In the U19 group we found it great to be working in a squad system which creates great competition. Therefore we started also using the system with the U19C/D sides this year with positive results. On a personal level the Interschools week is and will continue to be one of the rugby highlights in my 21 years of coaching. It was always a delight to see PBHS in all its glory, the fighting spirit of our boys, the supporters and the pride and passion from the boys in the stands even when we were losing. I, along with the management team and the first team squad, was of course

disappointed we could not make it five in a row but we gave it our all. And what a game it was! The two losses were very important learning points and have shaped our planning and focus for the 2020 season. Ek wil graag dankie sê aan elkeen wat daartoe bygedra het om hierdie seisoen ’n aangename ervaring te maak. Dit inspireer my as eerstespanafrigter en die afrigtingspan David Sadie, Arno Blom en Ryno Rust om saam met die ander afrigters voort te bou op ’n baie goeie rugbyprogram en te verseker dat elke speler ’n aangename en positiewe rugbyervaring geniet. Dankie aan die HJS-terreinpersoneel vir voortreflike geriewe vir ons afrigting én ons wedstryde. Dankie aan mnr Swart en die skoolpersoneel vir hulle ondersteuning, asook aan die oudstudente (in die besonder Charl van Niekerk vir al sy hulp by verskeie toernooie en groot wedstryde) en aan die ondersteuners. Julle maak dit baie spesiaal en alle betrokkenes by HJS se rugby waardeer die hulp en ondersteuning. ’n Baie groot dankie aan Danie Malan en sy span vir hul hulp en vir die omsien na ons borge. Natuurlik kan ons nie die program wat ons het sonder die groot borge volhou nie. ’n Spesiale woord van dank aan die 2019-bestuurspan, dr Uys en Anzél Brink, vir al die harde werk op mediese front, en aan Erik Bester, ons bestuurder – ’n besondere groep mense wat soveel agter die skerms doen om die rugbyervaring iets besonders te maak. To the parents and pupils of Paarl Boys’ High: Thank you so much for 2019 and in particular the senior squad #YESMAN. “Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice, and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do.” SEWESRUGBY Ons het weer ’n kort en kragtige sewesseisoen beleef wat afgeskop het met die Nico Malan-toernooi op Humansdorp – natuurlik baie genotvol so naby die see! Met ’n baie jong span moes ons teen ouer spelers meeding teen wie die manne hulle man moes staan, wat ’n Boishaaier altyd sal doen! Ons moes ongelukkig in die uitkloprondes die knie buig teen ’n baie goeie, maar fisieke Grey High-span van PE. By Paarl Gimnasium se Marius Schoeman-toernooi by het ons met aanskoulike rugby deurgedring na die uitkloprondtes. Na ’n oorwinning in ’n taai wedstryd teen Durbanville het ons ons plek in die semifinaal verseker, en toe was dit ’n Dawid-teen-Goliat- stryd teen Affies. Die manne het presies geweet wat dit gaan verg om bo uit te kom en met skitterende verdediging en dissipline het ons met 14 – 7 geseëvier wat ons toe deurgestuur het na die finaal teen Hoërskool Monument. Met die regte ingesteldheid, goeie verdediging en akkurate besluite het ons met ’n oorwinning van 24 – 7 uitgetree.

136 BOISHAAI 151 YEARS