Paarl Gimnasium delivered an utterly ruthless performance at Noord Suid, dismantling Menlo Park 73-17 in a display of clinical finishing and forward dominance that left the opposition chasing shadows.
Paarl Gim, were absolutely relentless from the opening whistle, putting the sword to Menlo Park with wave after wave of powerful carries and precision rugby that showcased why they’re regarded as one of South Africa’s premier rugby schools.
Just seven minutes in, tight head prop Sebastian Bekker crashed over following a trademark Paarl Gim driving maul that rumbled over the tryline. It was a statement of intent, and Menlo Park had no answer.
By the 20th minute, the scoreboard read 21-0, with Dirk Hugo and Ethan Barker both crossing the whitewash. Paarl Gim were playing with frightening efficiency, capitalising on every opportunity that presented itself.
Injury compounds Menlo’s misery
The early loss of Dylan Stumke to injury left Menlo’s defensive structures in absolute tatters. Without their key defender, the floodgates threatened to burst wide open.
Paarl Gim’s pack continued to dominate proceedings. Corné Niemand added another five-pointer from yet another devastating driving maul, pushing the score to 28-0. The Paarl forwards were having an absolute field day at the set piece.
In the 27th minute, Hendré van Zyl piled on the agony, extending Paarl’s lead to 35-0. Menlo Park were being systematically dismantled.
To their credit, Menlo refused to throw in the towel. Lucian Read pulled one back for the Pretoria outfit, finishing brilliantly in the corner after Menlo set up a devastating maul and played the ball wide with purpose. At 35-7, they’d at least troubled the scorers.
But as the halftime hooter sounded, Paarl Gim delivered another dagger. Corné Niemand read Menlo’s attacking play perfectly, intercepting a pass and racing away to make it 42-7 at the break. Cruel timing for Menlo, who had finally been building some promising phases.
The pain didn’t stop after the interval. Paarl Gim extended their advantage to 52-7, showing no mercy to their shell-shocked opponents.
Menlo Park’s wings finally connected in the 55th minute to produce a moment of genuine class. Mendriano Jody Abrahams found space out wide, drew his defender, and delivered a sublime chicken wing offload to Lucian Read. The winger stepped back inside, beat the last defender with footwork, and dotted down. At 52-12, Menlo had shown glimpses of what they’re capable of when given space.
Paarl Gim’s discipline let them down earlier in the half, receiving a red card that opened up space for Menlo to attack. The men from the capital, capitalised in the 59th minute with beautiful interplay between Danie Botma and Willie Pieterse sending Juan Joubert away for a well-worked try. Suddenly it was 52-17 with nine minutes remaining.
Paarl finish strong
But Paarl Gim weren’t done. In the 62nd minute, they were awarded a penalty try, and Menlo received a yellow card for their troubles. The score moved to 59-17.
Then came a moment of individual brilliance. Prop Karel Dirker sold an outrageous dummy, turned on the afterburners, and left Menlo defenders grasping at thin air. For a front-rower, Dirker showed the gas of a loose forward, racing away to score and make it 66-17.
Ruan Lindeque got his name on the scoresheet in the 68th minute, bringing up the final tally of 73-17 as Paarl Gim completed the demolition job.
