Volkskool finally broke their FNB Classic Clash hoodoo with a heart-stopping 34-26 victory over cross-town rivals Gimnasium on Saturday, Kyle Hattingh’s try as the siren sounded sealing a dramatic triumph that ended three seasons of Gimmies dominance in the most brutal of small-town derbies.

The men in red held their nerve through 70 minutes of attritional warfare on their home turf, surviving a stirring Gimmies fightback that saw the visitors claw back from 27-19 down to trail by just a single point with four minutes remaining before Hattingh struck the knockout blow.

This was derby rugby at its rawest, nervous mistakes, ferocious defence, and momentum swings that left both sets of supporters clinging to their seats as the scoreboard ticked back and forth in a contest that epitomised everything that makes schoolboy rugby rivalries so compelling.

Early red card rocks Gimmies

The match exploded into controversy inside the opening minutes when Gimmies’ Nic Dreyer was shown a straight red card for a dangerous tackle, leaving the men in blue to battle with 14 men for 20 minutes and setting the tone for a brutal arm wrestle.

Both sides’ defences stood firm whilst handling errors plagued attacking efforts, creating a scrappy spectacle that saw the deadlock remain unbroken until the 32nd minute when Volkies pivot Kyle Hattingh sliced through to dot down.

Gimmies, operating superbly in the lineout to generate quality possession despite their numerical disadvantage, finally got reward on the stroke of half-time when Phillip Botha crossed to level proceedings at 7-7, a scoreline that barely reflected the intensity of the contest.

Volkies seize control

The hosts emerged from the sheds with renewed purpose. A slick backline move sent Lethabo Riet over early in the second stanza before Volkies’ scrum dominance, with tighthead prop Michael Rochat putting in an immense shift in the engine room, began to tell.

Five minutes into the half, Volkies’ forward pack drove Gimmies backwards at another scrum before scoring from the next phase to establish a 17-7 advantage.

Nolan Roets was a menace at the lineout, pilfering ball after ball to compound Gimmies’ set-piece woes with Dreyer still absent and an injury to their replacement prop further weakening their platform.

Gimmies’ valiant fightback

Against the run of play in the 53rd minute, Gimmies turned over possession and swung it wide to cut the deficit to 20-12, igniting a remarkable comeback attempt.

The score lit a fire under the men in blue. Fullback Josh Pretorius and outside centre Du Randt du Plooy orchestrated dangerous counter-attacks that had the Volkies defence scrambling.

Captain De Wet Grobler powered over to bring Gimmies within a single point at 20-19, the hostile home crowd suddenly silenced as the visitors threatened to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

River Samuel restored breathing space for Volkies, cutting through the Gimmies defence to send the home ground into absolute frenzy after his tireless work finally earned reward, 27-19.

But Gimmies refused to yield. Grobler grabbed his brace to make it 27-26, setting up a grandstand finish with four minutes remaining and just one point separating these bitter rivals.

Hattingh’s heroics

The tension was unbearable as both sides threw everything into attack and defence. Then, with time almost expired, Hattingh struck again, the Volkies pivot crossing for the decisive try as the conversion sailed over and the siren sounded simultaneously, sparking wild celebrations among the home faithful.

After three years of heartbreak, the FNB Classic Clash trophy was finally returning to Volkskool.

Respect amid rivalry

Despite the disappointment, Gimmies director of rugby Regardt Kleingeld paid tribute to his players’ character whilst reminding everyone of the bigger picture.

“I think the red card was a bit harsh, but I honour my players – we never quit,” said Kleingeld. “In the end they had a bit more firepower in certain places. We fought hard in a very hostile environment.”

Gimmies won six of nine encounters with one draw on the day.

For now though, Volkies can savour breaking their three-year drought in the most dramatic fashion imaginable. Small-town derbies don’t get more brutal or more thrilling than this.