Paarl Boys’ High have put all the pressure on their cross-town rivals ahead of Saturday’s famous Interschools derby.
On Saturday, an estimated 25,000 supporters will pack Faure Street Stadium as Boishaai and Paarl Gimnasium renew one of the fiercest rivalries in schoolboy rugby, with the first XV clash at 4pm once again the main event.
Last year’s thriller remains fresh in the memory.
Boishaai produced one of the great comebacks in derby history, overturning a 33-21 deficit to snatch a dramatic 35-33 victory and deny Gimmies an unbeaten season.
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That result has only added fuel to this year’s encounter.
Boishaai coach Sean Erasmus believes the pressure will weigh heaviest on their rivals, who have been among the country’s standout schoolboy teams this season.
“The expectations they have of themselves will be the most pressure,” Erasmus told News24.
“They did mention that they haven’t forgotten how last year felt and the fact that they’re not going to let it happen again.
“With a big game like this and with the expectation, that levels out things a bit and the team with the best character comes through at the end.”
Across town, Gimmies coach Pieter Rossouw is determined not to let last year’s heartbreak define his team’s approach.
“Every year is a new season. Every year is different, and we’ll definitely approach this year differently,” he said.
Rossouw knows the expectation that comes with coaching Gimmies, but insists history provides some perspective.
“The expectation is always that you have to win Interschools, but the reality is that when you look back over more than a century of history, you basically only win 50% of the matches.”
Photo: Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images
