Garsfontein had moments of brilliance in their win against Jeppe on Wednesday at home. Garsfontein had to work hard to keep Jeppe from scoring the winning points during the final five minutes of the match, beating Jeppe 37-31.
Garsfontein started like a house on fire to score almost from the kickoff following a mistake by Jeppe which led to Garsfontein taking an early lead. However, Jeppe soon found their rhythm and scored three tries to lead their hosts 19-10, seemingly cruising to an early upset in the season.
Garsfontein clawed their way back into the match, scoring a try and converting a penalty to lead 20-19 going into the second half.
Garsfontein continued their dominance and led 37-19 with five minutes left to play. Then came the Jeppe fightback who scored two late tries to cut Garsfontein's lead to just 6 points.
Take Aways
The scoreline does not flatter Garsfontein at all and one may be excused to think that it is going to be a bumpy road for Garsfontein in 2024. However, as can be expected from a top rugby school, their fitness levels are outstanding with several players that will be challenging for a place in the SA u/18 Schools team.
It was also clear that the coaches had done their homework and added some "streetsmart" to their arsenal. Their scrums were very good, however, against Pretoria Boys High and especially Jeppe they were vulnerable when big forwards upped the pace against them and challenged them physically and directly. Fortunately, there will not be a pack of forwards that can dominate the Garsfontein's pack for 80 minutes. After the initial onslaught from Pretoria Boys High and Jeppe, Garsfontein's fitness proved to be the difference in the end.
At the back there is plenty of speed and dazzle, however, as expected some decision-making at the back still had early season problems. Can Garsfontein maintain its number 2 ranking? Mmmm......
Jeppe on the other hand once again showed their performance in 2023 was not luck. A brilliantly coached team whose balance between brutal forwards and silky backs is almost perfect. One must also take into account that the match against Garsfontein was their first of the season, however, their match fitness especially their pack will cost them, as it did against Garsfontein. However, they will once again be a top team in 2024 and any school that underestimates them will be in for a nasty surprise.
