Paul Roos’ U19C team delivered a moment of pure rugby innovation at the 2025 Paul Roos Gymnasium Rugby Festival in Stellenbosch — a try that looked like it came straight from the Rassie Erasmus playbook.
Facing Hoërskool Durbanville inside the opposition 22m, the Maroon Machine thirds pulled off a brilliantly planned move that turned heads. From a lineout in the red zone, the team went through several phases of play as it approached the tryline with a sense of inevitability. They then executed a seamless pass from the scrumhalf to set up an impromptu lineout in the shadow of the goalposts. Thereafter, the Roos launched a maul, catching Durbanville completely off-guard and crashing over for a five-pointer that had all the hallmarks of South African coaching ingenuity.
It was just one of many highlights in a dominant performance, as Paul Roos ran out emphatic 48-0 winners on the iconic Markotter Field.
UPDATE – 12 July 2025
In a stunning turn of events, it appears Dr Rassie noticed this move. In their convincing 45-0 victory over the Azzurri of Italy at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, the Springboks used the move EXACTLY AS IT IS to score two tries via Canaan Moodie and Malcolm Marx!
