From Behind the Posts

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1 1 May 2013, 6 th Edition From Behind the Posts It was great to finally play at home on a glorious autumn s morning as we took on the much improved Stellenberg. It was refreshing to wander up to the top fields again where many other battles were taking place, on different levels but all equally important. The only problem with my early morning nerves was that I couldn t really enjoy the wonderful treats that were on offer in the rugby chalet with the morning coffee; maybe next time? As a team, we had a hard look at ourselves during the week as we came to a crossroads in our season. The boys responded well and delivered a performance that can only be seen as a step in the right direction. We still made some silly unforced errors that halted our momentum but as a whole we played some constructive and exciting rugby. Stellenberg s game plan was crystal clear as they persisted in kicking the ball down field in the hope of pinning us down in our own half: their efforts aided by the cannon-like boot of their quality full back. The only problem is that your kicking game needs to be accurate when you are kicking down the throat of Khanyo, who has the Moses-like ability to part defences. Our first phase possession was once again not up to the standard we set for ourselves and has become an area that will receive our full attention. Our scrum was under enormous pressure from the start, with Ronnie Melck doing well to get the ball out from the retreating scrum while doing the Moon Walk. Our lineout also stuttered into motion with the first four throws ending up in Stellies possession, but once we got our rhythm going, the stuttering engine turned into a well-oiled machine delivering precious lineout ball from which we could apply some pressure.

2 The highlight for me on the day was our defensive effort. It gave me great joy to see the solid blue line stretched out and well organised as they threw everything they had at us. At one stage, we held them for two minutes and forty seconds as we pushed them back 30 meteres to where their lineout first took place. It would have been great to have kept them from crossing our tryline, but their never say die attitude was well rewarded with a try in the dying minutes. This was a very strong team performance and it s difficult to single individuals out, but Kyle White has taken his play to a different level with strong confident ball carries and tackles. He was well backed up by the impressive lock pairing of Luke Stringer and Christoph Blake. New kid on the block, Jay Stevens, once again delivered a performance that backed up all the hype which accompanies his sudden rise. In the backs, there was another backbone performance from the little general, Tyren Lee, who played the role of architect and catalyst which allowed Hylton Gibson to play his natural game. Both playmakers showed lovely touches with little grubbers in behind puzzled defenders. I drove away from the ground feeling content in the day s performance. There are still a couple of wrinkles to iron out, but the attitude was better as I started to see more of the team than individuals. The little mistakes holding us back for the moment can be described as growing pains, and I look forward to this team coming into its own as the guys start to understand their individual roles and the importance of teamwork. I would also like to make special mention of two of our ball boys who did outstanding work throughout the morning. Tulani Lewin and Brady Samuels displayed tremendous Bosch spirit and enthusiasm. This weekend, we travel to face a massive challenge from the Tygerberg Tigers who ran riot with us last year and dealt us a blow that still stings in the stomach. Our focus will need to be on our game and our performance, as any thought of pay back or redemption will only serve as a distraction. In my view from behind the poles the new score board looked great. See you behind the poles. Clinton van Rensburg

3 Blitz Bits We collect bits of interesting information that our supporters provide us in connection with Bosch rugby. Should you have any information to add to what we report on, or have anything else that is new and interesting, please contact: It was with great sadness that we learned on Saturday morning of the passing of Steve Hillock. Steve was not just an WP player and an Old Boy, he also captained our 1 st Team in When Steve s youngest son, Tim, captained the 1 st team last year in our match against Brackenfell, they became only the 2 nd pair of Father & Son captains of Bosch that we are aware off. Our thoughts are with Steve s sons, William and Tim, in these times as we say farewell to a legend of the game. Congratulations to the following boys who have been selected for the final round of trials for Western Province teams. U18 Stef de Gouveia Graham Geldenhuys Nic le Roux Khanyo Ngcukana Brett Paulse Kyle Whyte U16 Ashwyn Adams Edward Bester Zain Davids Pieter Slabbert Our grateful thanks to Alistair and Cindy Simpson of Murray Clan Insurance Brokers who continue to sponsor the rugby programme covers for each season s home matches.

4 Auric Auto 1 st XV sponsor- 2013

5 Results RBHS HSS Result 19A W 19B 11 5 W 19C 22 3 W 19D vs Reddam 19A 19E vs S/Berg 19D 19G vs Reddam 19B 10 3 W W W 16A 75 0 W 16B 40 0 W 15A 5 5 D 15B 20 0 W 15C vs Reddam 15A 7 29 L 14A L 14B W 14C vs Reddam 14A 14D vs vs S/Berg 14C L 5 37 L Total points Av Points Played 15 Won 10 Drew 1 Lost 4 For fixture and result updates, follow Rondebosch Rugby on

6 Reports U19A: RBHS 31 vs STELLENBERG 16 Stellenberg is one of our Premier B fixtures that the WP Union assigned to us. This means that we do not play them every year, but this was the fifth time that we have played them since In the previous four encounters, they have proven to be tough opponents with their 1 st team winning three of the four matches (2002, 2005, & 2006). In 2004, we managed a close 10-7 win over them. Considering this history and the fact that they dispatched Strand High (who drew to SACS at Newlands) last week by 30 points, we were not taking this one lightly. A very pleasant morning with competitive rugby on most fields contributed to the build-up towards a good game of rugby between the two first teams. Although Stellenberg pushed us around in the scrums and drew first blood through a penalty by their prolific kicker, our players settled into their rhythm and just continued to do what they should. Two well-worked tries (converted by Tyren Lee) were scored before half time by Matthew Steel and Luke Stringer. It was a pleasure to watch a game where both sides were prepared to run with the ball and the spectators were treated to some entertaining rugby on the day. As the match progressed, the Bosch team took control of the game while Tyren Lee s decision making at 12 was the catalyst for many opportunities on the day. In the end, Bosch ran out deserved winners, outscoring their opponents (who never gave up) - five tries to one. One of the most respected school boy rugby reporters in the country, and an expert on Western Cape rugby, Tony Stoops, attended the match and gave a very good write up of the match on his website On Saturday, we travel to Parow to face the last of our Premier B opponents of the season - the impressive teams from Tygerberg. This is always a tough fixture of uncompromising rugby and we expect nothing less this time. Last year they taught us a lesson on our own field, if we want to do the same to them, we will have to be on top of our game and have all the support we can get from all of us. Tries: Matthew Steel, Luke Stringer, Christoph Blake, Stef de Gouveia, Ronnie Melck Conversions: Tyren Lee (3) Gustaf Pienaar MIC Rugby & 1 st XV Manager

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8 U19B: RBHS 11 vs STELLENBERG 5 Rondebosch made heavy weather of a match that should have been a much easier game to win. Stellenberg went onto the attack from the start, and for the first ten minutes, they remained 20m from the Bosch goal line. The defence held firm and slowly Bosch worked their way towards the Stellenberg line, but could not break their defence. Play moved from one side of the field to the other and, eventually, after a series of missed tackles, Stellenberg scored near the corner flag. In the twenty-fourth minute, lock, Michael Palframan, and eighth man, Sabin Bouwer, were both injured and were replaced by Sean and Luca Botha. The rest of the first half was extremely scrappy, with careless rugby being played by both sides. Stellenberg led 5-0 at half time. In the second half, Bosch immediately went onto the attack and eventually Luca Botha scored, making the scores level. Careless handling and tackling continued to prevent Bosch from scoring, but in the fourteenth minute, scrum half, Matthew Tippett, kicked a penalty to give Bosch an 8-5 lead. Three minutes later, winger Frankie Swart broke clear and sprinted 50m towards the goal line, but again the final pass went astray. From the next ruck, Stellies went offside, and Matthew Tippett again kicked a penalty to give Bosch an 11-5 lead. In the final nine minutes, Stellenberg attacked ferociously, but somehow the Bosch defence held out. The final whistle was extremely relieving for the Bosch team, spectators and coaches. Bosch won Man of the Match was difficult to choose, but Luca Botha gets the award. Rowan Harmuth U19C (Colts): RBHS 22 vs STELLENBERG 3 Finally, we got to play at home and what a day it was for rugby as sunshine covered every inch of Rugby A. The Colts were in great spirits, eager to get their home season off to a cracking start after some great performances as a team away. Unfortunately, due to the boys over-eagerness on the park, many errors were made in open play during the first 30 minutes, often making mistakes after putting some brilliant phase plays together. Our poor discipline also gave Stellenberg some relief from all the hard work we had put together to get into their red zone, only to be kicked back into our half. After a couple of words at the half time break, our boys decided to tighten up their game, to watch the silly offloads and to be patient on attack. They worked well on maintaining phase play and creating opportunities out wide. Fly half, Jean Naude, and fullback, Josh Williams, kept our boys happy with some fine touches off the boot to keep our tight five on the front foot. Our set pieces, both in the lineouts and in scrum time, were once again dominant on defence and attack which gave our backs great ball to stretch the Stellenberg defence to its limits. It was especially heartwarming for me to see the fighting dog spirit of our forwards close to the opponent s try line. Giving up for these boys is not an option. Well, I tell you what, giving up in the Bosch blue is NEVER an option. Well done boys, let s continue to grow. Cool, calm and collected, we march on to Tygerberg. Divvie Maritz U19D - no report submitted.

9 U19E (Flyers): RBHS 54 vs STELLENBERG 12 This past weekend saw the Flyers take on Stellenberg. After a week off following their first fixture, which ended up being an unsuccessful trip to Wynberg, the boys in blue and gold were well rested and prepared for their next task as a team. The game was later than usual, 10:45 and the weather was perfect for some running rugby on "The Fortress", with temperatures reaching the high 20's. The stage was set after the intense warm-up and the boys were ready to take on the away side. The match started off with the Flyers in possession, managing a few phases to get into the Stellenberg 22m area. However, an eerie silence drew to the Fortress as a sudden turnover in the tackle resulted in Stellenberg capitalising on a flat-footed defence to score the opener of the match within the first two minutes. The conversion made it 7-0 with the Flyers having to step it up. Stepping it up couldn't have occurred quicker, as the home side regained possession from catching their own kick off through the courageous leap by winger, Ebrahiem Abrahams, and bringing the ball straight into the opponents 22m once again. After a few handling errors, the ball was turned over and cleared to the midfield. At that point the Flyers received a penalty which they took to the touch line for a lineout. After a bold decision to drive a maul from the 22m, the boys pushed the opposition some 10m, and after scanning the perimeter, our scrumhalf, Logan Stone removed the ball from the maul and, after leaving their opposing flyhalf for dead with a sneaky line changer, bolted for the open tryline. Zander Botha bagged the two pointer and we were level once again. It was after this equalising try that the Flyers really started to hit their straps before the break, adding a total of four converted tries by the interval, with Stellenberg having to settle for just the single seven pointer. The half time score was After a brief break and an inspirational few words from both sides' coaches, the boys took to the Fortress yet again for the next 30minutes. Play picked up right where the Flyers left off, the boys in blue and gold ran in another four tries with some crisp passes and great line breaks. Only one of the tries failed to be converted. Stellenberg managed to snatch another five pointer but it didn't manage to draw too much positive attention to their end of the scoreboard as the Flyers surpassed the 50 mark. The final score was It must be noted that the Flyers stepped it up big time this weekend and worked very well as a team. The season has officially begun for us. Well done chaps! Tries: Logan Stone, Albert Troost, Damien Erasmus, Aidan Wildschut x2, Daniel Hodson, Zander Botha and Brendon McDiarmid. Conversions: Zander Botha x7 Yusri Williams

10 U16A: RBHS 75 vs STELLENBERG 0 It was a mid-morning massacre on Meadow A as Rondebosch gave Stellenberg no chance and ran in 11 tries without the boys from behind the boerewors curtain scoring a single point. While 11 tries is impressive in anyone s books, the fact that the defences held and the Bosch line was never crossed, was perhaps a greater achievement. On the occasions that Stellenberg did attack, big hits ensured that they knew they were being brought to the ground. Although Rondebosch scored every five minutes, the game never deteriorated into touch rugby as structures were held and patterns practiced during the week played. Tries: Kyle Ballakistan (wing) 5, Jamie Burt (centre) 2, Eddie Bester (fly-half), Jamie King (flank) 2, Byron Bowes (lock) Conversions: Nic Potgieter (scrumhalf) 10 Johann Gerber U16B RBHS 40 vs STELLENBERG 0 When Amani Mnani (centre) scored, after receiving the ball straight after the kick-off, and did so again two minutes later, it was clear that spectators were heading for a treat. In the end, the Blues romped home by six tries to nil to easily beat a Stellenberg side that was never really in the game. The most memorable moment was seeing Tristan van Tonder (prop), blonde hair bouncing, sprinting all of 70 meters from his own 22, outrunning several defenders, to score the last try. Tries: Amani Mnani (centre) 3, Dylan le Roex (number eight), Nic Witten (flank), Tristan van Tonder (prop) Conversions: Ryan Oertle (fullback) 5 Johann Gerber

11 U15 A: RBHS 5 vs STELLENBERG 5 We had a very good week in terms of preparation, with Gareth Wright working hard with the team. Saturday came and we knew that Stellenberg would be keen to beat one of the premier league schools. We weathered the initial storm and started to play some good rugby and were rewarded by Fredericks scoring under the posts. Our kicker did not take the ball far enough back, so when the charge came he had to rush his kick, with the result that what should have been a seven pointer became only a five pointer. We kicked well, our chase lines were good and we entered half time playing the better rugby, but only five points ahead. The second half belonged to Stellenberg, especially their forwards who, on two occasions, drove us no less than 25m. The disappointing part of this is that many of our players were far too upright and at least two of our bigger forwards did not get involved in the maul, but were happy to watch our fullback come in to try and stop the driving maul! Eventually, Stellenberg were rewarded with an equalising try. We eventually made our way upfield and we were rewarded with a penalty. We decided to have a shot at goal but unfortunately, the kick pulled left. The five all draw was a fair reflection of the game as neither sided deserved to lose. On the positive side, we defended well, scrummed ok and showed good commitment. Areas that need work were lineout throws (many skew), attention to counter the drive, cover defence when we kick and most importantly to put phases together and not be too hasty. Grant Paarman U15B: RBHS 20 VS STELLENBERG 0 The side continued where they left off last week and were deserved winners by 20 points to nil. They showed great overall commitment in all aspects of the game and it really looked like the guys were enjoying themselves. If the team can remain intact and there are few personnel changes, then I truly believe that we can beat some of the sides to whom we lost last year. We will need to be at our best next week as we face Tygerberg who will pose some stiff competition. Grant Paarman

12 U15C/D: RBHS 7 vs REDDAM 29 The boys played against a much stronger Reddam team on Saturday. By the end of the first half we were down The second half showed a much better performance and the boys picked up their heads and bounced back, but it was a little too late at the end. One great moment from the game was another brilliant intercept try by Moegamad Meyer bringing the scores to Unfortunately, Reddam were able to score two more tries to brining the game to Try: Conversion: Moegamad Meyer Andrew Morris Gerrit Cilliers U14 A: RBHS 14 vs STELLENBERG 15 The first home game of the season saw the Rondebosch U14A team play against Stellenberg U14A on Lower Desert A. The Stellenberg boys came out well prepared and motivated over the first 15 minutes and made the RBHS side work very hard on defence. Stellenberg received a penalty for their early dominance and converted to take a 3-0 lead. The remainder of the first half was dominated by the RBHS side, seeing us run in two very well-worked team tries, taking the lead to 14-3 at the half time break. The second half started on the same foot, with the RBHS team camping in the Stellenberg half for the better part of 10 minutes. Unfortunately, we were unable to convert the possession into points, due to some unforced errors and strong Stellenberg defence. The remainder of the game saw Stellenberg dominate both possession and territory, placing the RBHS side under large amounts of pressure and, despite again showing our defensive ability, we were unable to stop two very well-worked attacks from the Stellenberg team which lead to two tries, one being converted. This took the score to in favour of the Stellenberg team. Despite the brave attempt at a late comeback, the RBHS team failed to convert a final penalty leaving the score at to Stellenberg. An unfortunate result for the RBHS team, being the second of the season, however, credit must be given to Stellenberg for remaining disciplined and being able to convert possession and territory into points. Tries: Donald Falconer, Jason MacLeod Smith Conversions: Samuel Alexander (2) Adam Rundle

13 U14B: RBHS 24 vs STELLENBERG 21 The U14B s had a good build-up to their first home fixture this weekend against Stellenberg. The boys have been hard at work during practices in an attempt to rectify some of the errors from the past few weeks. In what is fast becoming a trend, Bosch managed to score within the first minutes of the game. The remainder of the half was fairly evenly matched with Bosch trying to front up to their larger forward counterparts. This proved relatively ineffective and Stellenberg managed to level the scores just before half time with a runaway try. At half time, with the score at seven all, it was evident that this game was going to be won by the team who wanted the victory more. On the 35 minute mark Carl Smid crossed for yet another try and this was followed five minutes later by a touchdown by Vuyolwethu Kali. With the score at 19-7, and only 10 minutes remaining, one would have been forgiven for assuming that the result was decided. Disaster struck and the Stellenberg left wing ran in two quick tries, making it a hat-trick on the day, and gave Stellenberg a narrow lead. With only three minutes to play, Bosch heads did not drop and a magnificent run by Tim Henderson down the right wing, in the final movement of the game, saw Bosch triumph The boys are to be commended on their fighting spirit and never-say-die attitude. Character such as this will certainly help later in the season and we look forward to our clash against Tygerberg next week. U14C: RBHS 5 vs REDDAM A 41 Trevor Edwards The U14C team had a bit of a topsy-turvy week. With a friendly against Bishops scheduled for Wednesday, the boys seemed to lose a bit of drive and energy for the weekend s game against an impressive Reddam team. The Chiefs ran out deserved winners against Bishops in a shortened friendly. The boys left the Lut field with their heads held high and the memory of inflicting a defeat on Bishops. The Saturday game against Reddam was almost a carbon copy of the Wednesday game, although the Bosch boys were now in the position of Bishops. Reddam played a patient and well thought out game and relied on their big ball carriers to get into the Chiefs' faces. Defence wasn't up to scratch and we allowed them to run into 41 points. Standout scrum-half, James Hepburn-Brown, dotted down for Bosch after showing that he too can run over a few boys when he wants to. Tries: James Hepburn-Brown Gareth Vlotman U14D: RBHS 22 vs STELLENBERG C 25 The U14D s did not have the best start when they conceded an early try due to poor defence. They seemed to take this as a wake-up call, as they defended much better throughout the first half, unfortunately, letting in three more unconverted tries. Though they scored one brilliantly worked try, with Josh Templeton running it in from inside our own half. In the second half, the boys came out with a winning attitude. With impressive defence once again they managed to score three tries while only letting one more against them. Overall, a superb effort and a very unfortunate result. This team also beat Bishops on Wednesday after a friendly match was played. Tries: Conversions: Tristan Olivier x3, Joshua Templeton Dylan Watt Gareth Vlotman

14 Fixtures vs Tygerberg - 4 May TEAM OPPOSITION VENUE TIME FIELD U19 A Tygerberg Tygerberg 12:30 A Field U19 B Tygerberg Tygerberg 11:20 A Field U19 C Tygerberg Tygerberg 10:10 A Field U19 D Tygerberg Tygerberg 09:00 B Field U19 E Tygerberg Tygerberg 11:20 C Field U16 A Tygerberg Tygerberg 09:00 A Field U16 B Tygerberg Tygerberg 08:00 B Field U15 A Tygerberg Tygerberg 08:00 A Field U15 B Tygerberg Tygerberg 10:10 B Field U15 C Tygerberg Tygerberg 11:20 B Field Leadership College 15:30 *Thurs 2 May North U15 D RBHS U14 A Tygerberg Tygerberg 09:00 C Field U14 B Tygerberg Tygerberg 08:00 C Field U14 C Tygerberg Tygerberg 10:10 C Field U14D Bishops tbc Map Hoërskool Tygerberg: Fairfield Street North, Fairfield, De Tijger, Parow Ph: GPS Coordinates Decimal Latitude Longitude Tickets available online: Photos courtesy of Liesl Arendse and Andrew Louwrens -

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