Brakpan’s rude awakening
After scoring over 350 points in four Valke Peregrine League matches it seemed that the green machine that is Brakpan Rugby Club’s first XV could not be halted.
Sport, however, doesn’t play out to a fixed script and the reigning champions certainly discovered that the hard way with a shock 54-23 defeat at the hands of Vereeniging away from home on Saturday, April 16.
It was sweet revenge for Vereeniging who were defeated by Brakpan in the Peregrine final last season.
In fact, all three of Brakpan’s senior teams were on the negative side of the score-lines in Vereeniging, and the club has been left reeling from what was a Black Saturday.
“We are all very disappointed with the results,” said club chairman Harry Nieuwenhuis.
“It has been an extremely long spell of success for the club and the fact that all three of our teams lost in what is also a first against Vereeniging is a red flag for our club as a whole.
“After a great start which had all our teams on top of their logs it is time to face reality and the easy games with huge score-lines did not help us at all.
“Nonetheless, we have no excuse and we congratulate Vereeniging for their efforts in toppling the Brakpan teams the way they did.”
In the first team match coach Regardt Botha acknowledged that the ‘Panne’ were outplayed in all facets of the game on Saturday.
Vereeniging showed early into the match that they were the hungrier of the two teams and played accordingly.
It is now back to the drawing board for Botha and his skipper Francois “Bones” Robbertse as they brace themselves for another titanic tussle in the form of arch-rivals Springs on Saturday, April 23.
“We are positive that the club will bounce back and fire on all cylinders this week,” added Nieuwenhuis.
“Complacency does not belong in our thinking and planning.
“We can assure our supporters that this won’t happen again.
“Nobody is more disappointed than the teams and the players themselves.”
