Raiders begin season on high
Pinetown Raiders took home the prize in a friendly game against the Durban Mets,
THE Pinetown Raiders took on the Durban Mets recently and with the rugby season a month away, both teams were anxious to get its combinations together and see the players on the field in the thick of things.
As a friendly, the management teams from both sides decided to run the game in five 15 minute chukkas to allow for changes and for the coach to set up combinations.
The game was started at 2pm and was a brutal encounter. The Raiders set their preseason out to focus on the expansive game, to play enjoyable rugby and rugby that will get the spectators excited.
From the outset this was seen as the ball was spread wide at every opportunity. The pace of the game, set to match the excitement of the new game style, saw Raiders put the first points on the board.
This was done through an excellent break up the middle, which was immediately spread wide, and through great handling was concluded with a well worked try in the corner.
This pattern of play continued throughout the game and the Raiders continued to score with a minimum of one try in each chukka, leading the game five tries to none after four chukkas.
The fifth and final chukka proved to be the harder pill to swallow from both sides but in the last minutes of the chukka, the Mets pulled back some pride, with two well worked tries toting down in ditto in the corner.
The Raiders team urges all players who would like to play rugby this season to join in the practices every Tuesday and Thursday from 6pm at Lahee Park in Pinetown.
