Villagers claw their way to victory

THE Dynamo Sports Travel Hillcrest Villagers’ Rugby Club took on the oldest club in KZN, the Kokstad Rugby Club, in an away game at the weekend.

“There are many rugby clubs in KZN that are tough to visit, but not many of them measure up to the prospect of the Kokstad Rugby Club,” said the local club’s head coach, Mike de Kock. “The journey up to Kokstad is, as always, a long drive, followed by dry air, rock hard fields and a passionate home team – the perfect preseason challenge from the boys of the Crest.”

The game was a tough, physical confrontation as the forwards from both teams went hammer and tongs at each other as the set pieces were hotly contested and the breakdowns were a mixed bag.

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As combinations were tested out, and Villagers battled to climb out of second gear, Kokstad cruised into a 15 – 7 lead with 20 minutes left on the clock.

“With a big focus on fitness in the preseason, this came to the fore as Dynamo Sports Travel Hillcrest Villagers clawed their way big into the game to trail by 1 point,” said de Kock.

With little time left on the clock, the Villagers started a counter attack from their own 22m line and, through maintained pressure, sent Ruben Goosen over the line for the match winning try. The Dynamo Sports Travel Hillcrest Villagers’ Rugby Club won 21 – 15.

“The day will be remembered for its camaraderie off the field. It was a day truly symbolic of club rugby, with clubs being driven by community support and players purely playing for the love of the game,” said de Kock.

He thanked Fred Nicholls and the host club for their hospitality.

The local players with standout performances include Josh Courtney and Ethan Hodgson.

“We now go into our final few weeks of preparation and fine-tuning before kicking off the league on Saturday, 5 June,” said the head coach.

The team trains each Tuesday and Thursday at the Durban Shongweni Club from 6pm.

Caxton Local Media Covid-19 reporting