Vryheid’s mighty men in maroon dominate against Dundee
"Thanks to the comeback of experienced players who have been attending practices, the second team's fitness levels are up and looking much better," explains Head Coach, André Ellis. "The first team has started to gel more, but the competition at the club is high and that brings out the best in all the players..."
THE first and second teams from Vryheid and Dundee came head to head at Cecil Emmett Park for the third match of the season in the First and Second Division Northern KZN Rugby League.
The second team took to the field first against the visiting Sentraal team from Dundee and Vryheid was off to a magnificent start, scoring their first try three minutes into the match and another only two minutes later. The hosts scored another three tries and three conversions before the halftime whistle blew, with the Sentraal side unable to respond in the first half.
In the second half, Sentraal bounced back, putting 19 points on the board while Vryheid only managed one more converted try to clinch the victory over the Dundee side. At the final whistle, the score was 38 – 19 to Vryheid.
Tries were scored by N Dlamini, R de Beer, L de Jager, C Bestbier, R Venter and M Nkosi, with Mundus van Niekerk converting four out of the six tries.
Man of the match for the forwards was Ignis Potgieter, with Coenie Bestbier taking the honour for the backline.
“If the score suggests that it was an easy game, that wasn’t the case,” confirms Vryheid’s second team captain, Coenie Bestbier. “Sentraal made us work for every single point. Every player played their part and we’re happy with the win…”
The first teams battled it out on the field next, with a much tighter margin between the hosts and the visitors throughout the first half.
This time, it was Sentraal who were quick to put points on the board with a try three minutes into play. A penalty conversion by Devin Aspden at seven minutes put Vryheid on the board and Sentraal responded with another try four minutes later. Two quick successive tries by Vryheid at 37 and 39 minutes respectively saw the Sentraal squad trailing by only two points as the halftime whistle blew, with the score at 17 – 15 in favour of the men in maroon.
The second half saw Vryheid dominate their guests as they managed to put another 15 points on the board before the final whistle blew and Sentraal could not respond, as the full time score stood at 32 – 15 in favour of the Vryheid side.
Tries were scored by Z Dlamini, D Aspden, who also added to the points tally with two conversions and a penalty conversion, C van Rooyen and two tries from W van der Berg.
Man of the match for the forwards was Wildre van der Berg and Jarred Foster was man of the match for the backline.
Head coach for Vryheid Rugby Club, André Ellis commends the players who have attended practices with the dedication and commitment that will yield the outstanding results the club has become known for.
“Thanks to the comeback of experienced players who have been attending practices, the second team’s fitness levels are up and looking much better,” explains Ellis. “The first team has started to gel more, but the competition at the club is high and that brings out the best in all the players…”
“Players also need to remember,” advises the head coach, “if they skip practices without a valid reason, they won’t be able to play…”
The first and second teams for Vryheid Rugby Club will travel to Newcastle for the next matches against the Mighty Buffaloes and Flying Eagles respectively on May 11.
