It was the battle of the metros as the Springs Rugby Club hosted Tshwane’s Naka Bulls at their home ground in Geduld on a wet day on February 21, as it was the first home game of the season for the Springs boys.

The Naka teams showed no mercy against the Springs teams, with devastating losses: the first team’s game ended 15-99, and the second team’s game ended 3-91.

Speaking to the Springs Advertiser after the game, the second team’s coach, Richard Louw, said that in the first 15 to 20 minutes, the players were in the game as they were following the game plan.

He also said making changes during the game affected the players, as they were already in full swing. From the 30th minute to the end, the coach believed the players did not tackle enough, which allowed their opponent to take advantage of the opportunities.

“From this game, I saw that we have a lot of things to work on as a team, from the tackles and being able to keep heads up to also working on the stamina of the players,” said Louw.

Louw shared that the practices before the games looked good, and the players followed the game plan. Despite their loss, Louw highlighted some positives he took away from the game.

“Playing a big team like Naka showed us what we can work on and learning from them as well because to be better, one must learn from the best.”

“We are always told to analyse your opponents and there is a lot I have taken from their line defence and their game structure as well,” said the coach.

Coming off a win last week against Wanderers, Louw said the players were upset with the loss, especially the score, and added that there is something the players can take from it.

The first team’s lock, Andre Stroiz, said that the team will go back to the drawing board to see what they can work on during this week’s practices.

He shared that the team consists of new players who are still finding their rhythm on the pitch and that they will take time and will get the hang of everything soon.

In the first half, Stroiz believed the players had their heads in the game, and their weaknesses showed in the second half, saying the bond as a team is not there yet, but hopes they will have it before the season ends.

“We need to learn from each other and find what makes everyone tick so we will be able to use it during the practices and in our games,” he concluded.

The Springs Rugby Club teams will be looking for redemption as they play Witrivier Rugby Club on February 28 at their home ground.