Maritzburg College School Magazine Maritzburg College Magazine 2016 electronic | Page 165

RUGBY
improve. His line-out jumping ability became an asset to the team and he
stole many a ball at the opposition line-out time.
M King (8th man, prop): He started the season at 8th man but started to
make more of an impact when moved back to prop where he was more
comfortable. His speed and strength made him an effective ball carrier and
his defence and support play improved throughout the season.
H Trodd (fly-half, full-back): Having started the season at full-back, his
good distribution skills soon saw him moved to fly-half where he got the
back-line away well. His kicking, both for touch and poles, improved
during the season.
K Hadebe (wing, centre): His out and out pace and strong step made
him a danger to opposition and saw him crossing the try line on many an
occasion. He was also a strong defender whose cover defence helped save
many a threatening situation.
all facets of the game and set a tone of physicality early in the season. The
backline players were R van Zyl, B le Roux, N Zondo, NS Ndlovu, B Emms,
R Anderson, R le Roux, M Zunckel and W Hodgkinson. The backs were
characterised by strength and pace. Their skills developed well later on in
the season although it took most of the season for them to gel as a group.
The 54-5 win over DHS and the 38-8 victory against PBHS in the third term
were testament to this as the backs asserted their outright dominance over
the opposition.
There are many good College years ahead for these lads and I wish them
all the best. May they grow into fully-fledged College rugby players and
have many unforgettable rugby experiences. Lastly, a big thank you to all
the parents for their passionate support.
Regular players:
B Ngubane (wing): His ability to beat a player one-on-one was
outstanding and he often left his opposite number flat footed. He lacked
some important skills early in the season but improved on these as the
season progressed. This made him a more effective team player. A Heydenrych (captain), A van Straaten (captain), R van Zyl (vice-captain),
R Wilken, M Madikane, S Ndlovu, D Behrens, T Mbatha, J Muggleton,
S Koekemoer, S Herman, B Mbanjwa, R Price, B le Roux, R Anderson,
NS Ndlovu, N Zondo, B Emms, R le Roux, M Zunckel, W Hodgkinson
G Xaba (centre): His inclusion at inside centre midway through the season
added a new dimension to the back-line. His silky skills and elusive running
made him a constant threat to the opposition and he often created space
out wide for the pace men. Results:
K Morsink (centre): He possesses all the qualities of a good centre. His
strong running ability always got the team over the gain line and he linked
up well with his outside backs. He was the strongest defender in the back-
line and made some telling hits in the midfield.
K Goedeke (full-back, fly-half): His move to full-back came midway
through the season where his ability to join the line at pace added an extra
threat in our backs. He always played a clever kicking game, putting the
ball into space behind the line and placing pressure on the opposition.
The following players also represented the A-team on more than three
occasions: M Zunckel, R van Zyl, S Herman, B Emms, R Anderson, R Price.
Results:
vs Sarel Cilliers 48-0, Grey College 0-12, PBHS 13-15 and 22-15,
Michaelhouse 14-7, SACS 15-13, Wynberg 7-22, KES 21-24, Northwood
18-14, Kearsney 24-33, Westville 19-10, DHS 34-12, Hilton 41-0,
Glenwood 7-43 and 10-50, Affies 12-15
Mr J Morgan
U14B
The boys of the U14B team enjoyed a mixed season but matured well as
players. The team eked out a 46% win rate which sadly does not reflect
their efforts as a team. They had strong potential on attack, scoring a
total of 279 points throughout the season. Unfortunately, defence was a
weakness and they conceded 319 points in total. These statistics reveal
useful truths. It is always enjoyable coaching U14 rugby teams because
the boys always have time on their side – time to develop their strengths
and time to transform their weaknesses. I encourage these boys to work
with their future coaches to continue their defensive development and turn
it into a strength.
The side was captained admirably by A Heydenrych until he could no
longer be denied a spot in the U14A team. Heydenrych went from strength
to strength as a captain and his presence was sorely missed. He went
on to contribute many gam