The OP Republic 2015 2015 | Page 18

r ugby Ti aanVi s s er Att heendofl as ty eart het as kofbei ngt heOP r ugbyc oac handmanagerwasbes t oweduponme byl as ty ear ’ st eam. Af t erhav i nghungupmyboot s att heendofl as ty ear ,Ihadbi gs hoest ofil lwi t h Chr i s t i aanandAndr i eshandi ngov ert her ei ns . Wi t h af ew v et er ans bet ween a y oungbunc h ofmen,wes t ar t ed bui l di ngt het eam f r om t hegr ound up.TheOPt eam s ai df ar ewel lt o t hel i k esofRoac h, Ni c k , Dar i o, Duppi esand Wy nand who pl ay ed an i ns t r ument alr ol ei nt he t eam’ s s uc c es sl as ty ear .Wehadar oc k y s t ar tt ot hes eas on.St ar t i ngf r om s c r at c h,t r y i ng t o find t he r i ght c ombi nat i ons . Wehadnewpl ay er s whower es t i l l get t i ngt ok noweac h ot heront hefiel dbutwes t uc kt o ourguns . Wi t hc ar ef ul anal y s i sand l ongni ght sofdi s c us s i nghow we c an i mpr ov e ourgame pl an,t he c apt ai n,J ohan,and Imanaged t o findt her i ghtc ombi nat i onsont he fiel dandpr oduc edas i det hatfir es on al lc y l i nder s .I ti snev ereas y bei ngt hec oac hofpl ay er swhoar e al s oy ourf r i ends .Har d dec i s i ons neededt obemadeonandofft he fiel d.Di s c i pl i neandor derneeded t o be i n pl ac e.Li k e Naasal way s s ay s ,“ att heend oft heday ”one mus tal way shav et hebes ti nt er es t oft het eam athear t .Wet r i edt o pl ayabr andofr ugbyt hats ui t ed our s t r engt hs .We t hr i v ed i na l oos egamebyut i l i s i ngourl i ght ni ngf as tbac k l i ne.Thatbei ngs ai d, abac k l i nec anonl yfir ei ft hehar d wor ki sdone up f r ontbygi v i ng t hem ac l eanbal lt opr oduc et he magi c .I ’ m pr oud oft he waymy pl ay er s s t ood t oget her when t es t ed. We hav ef or med good f r i ends hi psandt her ei sas ens eof br ot her hoodbet weenus .Al otof t het eam’ ss uc c es si sbas edoni t s c apt ai nc y . Onder s t epoor t ' s ’c apt ai nf or2015 wasJ ohan Human. J ohani sac ool ,c al m andc ol l ec t ed r ugbypl ay erwi t hv er ygoodv i s i on and under s t andi ng oft he game. Hel eadf r om t hef r ontwi t hphy s i c al i t yandbr ut es t r engt h. Hei swel l r es pec t ed byal lt he t eam member sandhi sc al m per s onak eeps ev er y onei nc hec kwhen t emper s r unhi ghont hefiel d.Ourhi ghl i ght oft he s eas on i s mos tdefini t el y whenwebeatt her ei gni ngc hampi ons , Mopani e, 3815i nf r ontofan el ec t r i f y i ngOPhomec r owd.I twas t hedefini t i onofwel lex ec ut edand br i l l i antt eam per f or manc e.I twas anhonourandpr i v i l eget oc oac h and manage t hi sf ant as t i cr ugby t eam f ort he 2015 s eas on.Ienj oy ed ev er y pr ac t i c e and ev er y game.Iwoul dl i k et ot hank t he t eam f or t hei rl oy al t y and har d wor kt hr oughoutt hes eas on. I t ’ s bee