Alberton hold their heads high
Despite the heavy defeat, with a final score of 78-15, there are still positives that our local side can take out of the game. The final scoreline was maybe not an indication of the heart shown by Alberton.
A-SQUARE Forklift Alberton Rugby Club suffered a heavy defeat at the hands of Wanderers Rugby Club in a match played on Saturday, June 4, at Wanderers.
The hosts started very well and were clinical in scoring the first of their 12 tries, and managed an early 7-0 lead. The visitors did not lie down though and reaped reward when fly half Renier Wiessener slotted a penalty to cut the lead to 7-3. The hosts could have added a few more points to their tally had their kicker been on target but it was their aggressive play that impressed and laid the foundation for an epic game of rugby.
Even though the Alberton side did turn over a few balls they did not have the territory or possession to really make an impact. They relied on turn over ball to mount counter-attacks for the most part. To their credit, and true to the character of the team, they never gave up on defence although it must be said that the Wanderers attack was for the most part clinical (backline) and brutal (forward charges).
Another positive Alberton can take from this game is the improvement their forwards showed in the scrum. They had the upper hand in this department although they lost a couple of line-out balls. The forwards were also brave in defence and although the collision appeared to be dominated by the home side, they never shied away from the physical impacts. This unfortunately led to a few injuries for the Alberton side including an unfortunate injury to the open side flank Jacques Carelse, who appears to have suffered a broken ankle.
One could have expected that the Alberton team would have faded in the last quarter of the game but in fact the opposite was true.
The visitors were rewarded with two late but well deserved tries by Tyron Steyn and Arno Steyn as well as a conversion by Bennie Botes. It must also be said that the Alberton side played the game in a wonderful spirit and never resorted to negative or spoiling tactics.
They have had a tough season but let us get out there and support our local team. They are putting in a lot of effort and deserve our support.
Alberton will take on Wits University on their home grounds on Saturday, June 11, at 16:00.
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