Bears and Mustangs meet in Germiston derby in opening match of Rhino Cup League

The chilly weather did little to dampen the spirits of Germiston’s Bears Rugby League Club and Mustangs Rugby League Club.

The two clubs met in a Germiston derby, at the Elspark Sports Complex, in the Rhino Cup League, which kicked off last Saturday.

The Bears knew the match would be a tough and physical one, after the success of the Mustangs’ first season last year and due to the history between the two teams.

The Bears also needed to iron out some bumps within their own team going into the new season as they fielded a new team with four debutants and had several players out with injuries.

The new players were Jhaun Meyer, Eben Barnard, Louki Koekemoer and Hamilton Casselman.

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Despite all this the match offered hard-hitting action from the first to the final whistle, with the Bears coming out on top and winning the match 42-16.

The game started with a powerful kick from the Bears which the Mustangs received, ploughing forward and making several yards, due to some silly mistakes from the Bears’ defence.

“Our new players are still finding their feet and getting used to the fast pace of rugby league, having come fresh from rugby union,” explained Bears’ chairperson Andries van der Merwe.

“But as the team settled into the match it became clear that this team is a strong contender for the league trophy.”

Despite the opening pressure from the Mustangs, it was the Bears who put the first points on the scoreboard, after fly-half Ronald Verhoog passed the ball to van der Merwe who was able to beat off three defenders to reach the try-line.

The Mustangs continued to defend but were unable to stop the onslaught from the Bears.

The Bears’ tries were scored by van der Merwe, Ronald Verhoog, Ronald Botes, Roedolf Erasmus, Manie Smith and Dawid Prinsloo with conversions from Erasmus, Botes and Francios du Toit.

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“The new players quickly got the hang of the game and put in brilliant performances.

“I am proud of the team but admit there is a lot of work to be done if we hope to regain the top spot in the league,” said Bears’ coach Steven van Zyl.

Monique Nothnagel, chairperson for the Mustangs, said, “We don’t have much to say about the match.

“We welcome the experience and will work on a number of problem areas heading into our next game.”

Both clubs were grateful for to their supporters who braved the cold to cheer on their teams.

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Contact the newsroom by emailing: Melissa Hart (Editor) germistoncitynews@caxton.co.za or Leigh Hodgson (News Editor) leighh@caxton.co.za or Kgotsofalang Mashilo (journalist) kgotsofalangm@caxton.co.za

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