Weston goes west to the North-West

Weston’s first team squad and U16 team attended a rugby clinic in Potchefstroom in the North-West province.
On the evening before their “trek” north the two teams met at the school for a braai and some essential bonding before they set off at 5am the next morning. After a seven hour trip they arrived at their destination and played touch rugby to loosen up after the long bus trip.
The clinic provided invaluable training for the rugby season ahead.
They experienced warm-up and conditioning sessions, and a lecture on defence. Among other approaches to improve their game, the backs were split from the pack of forwards for different sessions like vision, footwork, mauling, lineouts, scrums, skills, handling, decision making 2 on 1 situations and speed.
They also played two matches; one at the beginning of their stay and one on the last morning of the event.
The first game was against Linden Hoërskool, which was an enormous challenge to the Weston team; their opposition achieved five tries to their one in the first half, with Thabo Ntombela scoring a sneaky well-deserved try for the Bulletjies (the Weston team), unfortunately, their opposition outplayed them and they experienced an unpleasant defeat; the score was 42-5.
They fared better in their second match against Hoër Tegnieseskool Potchefstroom.
Though the Captain Michael Bauer felt that the team’s errors prevented them from winning by a big score, there were some memorable moments of play.
They were 3-0 down at half-time, coming back in the second half scoring an early try going down the hands to the wing Henry Strydom scoring in the corner finishing off a well-deserved try, the conversion was unsuccessful. Michael Bauer added three points after getting a penalty kick 45m out to make it a 8-3 win.
The teams also felt that in addition in improving their rugby techniques there was a marked improvement in their spoken Afrikaans.
The players were accompanied by the first team coach Mr Africa Msimang and U16 coach Mr Pierre Janse van Rensburg, they are both on Weston’s teaching staff.
First Match of the Season
The Bulletjies or 1st team played their first match of the season against Eshowe High School. It was a home match. At half time after some intense play by Eshowe the score was 9-7 in their favour.
Within minutes of play commencing in the second half Eshowe scored two quick unanswered tries taking the score to 19-9.
Weston then played some determined rugby; with a penalty 25m out and again they went for the posts kicking it over making it 19-12, when Bheka Nembula got the ball 5m out and crashed over to score Westons only try, Michael Bauer converted the try and levelled the score 19-19.
With six minutes of play left Eshowe once again broke through Weston’s defence scoring the deciding try and the visitors won 26 -19 against the Bulletjies.
A last minute defeat but it also portrayed the team’s determination.