The u16A team have been through quite a learning curve this past week, and I have seen them become both better rugby players and people during this time.

Preparations for the St Johns game went well, having a late afternoon session on Wednesday to polish ourselves off for the game the next day. The team were hugely excited even though we had no idea of what to expect from the Johannesburg boys.

The game started well for us, playing into a stiff wind which forced us to run everything. This tactic paid off when we scored through Richard Rodgers in the corner, after a quick tap penalty outside St Johns 22m. St Johns reply was to run everything in return, including taking quick tap penalties even with the wind, which played in our favour as our brilliant tackling kept taking them backwards, forcing them onto the back foot. This was to be the hallmark of the game as St Johns never got any go forward ball, enabling us to force a number of turnovers.

Our second try came through a brilliant run from our hooker, Struan Murray who used his feet nicely to create space and offload to Devon Barnard in support. This took us into the break 10 – 0 up.

With our tails up and with the wind at our backs, it was one way traffic in the second half.

Our next try was executed to perfection from a lineout, where Richard Rodgers ran the perfect angle to slip in between two defenders and score under the poles. This try demonstrated just how good this team can be when they execute the game plan properly.

Our other tries were scored by Shane Fourie, Struan Murray and Jason Labuschagne who scored two after some very good runs.

Although the final score read 39 – 0, we squandered 5 or 6 scoring opportunities and were not clinical, at times resembling a touch team. We would have to be far more clinical and purposeful in our attack if we were to have a strong chance of beating Grey on the Saturday.

A few players stood out nicely during the match, but the standout performer had to be Jono Field for his abrasive display of tackling, smashing all who came his way, forcing St Johns onto the back foot.

And so ended the first game of the Wynberg festival, our next port of call was the RPC out in Riebeeck Wes, the home of Alan Zondagh and his academy boys.

Very soon after we arrived the boys went into ice baths and a pool recovery session to ease their bodies after a physical match, this was to ensure the boys were as fresh as possible for the game on Saturday.

The main aim of the camp was to build team bonds, strengthen the existing relationships between the boys and to define who and what the team were all about this year. A strong focus was on developing an understanding about the ethos a team and an individual need in order to become truly successful. These ideals were promoted not only on the rugby field but in the classroom and in general life, this type of realisation for the boys will stand them in good stead this year and for many years to come.

We could not practice very much in order to allow the boys’ sore bodies to recover, but the sessions we did get through, were good for the team and helped develop an understanding about our systems and requirements of individuals in certain passages of play.

The boys left camp on the Saturday morning truly focussed and extremely excited at the challenge that lay ahead, there was not a feeling of doubt or fear, just one of calm confidence, the like of which I have not experienced with this team before. The bus trip was extremely quiet, a whole hour and a half we hardly heard the boys, a pleasant surprise from a normally noisy bunch!

And so we came to the game we had been waiting for, the game that would test us as a team, expose our weaknesses and highlight our strengths, both mentally and physically.

We started the game under immense pressure, with Grey hammering at our line for a good 5mins, before we shut them out completely after a hard won penalty. We tackled extremely well in this passage of play and it was apparent immediately that this game was going to be close.

Our defence and tackling shut Grey’s attacking momentum down very well, however a simple defensive error enabled Grey to score under the poles to put them up 7 – nil.

When we had the ball in hand we looked very good and dangerous, moving forward with ease, however silly lapses in concentration ensured we never converted our opportunities in Grey’s half.

Two missed penalty kicks ensured we went into the half 7 nil down.

We started the half in better shape, but again our lapses in concentration at crucial periods forced us onto the back foot. We lost a number of potential try scoring opportunities, but individual errors ensured we either lost the ball in contact or gave away unnecessary penalties.

We did hit back with a try by Joel McQueen who scored after a well executed quick tap penalty. Zubair converted to make it 7 all with 15mins remaining. Now it was anybodies game.

After a physical period of play, Grey slipped through our line after a defensive error in midfield, where they played a few phases to score in the corner after rounding our tight head prop. The conversion was missed to make it 7 – 12 with 10mins remaining.

Here I feel this team lacked big match temperament, as they had never been in a situation where they could have gone on to win had they kept their cool. This team has come on massively in the last year and a bit, however they are still finding their feet playing on even terms with the better sides, where normally they are used to being trodden on and considered an honourable defeat a minor victory.

That will take time, and the different set of belief they now need will have to be learnt quickly otherwise these close games will stay close losses. This I feel is the biggest learning curve we will take out of this match, and ensure we never allow the opposition to control us in the dying minutes as Grey did on Saturday.

As such we lost our composure and played the wrong type of game, where a controlled and patient approach was needed. We tried to rush ourselves and consequently lost the ball with 5mins to go in Grey’s 22m. This enabled Grey to set up in our 22m, and after a scrum scored to seal the match 17 to 7. A sterling performance by Ben Wells at the back must be commended as he really was a constant running threat during counter attack. A few other standout performances include Jono, his all round play was exemplary, while Michael Colclough has revolutionised our lineout ensuring the backs receive top quality ball at all times.

So in all a massively disappointing end to such a fantastic build-up, but none the less this team has grown and will bounce back even better. I don’t think the team really believed they could win it, but the disappointment on the boys faces at the end show just how far they have come, whereas a year ago winning a match of this magnitude would never have even been dreamed of. As I said winning these close games requires a different mindset and an exceptional execution of the basics, otherwise this team will experience more of these situations where, what should have been a victory turns into a close disappointment, which is no longer acceptable for a team of this calibre.