Maties 7s USSA champs again : 2015-12-02
The Steinhoff Maties Sevens rugby team won the 2015 USSA tournament for the third time since 2010 to end the year on a high.
Maties beat Kovsies in the final in George after they beat UJ in the semifinal. “Every tournament where Maties play is a tournament we want to win,” said coach Ian Campbell Mc Geachy.
“Initially you are just so relieved that the team won the tournament and then later you feel the happiness. It was very important for us to win the USSA tournament especially after we didn’t do that great in the Varsity series. It was not a true reflection of how hard we had worked. It is necessary to win tournaments if we want to make the Sevens program at Maties work. ”
According to Campbell Mc Geachy the team did not play to its full potential on day one, but on day two it was a different story. “We played good rugby against strong competition. In the playoffs it is always necessary to do your best, because no matter who your opponent is, anything can happen. There were fewer teams this year, but the level of competition was high on the second day.”
Maties’ Braam Venter was named Player of the Tournament. “We won the tournament with a team effort, but Braam deserves special mention. He scored a hat trick in the semifinal and final. He undoubtedly deserves recognition as player of the tournament.”
Maties 7s weer USSA-kampioene
Die Steinhoff Maties Sewes-rugbyspan het die 2015 USSA-toernooi vir die derde keer sedert 2010 gewen om so die jaar op ‘n hoogtepunt af te sluit.
Maties het Kovsies in die eindstryd in George geklop nadat hulle met UJ in die halfeindstryd afgereken het. “Elke toernooi waarin Maties speel, is ‘n toernooi wat ons wil wen,” het afrigter Ian Campbell-Mc Geachy vertel.
“Aanvanklik is mens net so verlig dat die span die toernooi gewen het en later word jy bly. Dit was vir ons baie belangrik om die USSA-toernooi te wen veral nadat ons nie so goed gedoen het in die Varsity-reeks nie. Dit was nie ‘n ware weerspieeling van hoe hard ons gewerk het nie. Dit is nodig om toernooie te wen as ons die Sewes-program by Maties wil maak werk.”
Volgens Campbell-Mc Geachy het die span nie volgens sy volle potensiaal op dag een gespeel nie, maar op dag twee was dit ‘n ander storie. “Ons het goeie sewesrugby gespeel teen sterk kompetisie. In die uitkloprondtes is dit altyd nodig om jou beste te lewer, want maak nie saak wie jou teenstander is nie, enige iets kan gebeur. Daar was vanjaar minder spanne, maar die vlak van kompetisie en spel was hoog op die tweede dag.”
Maties se Braam Venter is as die Speler van die Toernooi aangewys. “Ons het die toernooi met ‘n spanpoging gewen, maar Braam verdien spesiale vermelding. Hy het ‘n driekuns in die halfeindstryd en eindstryd behaal. Hy het sonder enige twyfel die erkenning as speler van die toernooi verdien.”