Victory just out of Owls’ grasp
Nothing more than pride was at stake as the Boksburg Rugby Club travelled to face North-West University and came back with a narrow 24-21 defeat in the 2017 Valke Peregrine League ultimate round of the round-robin phase.
One of the league’s standout scrumhalves this season, Johan Labuschagne, wing Attie van der Nest and blockbusting inside midfielder Jacques Bouma scored the five-pointers for the Owls on Saturday, July 22.
Fullback PJ Beaukes, who reassumed the kicking duties in the absence of fly-half Ashley Buchler in recent weeks due to the No. 10’s injury lay-off, added the extras from the boot.
It’s an unfortunate contrasting end to the campaign for the Owls faithful, however, whose fifth-place finish on the log looked highly unlikely at the beginning of the campaign.
A combination of new faces and a confident management headed by club chairman Danie Matthee breathed new life.
This none more so than in the Owls’ opening game of the season at their Prince George Park home, where a last-gasp Reitz Lewis try to sink defending champion and overwhelming favourites Brakpan sparked wild celebrations.
Matthee predicted that this would be the season where the club would make a serious push for the knockout-phase. He also warned that rugby lovers watch the space with one of the new recruitments in outside centre, David Woolls.
The chairman has been proven partially correct with his first prediction and he was spot-on with his second.
Woolls has led his side’s try-scoring, nipping 13 of the team’s total of 40, and has simply been nothing less than scintillating. The team has been exciting to watch and were very promising, especially at the beginning of the season.
But an unfortunate turn of events, some self-inflicted on the pitch, have proven to be the difference between the chairman being completely and partially correct.
Owls captain Danie Schultz weighed in on his team’s season.
“I think we had a good season with a bunch of new players. We could’ve done better with less mistakes made,” said the flanker.
“Thanks to the team for sticking it out through some rough times. It’s been a good season. We’ve made new friends and have become brothers.”
q Captain apologises to fans
The skipper also gave a heartfelt apology in acknowledgement to the club’s supporters.
“Thanks to the fans for coming out every Saturday, home and away, to support us. We’re very sorry for not making it to the semi-finals, we’d still like your support next year.”
Boksburg: 1 Travis Howell, 2 Juan Brummer, 3 Alwyn Russouw, 4 Willem Botes, 5 Gary Woolls, 6 Danie Schultz (captain), 7 Kyle Lewis, 8 Francois Malherbe; 9 Johan Labuschagne, 10 De Wet Botha, 11 Attie van der Nest, 12 Jacques Bouma, 13 Ruben Carelse, 14 Jonas Elias, 15 PJ Beaukes. Replacements: 16 Jamie Oupa Evans, 17 Theunis Breedt, 18 Alex Thorpe, 19 Juan van der Merwe, 20 Dendre Strydom, 21 Wiehann Kemp, 22 Dean Basson – @SabeloBoksburg
