Maart says ERU wanted to play
Coach says even if there was no lockdown, the team would have been ready for the first match
With club rugby likely to be cancelled this season, one could be excused to think that for some players the lockdown is a blessing in disguise.
One of the clubs that come to mind is two-time Valke Peregrine League finalists East Rand United, whose rebuilding process will be aided by the extra time received by the enforced lockdown.
United lost all but a few of their first team stars during the off-season following the departure of the clubs then main sponsor Phakisa Holdings. The news triggered a mass exodus at the Reiger Park outfit’s locker room, forcing the club to begin a rebuilding process.
However, United’s senior team head coach Alvandre Maart believes that the lockdown was not good for his team.
“Playing this season would have helped us a lot to get our structures in place,” explained the mentor. “Even if there was no lockdown, the team would have been ready for the first match; it’s the reason why we have a bunch of players that believe in the culture and the structures of the club.
“Just for the record, we played Wits three weeks after the Raiders game and we lost 36-25, so there was a lot of improvement in our set plays. Rebuilding must not be an excuse for us. The players and the culture is there so it’s up to me and my coaching staff to make things happen.”
United played both the Raiders and Wits earlier this year as part of their pre-season preparations.
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