WBHS_School_Magazine_1966 LR 01

The 1966 season has been a pleasant and successful
one, seventeen teams having been entered
in the inter-school competition while other teams,
notably the Under 190, the Under 14D, the
Junior First XV, the Under 11 and the Under 10
played a few specially arranged matches.
Including the group of very young juniors,
some 460 boys were catered for during the year.
The best teams of the year were the Under 15A,
the Under t3A and the Under 12A.
The Under 15A team produced an excellent
brand of rugby and scored 182 points, while only
34 were scored against them. An excellent, closeknitting
pack of forwards provided a solid platform
from which the bacldjne attacked strongly
on all available opportunities. This team should
in future provide excellent material for a strong
first team.
Only two matches were lost during the season;
these were against R.B.H.S. and against S.A.C.S.,
but in a return match S.A.C.S. were beaten by 6
points to O. The Under 15A record for the sea-
!:on is 13 matches played, 9 won, 2 lost, 2 drawn,
182 points for and 34 against. Mr. Lennox, a
coach whose teams for some years have been
among the best in their age group, is to be
thanked for and congratulated on the excellent
coaching of a team that played such attractive
rugby this year.
The Under 13A too had a very fine record. Of
the 14 matches played they won 11, drew 2 and
lost only I. They scored a total of 233 points and
had 72 scored against them. The forwards played
well as a pack but it was the fast backline that
often caught the eye. A feature of this team was
that on several occasions, with the final wbistle
only minutes away, they found themselves trailing
by 2 or 3 points. Against Paarl BH, O. F. Malan
and Worce. ter, for example, much to the relief
and joy of parents and other supporters, tries were
scored seconds before the final whistle was due.
Exciting moments such as these have made this
season one to be remembered with pride and
pleasure by spectator and player. Congratulations
go to the team and their coach, Mr. Fair, for the
good rugby and wonderful spirit engendered.
The Under 12A team, too, bad a very good
season. Of the 13 matches pLayed 8 were won, 3
were drawn and 2 were lost. 77 points were
scored by tbe team and 27 points were scored
against it.
The speed with which the forwards, often
lighter than their opponents, got into tlie loose
scrums could be held up as an example to many
a more senior player. The knowledge and skill of
this team have done mucb to enhance tbe high
standard of Wynberg Under 12 rugby. This
standard redounds greatly to the credit of tbe
coach, Mr. Pretorius. We wish Mr. Pretorius a
happy and successful year while he is away on
study leave during 1967.
On paper, at the beginning of the season, this
year's School Team did not hold out much prospect
of developing into a combination of any
merit, and this was amply borne out by a very
weak series of performances during the first balf
of the season. Many players were completely inconsistent
in their form, and team-building presented
an almost insoLvabLe problem. One main
difficulty was that many players who were technically
gifted were unable to stand up to the rigours
of Under 19A rugby, and tbe other that too many
team members were not prepared to make the
sacrifices necessary to attain the requisite standard
of fitness to be capable of achieving tbe standard
of play expected of a Wynberg First Fifteen in
the top-line Under 19A competition.
Gradually, however, Mr. Oosthuizen, supported
by a keen, fit nucleus headed by Probyn and
Deane, managed to build up a workmanlike side
during tbe latter part of tbe second balf of the
season. This is a pleasing end to the story, but
it is an arrant waste of the services of tbe best
coach in Under 19A scbool rugby to present Mr.
Oosthuizen with the Jatter problem for tbe major
part of the season.
B. Probyn and M. Deane, captain and vicecaptain
respectively, played a large part in tbe
ultimate success of the team. Both by their
example and their unselfish and un tiring efforts
they assisted in building a team whicb ended the
season triumphantly. Its two best performances
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