Bishops Platinum Blue 2018 full mag crop

3rd XV (Stripes)
By Justin Rowe-Roberts
WHAT AN INCREDIBLE JOURNEY the last few
months have been. From an absolute bunch of
strangers, to a tight, cohesive family like structure,
where everyone’s interests were put aside for the team.
The year started off in celebratory fashion with a
thumping win over a below-par Tygerberg outfit. This
victory gave us a false sense of security and the
following week we were humbled on our own turf by a
quality SACS outfit. That thumping defeat, one of the
darkest days of my coaching career, was the
cornerstone of our successes that were to follow.
The training week to follow will never be forgotten
and the harshness of training experienced that week
could only be compared to that of the infamous “Kamp
Staaldraad”. That character-building infused week of
training led to a winning streak that included stunning
victories over Paul Roos, Boland Landbou and
Wynberg. With the core of our squad either injured or
with the 2nd XV, the first Rondebosch derby was always
going to be an uphill battle, one in which we got pipped
in the final seconds by a team that, quite frankly,
wanted it more.
Back to the drawing board we went and the third
term produced some great rugby from “the stripes”.
First, we swept aside an English touring side before
putting in a great effort away at Paarl Gym, where the
scoreline did not fairly reflect the game. The SACS away
fixture was arguably our biggest of the season, as I
wanted to see how much we had progressed as a
team. After dominating the match, we narrowly went
down in the final minutes. Although we didn’t win the
match, I felt we won the hearts.
Good Karma was to follow with two closely fought
derby wins over Wynberg and Rondebosch, making me
feel privileged to have coached this team. We won
games and we celebrated those wins accordingly. We
lost games and learned lessons from those defeats.
Results are important, but there is so much more to
the game of rugby. The friendships and memories
made will last a lifetime and that is far more valuable
than any result we had this season.
I would like to thank Luke Kuhn, Cameron Doyle and
Eddy Bester for being part of the coaching staff and for
their time and effort they put aside for the team. I also
want to thank our captain, Terrance Petterson (TP), for
leading the boys every week with such pride and
passion, a true leader whose commitment to the team
was undeniable.
Below: Reuben Mndende
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