The match against Langa Township proved to be far more challenging than we expected it to be- what they lacked in technical ability and organisation, they more than made up for with aggressive rucking and strong running. Coming into half time we were 7-0 up thanks to a converted try from Tom Lambourne, where he dived for the line having received the ball from Ted Cranston, but were also very lucky to have not conceded, with only a try saving tackle on the right wing from Ted Cranston preventing Langa from scoring.
The second half proved to be as tough, as the Langa players once again showed their powerful running and aggressive nature in the contact. Olaves almost conceded early on down the right wing due to a strong break from the back of a scrum by the Langa number 8, but Tom Lambourne made an aggressive tackle which saved the team from conceding again. The half backs seemed to have suddenly remembered their pressure tackling that they picked up from the infamous Mr Lake's school of hard hits. However, a left wing breakaway from the Langa winger allowed them to storm through the olaves defensive line and under the posts. The kick was unconverted leaving the score at 7-5. At the end of the game, olaves turned on the heat as the pressure from Langa massively increased. A great drive into the Langa backline from Mario lambrette caused problems for the hosts, as he then gave a silky one hand offload to sohayl ujoodia who scored in the corner. The final whistle blew leaving the final score at 12-5 to olaves. Special mentions go to the infamous halfback pairing of lambourne and Cranston for their combined try scoring and tackling ability that they seemed to take with them straight from the U15B season. Also, sohayl ujoodias try highlighted the strength of Mario lambrette and sohayl himself. In conclusion, the entire olaves team played incredibly against the aggressive and powerful side of Langa and are looking good with a 2-0 record coming into the last two games of the tour.After the game, both teams met in the dressing room for the exchange of shirts and other items between olaves and the Langa players, which showed that even after an unbelievably physical game, both sides had huge respect for one another, which was represented furthermore by both sides singing local songs. The post-match antics showed to the olaves players that rugby is a sport that can unite everyone, no matter where they are from or what ethnicity they represent, but we are all equally passionate about the sport of rugby. J.Rothwell Saint Olave's match against Langa Development 15 turned out to be a much more challenging game than expected. With Olaves starting strong in the first half, Charlie Stocks scored our opening try from an unnatural fall back position, with an excellent line and dummy pass to split the defence. This was quickly followed by Jordan Adesina's piercing run to power to the try line to put Olaves up 12-0. A great steal from Temi Talabi led to James Tate using his elusive running and pace to burn past the defence and expertly offload to Tom Whichello who set up Jacob Kunert for a flash of brilliance, handing off the fullback and powering to the line. Despite the first 20 minutes being dominated by Olaves, Langa's ferocity at the breakdown proved too much for the pack. This possession for Langa led to a well placed cross field kick opening our defence for a score in the corner.
The second half was less of a success. Langa's unusual free flowing style of play shook the tired Olaves side, however some good tackles from Will Carew, Darshan Varma, Tom Whichello, James Harms and Matt Lane gave us the edge. Olaves were unable to match Langa's physicality, but Colm Dudley, Mario Lambrette and nikhil Patel competed well at the rucks. Lawrence Duffin and Temi Talabi proved to be a threat at the lineouts stealing many balls while Giovanni and tofunmi played a good defensive game out on the wing. We were particularly impressed with Thomas Young's debut which was eagerly anticipated by his family from South Africa including uncle Brett and uncle dave. He performed well in the game, with some great rucking and tackling, making his relatives proud. This led to a Olaves victory of 17 - 12 W. Carew Beginning with an excursion to Table Mountain, we were greeted with inclement weather which blocked our cable car ride up the mountain, but didn't stop the team visiting a local shop and taking advantage of the many selfie oppurtunities the scenery provided. What followed was a trip to an African market serving as an ideal opportunity for gift buying and yet more selfies with the locals and the scenery. Charlie and Gio's evident love for boat trips on rough seas came to light on the seal spotting trip we went on next.
Next up was a trip to the Springbok experience rugby museum in the centre of town which proved an enlightening experience for the whole team not only on the prominence of rugby in South African culture, but also the history of the sport itself originating from English private school. The visit also featured interactive skill games to test the skills and reaction times of players in different positions. I'm happy to report that in a collaborative effort the team managed to achieve a new record for the museum through the healthy Olavian method of cheating. Upon our return to the hotel we took time aside for the presentation of Darshan's cake, who's birthday was commemorated by the standard balloons, candles, and a celebratory rap battle between Chris and Temi. CDT and TY |