4th place FNB Madibaz looking to rebound against UWC after big loss

The FNB Madibaz will look forward as they aim to rebound from a difficult loss to FNB Wits in their fifth-round FNB Varsity Shield rugby match in Gqeberha on Friday.

Captain Eddie Kruger’s side went down 63-8 on a sweltering day that never really saw the hosts at their best.

“It’s tough to sum up our performance against Wits,” he admitted.

“We struggled to stick to our systems and weren’t able to build good moments on top of other good moments.”

Despite glimpses of promise, the match started slipping away when the eventual winners ran in a barrage of tries at the business end of the first stanza.

The FNB Madibaz were never able to come to terms with the sudden deficit, with Kruger admitting afterwards “it really ran away from us”.

“In trying to catch up too quickly we probably moved away from the processes that normally guide our play.”

While the scoreline makes for tough reading, it does not fully reflect the side’s potential.

After all, they themselves ran amok against FNB UKZN (60-32) and FNB UFH (49-11). Their third victory, against FNB WSU (40-32), is also telling in that their Eastern Cape neighbours are one place ahead of them on the log.

The FNB Madibaz are currently fourth, three points behind FNB WSU and three clear of FNB CPUT.

“We know we can be better and will be,” the skipper said. “It’s about learning.”

Converting opportunities after building pressure inside the opposition’s half is one key area in need of fine-tuning.

“We need to be better at finishing the good moments we create. When we enter the opposition half and create those sequences we need to come away with points.”

Their inability to make it count in their opponents’ half last week came down to “the pressure they put on us” throughout, Kruger said.

The best response from the Mandela University team is now to look forward instead of backwards.

“It’s tough but the only way is to see the new possibilities that a new week holds.”

The first comes in the shape of FNB UWC in Cape Town on Friday and Kruger stresses the importance of staying united as they work to bounce back.

“We still consider ourselves the Madibaz family and nothing can take that away from us. It’s in our mentality to show that we are worth more.”

“We can’t sit on our mistakes for too long. The important thing is to take the lessons and move forward.”

By: Jesica Slabbert