Warriors show their class...

Saturday 15th September

By Matt Aristizabal 

The Warriors’ season kicked off with a trip to Weybridge Vandals, and with the national side’s victory the night before fresh in their minds the exiles dominated the game from the start. An injury to prop Aldo du Plessis sustained in the warm up forced him off after only a few minutes when LSA were 3-0 down thanks to a penalty, but a try was scored almost immediately as Vaughan Gilson surprised the Vandals’ defence with a quickly taken penalty after some good pressure on the left. Six minutes later Gilson put Nick Osman over to make it 10-3, and the Warriors began to take control of the game. After their best period of pressure the Vandals doubled their points with a penalty, but LSA refused to allow them to get back into it and kept the pressure on which paid off as the half was drawing to a close. On 39 minutes the Warriors won a scrum against the head and spread the ball right for Louis Van Zyl to score, with Johan Alberts converting. The resulting kick off failed to go ten and LSA chose to scrum, from which Gilson broke down the blind side and put Malcom Mirfin in to score which Alberts again converted, allowing them to go in to the break at 24-6.

The second half started slowly, but the Warriors’ style of attacking with the ball regardless of field position was too good and after winning a Vandals line out, Osman broke the line through the centre and good support play allowed Alberts to score which he converted it himself to make it 31-6. The heat appeared to take its toll as the game didn’t really settle, but even when Tiaan Visser went off injured the Warriors always looked likely to score and Mirfin went over for his second for Van Zyl to convert as LSA stretched their lead further. Gilson provided symmetry to the score sheet by going over with the last action of the game after a penalty near the Vandals line as the game finished 43-6.

“The result was fantastic for us today, first match of the league to not concede a try and run in seven of our own was fantastic- there are times in the games when we are on another level” said Bob Crooks after the game, “We had seven debutants today, the way we play our game is very unique and and it takes a while but they have bedded in very well. To not play to our full potential and win the way we did proves how successful we are likely to be this season if we keep our foot to the pedal.” In the opening game of the season the Wines of SA man-of-the-match was shared by full back Mirfin and scrum half Gilson, not just for their pairs but for their all round contribution to what will surely be a benchmark game for the rest of the season.