FNB Ikey Tigers ready for cup action
The FNB Ikey Tigers are all geared up to take on Kuilsriver in their first fixture of the 2016 President’s Cup. Despite pulling off a convincing 51-22 win the last time the two teams met, a very different team will take the field on Wednesday as the players who have played the most games this season are given a chance to rest ahead of the team’s pre-season training.
“We’re resting a lot of players, so this game and competition will give us the opportunity to look at some of the players that have been on the fringe this season,” explained head physio Mike van Rheede.
“We’re also going to have some u20 guys in there, so this is really a prime time for them because they won’t be able to play for the young guns side next season,” van Rheede added.
“We’ll also bring in some already established names who have missed out on parts of the season because of injury, so we should have a good mix with the fringe players, established players and the younger guys coming into the side,” said van Rheede.
It was noted that despite their last two results being disappointing, the team was beginning to once again play the style of rugby that they are so well known for. “We’re optimistic for tomorrow’s game because we’re getting back to playing that exciting running rugby that people know us for. There is a bit more risk involved in playing this way, but there is also a lot more reward,” van Rheede said.
Van Rheede and his associates will be hoping that the younger players, such as Jack Waters, Nick Scott and Kyle Boman, can announce themselves and show some of that quality that saw the u20 FNB Ikey Tigers team go undefeated for their entire domestic season.
The FNB Ikey Tigers are set to take on Kuilsriver at Groote Schuur A on Wednesday, the 7th of September at 20:30 (TBC).
