WSU vow to pull out all stops

Walter Sisulu University All Blacks will go into their second Varsity Shield competition as the underdogs when they host Nelson Mandela University Madibaz at the BCM Stadium on Thursday.

The All Blacks were the runnersup in the Varsity Shield competition last year, after losing 55-10 to the University of the Western Cape in the finals held at UWC Sports Stadium in Bellville.

But All Blacks team manager Akhona Mgijima remains adamant that his side will improve from that position and take the top honours this year.

“We last played Madibaz in 2012 in the Intervarsity Games, and they gave us a smashing 50 points.

“That’s why we’re respecting their team and think they’ll come out all guns blazing on matchday.

“Obviously they are the favourites, so we are waiting for a team that is experienced,” said Mgijima.

“They are a team with resources and everything, but we will put a fight and hungrier course.

“We are underdogs because they’ve achieved a lot more than we have as a team at top level, but we’ll go out there and take the game to them.”

The All Blacks commenced with their preparations for NMU on Wednesday, coming out of a gruelling encounter where they outplayed Fort Hare Blues 36-22 in a toe-to-toe affair at Davidson Stadium in Alice.

“We’re prepared for the first game which was Fort Hare, and we didn’t have time to prepare for NMU, because the guys were resting on Tuesday after a tough game down at Fort Hare.

“So we just ran them through their paces. So we are taking each game as it comes, because there’s not really much time, but we are ready for NMU.

“And we have prepared the team for anything that comes our way. Hence we feeling confident.

“So Madibaz will have to adjust to our brand of rugby and style of it will depend on whose and better prepared, of play because we have been focusing on ourselves – how best we can showcase the talents we have, etc,” he said.

Mgijima said although they were a team that lacked resources such as psychologists, “the boys know what the team ambition is for each new season”.

“We have sat in a number of meetings where management has shared the goals for the season with the players, so they know what we want.

“Besides winning that trophy our goal for each season is to always improve from the previous season.

“And each year brings new players to the team. For instance [hooker] Maliviwe Simanga and many others have left because of age.

“But we still have a good side, because when we prepare for a season we prepare a squad and not individuals. So that when individuals leave the core is still there.

“And I think we have equally capable players in the team, like Simanga, and I think that we are ready for NMU.”