SK Walmer still in search of first win
Five games into the new Super League A season, SK Walmer are still in search of their first win after going down 33-3 to top of the log Union-Milnerton (Uni-Mil) at the weekend.
Coach, Ashieq Wise, admits the start of this campaign after two years of no club rugby has not been ideal and dealing with injuries week in, week out is not helping the cause.
The weekend’s game was always going to be a tough one for the Bo-Kaap outfit as the inform Uni-Mil has proven to be one tough side to crack this season, with notable wins against the likes of Maties during their run.
Their inability to keep the ball through multiple phases during the attack has also been another factor that has seen them unable to pose that much of a threat to their opposition.
Despite results not going their way, Wise feels it is not yet the time to throw in the towel as he sees lots of positives in his players.
“We just have to keep attending to our care for the ball on our attack, and look to test the opposition at various stages of our attack. If we can hold onto the ball and play in the right areas, we will turn things around.
“Our defence will be a constant to work on as different teams pose different threats. We just have to keep the guys positive and working in the system and we will succeed,” he said.
The season still has a long way to go with plenty of opportunities for the Walmer players to make a comeback.
But with other teams collecting points on a weekly basis, the going is surely not going to get any easier for them.
Walmer had a late start compared to the rest of the teams and will now have to play catch up. But Wise says they cannot put the blame on their late start as had wins been coming their way, one would have been able to say the late start worked to their advantage.
“The goal has changed quite a bit for us, considering our log position. So for now in the short term it is to pick up more points but more importantly to get our attack and defence functioning better off our set piece,” he said.
“Our defensive system is starting to come through alot more. Guys are starting to understand what we are trying to achieve with it.
“We are a lot more settled on some of our playing combinations. Guys are feeling a lot more comfortable in their roles within the team,” added Wise.
Despite the latest loss to Uni-Mil, Wise was particularly impressed by the new additions to his side whom he says are gelling well with the rest of the squad and will represent the club well in their future fixtures as they look to move from the foot of the table.
“While it may not have been a successful outing for us as a club, the guys worked really hard. I can't fault them for their effort.
“We have quite a bit of rugby still to come and I am sure we are only going to get better as we focus on practice.”
