Fourie elated with determined defence

In the lead up to the match, coach Hawies Fourie placed massive emphasis on improving his side's defensive work rate and was overjoyed at the outcome of the encounter.

"I am really satisfied not only with the result but the manner in which we played. We placed a lot of importance on improving our defensive system and to be able to keep a team like CUT scoreless for the entire match just shows that the message has been taken on board by the players.

"There were times when we let ourselves down with too many handling errors and, at times, we made crucial decision making errors but I think that the windy conditions contributed to that, so I am not too concerned with our error count at this stage. It was by no means the perfect game though, and we will go back to the drawing board to improve on the performance.

"However, to walk away with five tries, a bonus point victory and keeping the opposition scoreless is a great foundation. Now it's all about building on the solid start," Fourie told rugby365.com.

Fourie was equally impressed with the foundation his pack of forwards set, which ultimately led to the halfbacks being able to control the tempo of the game.

"Our pack set a good platform for us and that has always been a feature of Maties rugby – a strong pack of forwards. Their work rate allowed the scrumhalf and flyhalf to dictate the pace of the game and that was pleasing to see.

"Since we got going in the pre-season, all I have asked was for the players to show commitment and maintain a positive attitude and that came out on the field with the performance they put in," he added.

Preliminary findings show that the Maties players came through the game unscathed, however, confirmation of injuries – if any – will be known at a later stage.

By Tauriq Ebrahim