Bester cracks the whip over Ixias
The Bloemfontein-based students conceded an incredible 396 points in their seven matches while only managing to score 63, with Bester believing the poor performance came down to the players not holding their end of the bargain – in terms of their academics.
"We have learnt a lot from last year's performances but it has mostly been off the field. We feel as though we needed to stand behind them with a ruler or something and hit them on their head once in a while to remind them of the importance of their academics.
"I feel that having those off-field issues contributed to us fielding teams which were not competitive enough for this level. This time around, we have ensured that the players we need achieve their academic goals to enable them to participate in the competition.
"We are happy now with where we are at. I think we will be a lot more competitive in the set-pieces and if you are competitive in those facets, the rest of the game becomes easier. We have an experienced team and will be better in the basics of the game," Bester told rugby365.com.
The demands of the players may have been a bit too much for them to handle during the past season but Bester believes that is a thing of the past as they have been able to assist the players with managing their time, which haws contributed to a rejuvenated spirit in the camp.
"We are very nervous [about the upcoming season] but the thing that we feel we are way ahead of, is our spirit. If games were won on spirit on alone, then I think we have already won a game or two. Last year [2015] was not easy on the players because they had to deal with playing Varsity Cup, then doing provincial duty and maintaining their academics.
"Our players have certainly gotten over last year's disappointment and it serves more as a motivation than something that weighs us down because everyone knows they can do a lot better," he added.
The Ixias gets their campaign underway on Monday, February 8 with a trip to Stellenbosch to face Maties at the Danie Craven Stadium.
"It's an exciting prospect playing Maties at the Danie Craven. It is sort of intimidating and will be a new experience for most of the players but you have to just go out there and play to a high standard in each of the seven matches," Bester stated.
By Tauriq Ebrahim
