Saldanha Tigers Fall Short Against Evergreens Wellington in Super 16 Opener

Evergreens Wellington RFC dominated Saldanha Tigers RFC in the opening fixture of the Regional Challenge Super 16 competition. At the final whistle of the match that took place in Wellington, the score was Evergreen Wellington 22-8 Saldanha Tigers.

Boland Rugby Union has been making tremendous strides in improving the quality of club rugby in the region and with the Top 12 and Super 16 taking the centre stage. There are huge clashes that bring the winning teams from different leagues and divisions up against each other. 

What frustrated me most was that we could not execute our game plan

On Saturday, Saldanha Tigers, who have made history by having both their first and second teams finish top of the log, traveled to Wellington to take on Evergreens Wellington. On a hot day in the heart of Drakenstein, Saldanha Tigers could not find the potent form that brought them victory in the Swart Weskus Regional Challenge. Coach JD Coetzee of Saldanha Tigers conceded to the fact that the team could not execute the game plan. “Overall discipline was good; however, we did receive a yellow card in the second half. What frustrated me most was that we could not execute our game plan and structure.”

Saldanha Tigers, who won 9 out of 10 games in the second round of the Swart Weskus Regional Challenge and secured the league title, looked tired and made handling errors, costing them valuable opportunities on which Evergreens Wellington eventually capitalised. Evergreens Wellington dominated the line-outs, and it was their number 8 who was devastating with the ball in hand. 

The attacking capabilities of Evergreens Wellington through their fly-half and playmaker proved to be too much for Saldanha Tigers, who had 50% of their players experiencing knockout rugby at this level for the first time.

However, the Chairperson of Saldanha Tigers Heinrich Koopman highlights that players Devril Julies, who scored their team’s only try, and inside centre Tiaan van Wyk stood out for their team during the match 

Both teams will feel like a weight has been lifted from their shoulder and now with the ice-breaking fixture out of the way, they will be looking ahead to round two. Evergreens Wellington will be traveling to take on Young Diggers on 18 October 2025, whereas Saldanha Tigers will be hosting Lovedale on the same day, looking to bounce back from the unwanted defeat in Wellington.