BUCS Super Rugby Debut

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

Alright lads, bit of a weird one but I'm making my BUCS Super Rugby debut today for Swansea against Cardiff Met. It's being streamed on Youtube here:



Kick Off at 6:30, feel free to give it a watch. I'm the LHP reserve (Shirt 17) so keep an eye out for me and watch me attempt to survive. Try not to be too harsh, I'm the youngest in the 23 and it is my debut after all.

Cheers

 

[Not Mike Brown's Sock]

Congrats lad, good luck!

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

Congrats lad, good luck!

Cheers bud

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Good luck bro, serious achievement!

 

[big ginger 8]

Congrats man! Maybe getting you mixed up but thought you were usually a backrower?

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

Good luck bro, serious achievement!

Thanks Alpha

Congrats man! Maybe getting you mixed up but thought you were usually a backrower?

I was up until county trials last season when the coaches told me that although I could play 8 for them if I had my heart set on it, going on to higher levels I didn't really have the height for 6/8 (I'm 6ft nothing) but that I had the strength for prop. So since then I've focused on front row.

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

Good work Toby. Good luck and congrats on seeing the front row light!

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Pretty sure @Thingimubob is a big Swansea Uni fan, so make sure you do him proud

 

[big ginger 8]

Thanks Alpha

I was up until county trials last season when the coaches told me that although I could play 8 for them if I had my heart set on it, going on to higher levels I didn't really have the height for 6/8 (I'm 6ft nothing) but that I had the strength for prop. So since then I've focused on front row.

Ah right, best of luck with the transition. Seems to have worked out for a number of people.

 

[Leinster Fan]

Amazing achievement, congrats!

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Yeh the move from back row to Prop is a common one.
Genge, Cole, Sheridan of the top of my head.

Best of luck.

 

[Every Time Ref]

**** you for being a better rugby player than me.

Lol jk, good luck and enjoy it. The only real reason to play sport is the love of the game, don't forget that.

Edit: Didn't there used to be a "How did you get on this weekend" thread for those of us that play local league or uni rugby? Might be nice to resurrect that

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Cardiff Met are the dumb ones right? (Compared to Cardiff Uni)

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Commentary bigging up the Swansea replacement front row

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Watching this reminds me how much I hated midweek winter away games

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

Well... that was embarrassing.

Thanks a lot for the kind words everyone, meant a lot. But ultimately I'm pretty gutted with how I played. Was completely out muscled in the scrums and slipped off a tackle that led to a try (not that it made a great deal of difference in the end). Gus (Head Coach) showed a lot of faith in me t bring me on at the half and I definitely didn't do anything to show that I deserved that faith. Oh well, onwards and upwards. I know my work ons and will be spending a lot of time in the gym building up my squat strength.

To anyone who watched, please feel free to send any criticism (hopefully constructive) either in here or privately.

 

[pagliaccio_euforico]

Well... that was embarrassing.

Thanks a lot for the kind words everyone, meant a lot. But ultimately I'm pretty gutted with how I played. Was completely out muscled in the scrums and slipped off a tackle that led to a try (not that it made a great deal of difference in the end). Gus (Head Coach) showed a lot of faith in me t bring me on at the half and I definitely didn't do anything to show that I deserved that faith. Oh well, onwards and upwards. I know my work ons and will be spending a lot of time in the gym building up my squat strength.

To anyone who watched, please feel free to send any criticism (hopefully constructive) either in here or privately.

you're being super harsh on yourself. Which is both a positive and a negative. I used to get super bummed if I felt I didn't ref a perfect game. It pushed me to work on things and watch more rugby but it made me super unhappy and me not want to go on the field.*

focus on two or three things you felt you did well. Even if you have to hunt for two or three things be super proud. Maybe it's a clean out or a line out lift. I don't know much about forward play (especially front row) so I wouldn't know all places to look.

you mentioned you were the youngest on your team and I believe this is your first year of uni. I thought the scrums were okay with you in there. You were up against a big boi who probably had a couple years of rugby and more than a couple of years experience in the front row. You will get a long stronger between 18-22.

keep your head up, remember it's a game. And make sure you enjoy what you are doing. You've worked your ass off to be in this situation and being a student/ high level amateur athlete is something to be enjoyed.
* ended up going to play for my school (I'm in law school so I'm playing against guys a couple years younger than me and it was a pretty social atmosphere) to get a rest from serious rugby. Ended up hurting myself and realized quickly I preferred reffing good rugby to playing bad rugby. anyway, just keep your head up

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

Didn't see it Toby, but don't be too downhearted.

Strength matters, but there's a lot more to scrummaging than that. You're young, brand new to the position and you'll start learning the tricks of the trade soon enough. And remember that there is no prop alive who hasn't taken a few right royal stuffings on the way. You'll learn from tonight and be better for it.

 

[Leinster Fan]

Wasn't able to watch it, but even so you're being too hard on yourself. It's a step up on what you've played before and as you said, you're the youngest there. It's always going to be tough at the start but things will go onwards and upwards from here.

 

[Every Time Ref]

I didn't watch but can almost guarantee that you were better than you say you were.

I stand by what I said earlier:

The only real reason to play sport is the love of the game, don't forget that.

Just smile and enjoy the fact that you were playing rugby on a Wednesday afternoon, most of us were at ******* work mate! Count yourself lucky