Harry James writes...
What a day! For the first time, the early start was very much worthwhile as we were greeted by a buffet of varying breakfast foods, from grapefruit to bacon. Needless to say, it was much needed as we speculated over the outcome of our morning of mountain biking.
Fast forward 30 minutes and there we all were, lined up side by side, mounted on the bikes that would soon show us the fantastic views of the mountains and the vineyards that surrounded them. Whilst it wasn't easy, it was certainly a benefit to our fitness and a breath-taking experience. Unfortunately, with every good thing there comes a bump in the road, and for Harry Learmonth, it was in fact a bump, which threw him over his handle bars. But don't worry, he's okay! However, the same could not be said for his back tyre which was luckily quickly fixed by our pro-cyclist Rupert Angell. Soon enough he had Harry back on his bike and back to the lodge where we found the rest of the team.
After a well deserved meal, we were driven back to The Stellenbosch hotel where we were treated to some much needed downtime before our afternoon training session.
The boys worked hard, focusing on our defence at the break down and our ability to retrieve the ball before ruck is fully formed. The effort they put in was highly commendable and should come in handy tomorrow during our second fixture against Bergvliet High School.
The day was finally topped off by an appreciated dinner out at a local restaurant where we were made very welcome by staff as we all indulged in a combination of steaks, burgers and pizzas! Admittedly not the healthiest of meals, but certainly the kind that the boys deserve after the past few days we've had.