Preview: Maties v NWU-Pukke
After seeing off UP-Tuks in the semifinal, Maties earned the right to host NWU-Pukke – who beat UJ in their semifinal – at the Danie Craven Stadium in Stellenbosch on Monday, April 11.
The encounter will surely be a high scoring affair as both Maties and NWU-Pukke have shown how lethal they can be with ball in hand.
In the first semifinal played at UJ Stadium in Johannesburg, Pukke got off to a fast start in the first half that knocked the stuffing out of UJ. Pukke outscored their opponents by two tries to one and the remainder of their points came from the boot of fullback Rhyno Smith, who slotted both conversions along with four penalties and a drop goal from well inside his own half to hand Pukke a 35-7 win.
Maties may have also conceded a converted try but ran in five tries of their own, including a Beyers de Villiers brace. Ernst Stapelberg, who being eyed by Stormers head coach Robbie Fleck for a possible spot in his squad, slotted all the conversions and a further four penalties to complete the 49-11 victory.
Both teams have a new coach at the helm. Hawies Fourie came down from the Cheetahs to take over coaching duties from Chris Rossouw, who is now an assistant coach, and has turned Maties from an average team into a formidable force.
Their road to the final went as smooth as it possibly could, winning six of their seven matches.Their only loss came in the final round robin match against UJ at the Cape Town Stadium but they fielded a so-called 'B' team in that match, having already sewn up top spot and a home semifinal.
Pukke's route to the final was a lot trickier. Four victories from six matches meant their final round robin match against defending champions UFS-Shimlas was a quarterfinal match. The Potchefstroom students put in a brilliant performance to outclass Shimlas in every department, and eventually walked away with a 37-21 win to book themselves a semifinal spot.
Pukke have been the most consistent team in the last few years and will now compete in their third consecutive Final. The big moments got the better of them on those two occasions but under new coach, former Springbok Sevens captain Jonathan Mokuena, the Potchefstroom team are playing without fear and are filled with match winners all over the park.
Maties will hold the psychological advantage though as they put Pukke to the sword at Soccer City, walking away with a 56-12 victory.
Players to watch:
For Maties: Lock Wilhelm van der Sluys takes charge at line-out time and performs his duty with ease while captain Beyers de Villiers is not afraid to put his body on the line in the contact area. Flyhalf Ernst Stapelberg reads the game well and has an educated boot – tactically and off the tee. Craig Barry has been in sublime form this season and provides plenty of firepower for the Maroon Machine from the back.
For Pukke: Props Bartholomeus le Roux and Mashudu Mafela love imposing themselves on their opponents while captain Jeandre Rudolph is a no nonsense No.8. Flyhalf Barend Janse van Rensburg may be playing in his first Varsity Cup but has performed like a seasoned veteran. Sylvian Mahuza has plenty of experience in midfield and is always a threat with ball in hand. Rhyno Smith has undoubtedly been Pukke's stand-out player. An exciting runner, he possesses the ability to score from any situation and has a deadly accurate boot.
Prediction: It s a Final and anything can happen on the night. Pukke have match winners in every position and will have revenge on their minds from the heavy defeat handed to them earlier in the competition. Throw into the equation that it is their third consecutive Final and you have plenty of motivation to win. Maties have been consistent throughout the competition and are playing with plenty of freedom and confidence. Everything they have touched thus far has turned into gold and are the clear favourites to take it. Home ground advantage will certainly play a huge part as the Danie Craven Stadium is known to host a crowd of up to 30,000 spectators. Taking everything into account, the result can go either way. However, Maties have the slight edge and should lift the Varsity Cup trophy with less than seven points.
Teams:
Maties: 15 Craig Barry, 14 Duncan Saal, 13 Paul Streicher, 12 Chris Smit, 11 Edwill van der Merwe, 10 Ernst Stapelberg. 9 Remu Malan, 8 Kobus van Dyk, 7 Janco Venter, 6 Beyers de Villiers (captain), 5 Wilhelm van der Sluys, 4 Ian Groenwald, 3 JE van der Merwe, 2 Freddie Kirsten, 1 Niel Oelofse.
Replacements: 16 Marko Janse van Rensburg, 17 Wesley Adonis, 18 Robey Labuschagne, 19 Saud Abrahams, 20 Bjorn Bernardo, 21 Chris Smith, 22 Brandon Asher-Wood, 23 Johannes Kleinhans.
NWU-Pukke: 15 Rhyno Smith, 14 Lucian Cupido, 13 Sylvian Mahuza, 12 Hendrik Marais, 11 Dean Stokes, 10 Barend Janse van Rensburg, 9 Malherbe Swart, 8 Jeandre Rudolph (captain), 7 Marno Redelinghuys, 6 Jaco Jordaan, 5 Walt Steenkamp, 4 Neil Morrison, 3 Bartholomeus le Roux, 2 Wilmar Arnoldi, 1 Mashudu Mafela.
Replacements: 16 Louis van der Westhuizen, 17 Johan Smith, 18 Ruan Venter, 19 Christiaan Liebernberg, 20 Kurshwill Williams, 21 Akhona Nela, 22 Johan Deysel, 23 Mogau Mabokela.
Date: Monday, April 11
Venue: Danie Craven Stadium, Stellenbosch
Kick-off: 19.00 (17.00 GMT)
Referee: Lourens van der Merwe
Assistant referees: Cwengile Jadezweni, Francois Pretorius
TMO: Shaun Veldsman
