New champions set to be crowned

 

The defending champions were overhauled by three-time champions Maties who scored five tries after half-time in Stellenbosch to win 41-24 and set up a semifinal clash with Cape rivals UCT, whilst the table-topping NWU-Pukke will host NMMU who snuck into the play-offs in truly dramatic fashion.

 

A last-minute try from replacement hooker Martin Ferreira saw the Madibaz earn two bonus points in their 34-33 defeat to UFS-Shimlas in Bloemfontein which was just enough to put the Eastern Cape side through and break UFS-Shimlas hearts as they fell just short.

 

In a nail-biting final round of league action there were wins for NWU-Pukke and UCT who will host the two semifinals next week, with NWU-Pukke coming from behind to beat UJ 24-20 in Potchefstroom and UCT proving too strong for Wits who went down 25-5 in their last Varsity Cup match before they drop back down to the Varsity Shield next year.

 

In the early match UFS-Shimlas looked to have booked their semifinal spot with a bonus-point victory before Ferreira's late try saw the Madibaz leapfrog them on the log.

 

The North-South clash in Stellenbosch – a replay of last year's final at the same venue – was effectively a quarterfinal, and a match-winning performance from Maties flyhalf Robert du Preez inspired the home team as they handed UP-Tuks their third consecutive defeat to knock them out of the competition.

 

NWU-Pukke continued the trend of comebacks in Potchefstroom as they fought back to score three quick tries which saw UJ slump to their fifth defeat of the season.

 

The Johannesburg side will have to play a promotion/relegation play-off with the team that loses the Varsity Shield Final, whilst Wits will be automatically replaced by the Varsity Shield champions after finishing on the bottom of the standings without a single win.

 

Wits have not won a game in their two seasons in the Cup competition, but any thoughts of a fairytale farewell for them were extinguished by UCT who ran in five tries to maintain their perfect away record and finish in second place, booking a fifth home semifinal in seven season of Varsity Cup action.

 

In the Varsity Shield there were wins for Fort Hare and  UKZN who are the only two teams still in the running to face defending champions CUT in the final this season.

 

Fort Hare ran riot against UWC in Bellville, scoring seven tries as they recorded a big 51-29 win against former Springbok coach Peter de Villiers' side.

 

John Mitchell's UKZN Impi also had a big win, running in eight tries on their way to a resounding 55-24 victory over the TUT Vikings in Pretoria.

 

There was just one Varsity Young Guns match on Monday night with NWU-Pukke and UFS-Shimlas playing out a tense 26-26 draw in Potchefstroom which saw the Bloemfontein side squeeze into the semifinals and ending NWU-Pukke's campaign.

 

In the Koshuisrugby Championships there were wins for Heimat from UFS, Purple Cobras from UCT and Medies from Maties as they all booked semifinal places.

 

Heimat beat Majuba from UJ 47-16 to stay unbeaten and top the Hi-Fi Corporation pool, with the Cobras' 34-13 victory over  Humanities from Wits booking their semifinal spot, whilst in Stellenbosch Medies saw off the challenge from Onderstepoort to go through.

 

 

 

Tries: Claassen, Du Toit 2, Dolo, Prinsloo

Cons: Prinsloo 3

 

Tries: Bernardt, Hauptfleisch, Ferreira 2

Cons: Hauptfleisch 2, Buys

Pens: Hauptfleisch 2

 

Yellow cards: Marcel Groenewald (NMMU, 39 mins – foul play) Oupa Mohoje (UFS-Shimlas, 40 mins – dangerous tackle), Martin Ferreira (NMMU, 47 mins – foul play), Armandt Koster (UFS-Shimlas, 78 mins – professional foul)

 

 

UFS-Shimlas: 15 Ludwig Erasmus, 14 Maphuta Dolo, 13 Tertius Kruger, 12 Joubert Engelbrecht (captain), 11 Sethu Tom, 10 Gouws Prinsloo, 9 Kevin Luiters, 8 Gerhard Olivier, 7 Oupa Mohoje, 6 Tienie Burger, 5 Neil Claassen, 4 Armandt Koster, 3 Justin Pappin, 2 Jacques du Toit, 1 Franco van der Merwe.

Replacements: 16 Markus Odendaal, 17 Luan de Bruin, 18 Johan van der Hoogt, 19 Neill Jordaan, 20 Kay-Kay Hlongwane, 21 Francois du Toit, 22 Divandre Strydom, 23 Gideon Bruwer.

 

NMMU Madibaz: 15 Jarryd Buys, 14 Tythan Adams, 13 Michael Bernardt, 12 Andile Jho, 11 Yamkela Ngam, 10 Gavin Hauptfleisch, 9 Daniel Acker, 8 Timothy Agaba, 7 Marcel Groenewald, 6 Christopher Cloete, 5 Cameron Lindsay, 4 Stefan Willemse, 3 Dexter Fahey, 2 Jody Reyneke, 1 Roy Godfrey (captain).

Replacements: 16 Martin Ferreira, 17 Abongile Mnyaka, 18 Louis Fourie, 19 Wade Elliot, 20 Kayle van Zyl, 21 Devon Lailvaux , 22 Sinakho Mafu, 23 Simon Kerrod.

 

 

Tries: Du Preez, Barry 2, Caleb Smith, Chris Smith

Cons: Du Preez 4

Pen: Du Preez

 

Tries: Short, Matthews, Beerwinkel

Cons: Schoeman 3

 

Yellow card: Mark Hodgkiss (Maties, 38 mins – foul play)

 

 

Maties: 15 Craig Barry, 14 John Durr, 13 Mark Hodgskiss, 12 Jacobus Jordaan, 11 Caleb Smith, 10 Robert du Preez, 9 Jean Nel, 8 Tertius Daniller (captain), 7 Helmut Lehmann, 6 Justin Benn, 5 Wilhelm van der Sluys, 4 Jan de Klerk, 3 Nicol Heyns, 2 Charl de Villiers, 1 Wesley Adonis.

Replacements: 16 Neethling Gericke, 17 Niel Oelofse, 18 Ian Groenewald, 19 Lungelo Chonco, 20 Bjorn Bernardo, 21 Chris Smith, 22 Jacobus Loubser, 23 Liam Hendricks.

 

UP-Tuks: 15 Warrick Gelant, 14 Duncan Matthews, 13 Dries Swanepoel, 12 Burger Odendaal, 11 Jade Stighling, 10 Tian Schoeman, 9 Carlo Engelbrecht, 8 Reniel Hugo (captain), 7 Rudolph Smith, 6 Chris Massyn, 5 Dennis Visser, 4 Irne Herbst, 3 Basil Short, 2 Corniel Els, 1 Juan Schoeman.

Replacements: 16 Arno van Wyk, 17 Brummer Badenhorst, 18 Jannes Kirsten, 19 Leneve Damens, 20 Emile Temperman, 21 Rohan Janse van Rensburg, 22 Kefentse Mahlo, 23 Andrew Beerwinkel.

 

 

Tries: De Wet, Maritz, Smith

Cons: Engelbrecht 3

 

Tries: Petersson, Haznar

Cons: Schmidt 2

Pens: Schmidt 2

 

 

NWU-Pukke: 15 Ryno Smith, 14 Edmar Marais, 13 Hoffman Maritz, 12 Adriaan Engelbrecht, 11 Luther Obi, 10 Johnny Welthagen, 9 Tiaan Dorfling (captain), 8 Juan Language, 7 Henro Swart, 6 Rhyk Welgemoed, 5 Peet van der Walt, 4 Danie Jordaan, 3 Nhlanhla Ngcamu, 2 Marius Fourie, 1 Mashudu Mafela.

Replacements: 16 Akker van der Merwe, 17 Johan Smith, 18 Robey Labuschagne, 19 Philip de Wet, 20 Dillon Smit, 21 Akhona Nela, 22 Lucien Cupido, Elardus Venter.

 

UJ: 15 Juan Kotze, 14 PJ Walters, 13 Jacques Nel, 12 Harold Vorster,

11 Michael Haznar, 10 Marais Schmidt, 9 Viaan van der Watt, 8 Dylan Petersson, 7 Victor Sekekete, 6 Kobus Porter (captain), 5 David Antonites, 4 Shane Kirkwood, 3 Van Zyl Botha, 2 Jannes Snyman, 1 Devon Martinus.

Replacements: 16 Qinisile Siphatho, 17 Wiseman Kamanga, 18 Fabian Booysen, 19 JP Swanepoel, 20 Jacque Pretorius, 21 Jaco van der Walt, 22 Pieter Morton, 23 Hendrik Bredenkamp.

 

 

Try: Ludik

 

Tries: Stewart, Xoli, Sauls, McDonald, Nel

 

 

Wits: 15 Ruhan Nel, 14 Mandla Dube, 13 Divan Ferguson, 12 Brent Crossley, 11 Riaan Arends, 10 Ashlon Davids, 9 Mathew Torrance, 8 Jason Fraser, 7 Senna Esterhuizen, 6 JP Jonck, 5 Rendani Ramovha, 4 Devin Montgomery (captain), 3 Gideon Muller, 2 Ashley Kohler, 1 Hannes Ludik.

Replacements: 16 Thato Mavundla, 17 Kyle Wood, 18 Peter van Biljon, 19 Conor Brockschmidt, 20 Jason Jarvis, 21 Wilton Pietersen, 22 Nkuli Gamede, 23 Kelly Ferdinand.

 

UCT: 15 Martin Sauls, 14 Richard Stewart, 13 Huw Jones, 12 Guy Schwikkard, 11 Lihleli Xoli, 10 Dean Grant, 9 James Alexander (captain), 8 Guy Alexander, 7 Vince Jobo, 6 Michael Botha, 5 James Kilroe, 4 Shaun McDonald, 3 Digby Webb, 2 Neil Rautenbach, 1 Joel Carew.

Replacements: 16 Msizi Zondi, 17 Robin Murray, 18 Jason Klaasen, 19 Kyle Kriel, 20 Liam Slatem, 21 Ross Jones-Davies, 22 Nathan Nel, 23 David Maasch.