VC Preview: Tuks face road test

The table-topping UP-Tuks will be looking for their first away win of the Varsity Cup when they travel to Potchefstroom to face NWU-Pukke on Monday.

The two-time champions have two home wins and a draw, having been held in the opening round in Bloemfontein by UFS-Shimlas – who are the only other team left unbeaten in the competition heading into Round Four.

UP-Tuks will be up against a NWU-Pukke side smarting from their first loss of the season against UJ in Johannesburg last week, while UFS-Shimlas host a desperate Maties team still looking for their first win.

Three time-champions Maties find themselves in unfamiliar territory in seventh place on the standings, and things do not get much easier after their drubbing by UP-Tuks in Pretoria last week with an impressive UFS-Shimlas side waiting for them.

Defending champions UCT host newcomers CUT on the Green Mile, and UJ travel down to Port Elizabeth to face the NMMU Madibaz.

It has been a tough introduction to the Varsity Cup for the CUT Ixias after gaining promotion, and the three-time Varsity Shield champions face another test of character against the Ikeys who will be aiming for another bonus-point win at home to put more pressure on the top four.

Having lost in Cape Town last week the Madibaz will be back in front of their home crowd, but they are sure to have their work cut out for them against a UJ side that will be confident after getting the better of NWU-Pukke last week.

* In the Varsity Shield the chasing pack will be hoping to make some ground up on log-leaders Wits who have a bye.

Fort Hare will be looking for their first win of the season against TUT Vikings in Alice and UKZN take on UWC at Howard College in Durban.

* The second round of the Varsity Young Guns will see defending champions UFS host the Junior Maties, while NWU-Pukke go down to Port Elizabeth to face NMMU and CUT travel to Cape Town to take on the Ikeys in a curtain-raiser to the main game.

* There are also four fixtures in the second round of the Hostel League Championships with Patria getting their campaign underway at home in Potchefstroom against Mopanie, three-time champions Vishuis hosting Medies in Bloemfontein, the Stallions making their debut at home in Port Elizabeth against Bastion and the Cobras up against the Tigers at UCT.

All of Monday's fixtures and match details:

Varsity Cup

                              UCT V CUT

               (UCT Rugby Fields, Cape Town – Kick-off: 16.45; 14.45 GMT)

Teams:

UCT: 15 Paul Cohen, 14 Khanyo Ngcukana, 13 Lihleli Xoli, 12 Nicholas Holton, 11 Dylan Sage, 10 Warren Seals, 9 Ryan Dugmore, 8 Guy Alexander, 7 Michael Botha (captain), 6 Jason Klaasen, 5 James Kilroe, 4 Jade Kriel, 3 Digby Webb, 2 Chad Solomon, 1 Joel Carew.

Replacements: 16 Msizi Zondi, 17 Kyle White, 18 Mark Prior, 19 Luke Stringer, 20 James Alexander, 21 Guy Schwikkard, 22 Dean Gericke, 23 David Maasch.

CUT: 15 Jesse du Toit, 14 Lethole Makoena, 13 Jacques Nel, 12 Duan Pretorius, 11 Christiaan Erasmus, 10 Luke Cyster, 9 Arrie Vosloo, 8 Dean Kouprihanoff, 7 Victor Maruping, 6 Frans Sisita, 5 Daneel Botes, 4 JJ Nel, 3 Ian Smith, 2 Len Noort, 1 Gerard Baard.

Replacements: 16 Jozua de Jager, 17 Niel Schoombee, 18 Jean-Claude Fourie, 19 Rayno Nel, 20 Dean Jacobs, 21 Dean Rossouw, 22 Naude van Biljon, 23 Boetie Makethlo.

                               UFS-Shimlas v Maties

                (Shimla Park, Bloemfontein – Kick-off: 18.30; 16.30 GMT)

Teams:

UFS-Shimlas: 15 AJ Coertzen, 14 Vuyani Maqina, 13 Nico Lee, 12 Tertius Kruger, 11 Maphutha Dolo, 10 Niel Marais, 9 Mthokozisi Mkhabela, 8 Niell Jordaan, 7 Henco Venter, 6 Gerhard Olivier, 5 Niel Claassen, 4 Nicolaas Immelman, 3 Chase Morison, 2 Elandre Huggett, 1 Theuns Neuwoudt.

Replacements: 16 Marco Klopper, 17 Ox Nche, 18 Refuoe Rampete, 19 Daniel Maartens, 20 Renier Botha, 21 Stefan Janse van Rensburg, 22 JP Coetzee, 23 Dolph Botha.

Maties: 15 Craig Barry, 14 Jamie Joseph, 13 Christoff van Tonder, 12 Koos Loubser, 11 JP Lewis, 10 Ernest Stapelberg, 9 Bjorn Bernardo, 8 Kobus van Dyk, 7 Justin Benn, 6 Beyers de Villiers, 5 Wilhelm van der Sluys (captain), 4 Ian Groenewald, 3 John-Hubert Meyer, 2 Neethling Gericke, 1 Abel de Klerk.

Replacements: 16 Craig Corbett, 17 Migael Grobler, 18 Lourens Fick, 19 Derick Linde, 20 Remu Malan, 21 Brandon Thomson, 22 Kyle Leibrandt, 23 Jacobus van der Merwe.

                                  NWU-Pukke v UP-Tuks

                   (Fanie du Toit Stadium, Potchefstroom – Kick-off: 18.30; 16.30)

Teams:

NWU-Pukke: 15 Rhyno Smith, 14 Dalen Goliath, 13 Rowayne Beukman, 12 Johan Deysel, 11 Dean Stokes, 10 Johnny Welthagen, 9 Dillon Smit, 8 Jeandre Rudolph (captain), 7 Marno Redelinguys, 6 Molotsi Bouwer, 5 Walt Steenkamp, 4 Loftus Morrison, 3 John-Roy Jenkinson, 2 Jacques Vermaak, 1 Johan Smith.

Replacements: 16 Wian Fourie, 17 Mogau Mabokela, 18 Daniel Jordaan, 19 Jaco Buys, 20 Kurshwill Williams, 21 Marnus Tack, 22 Heinrich Smith, 23 Cayle Denner.

UP-Tuks: 15 Riaan Britz, 14 Damian van Wyk, 13 Daniel Kriel, 12 John Jackson, 11 Jermaine Kleinsmith, 10 Joshua Stander, 9 André Warner, 8 Clyde Davids, 7 Jannes Kirsten, 6 Wiaan Liebenberg (captain), 5 Reniel Hugo, 4 Irné Herbst, 3 Andrew Beerwinkel, 2 Jaco Visagie, 1 Juan Schoeman.

Replacements: 16 Jan Enslin, 17 Nqobisiswe Mxoli, 18 Dennis Visser, 19 Pieter Janse van Vuren, 20 Emile Temperman, 21 Dewald Human, 22 Adrian Maebane, 23 Dayan van der Westhuizen.

                                 NMMU v UJ

                   (Madibaz Stadium, Port Elizabeth – Kick-off: 19.00; 17.00)

Teams:

NMMU Madibaz: 15 Jarryd Buys (captain), 14 Tythan Adams, 13 Micheal Barnardt, 12 Devon Lailvaux, 11 Yamkela Ngam, 10 Steven Hansel, 9 Ivan Ludick, 8 Andisa Ntsila, 7 Jody Reyneke, 6 CJ Velleman, 5 Rob Louw, 4 Paul Tyler, 3 SBrenden Oliver, 2 Warrick Venter, 1 Arno Ebersohn.

Replacements: 16 Dane van der Westhuyzen, 17 Steven Robbeson, 18 Philip Odendaal, 19 Stephan Zaayman, 20 Enrico Acker, 21 Andile Jho, 22 Brian Skosana, 23 Marzuq Maarman.

UJ: 15 Ronald Brown, 14 Bradley Moolman, 13 Robert De Bruyn, 12 Adriaan Vermeulen, 11 Aphiwe Dyanti, 10 Jaco Fourie, 9 Chuma Faas, 8 Dylan Peterson, 7 Kyle Van Dalen, 6 Kobus Porter (captain), 5 David Antonites, 4 Werner Lourens, 3 Nico Du Plessis, 2 Siphatho Qinisile, 1 Gareth Milasinovich.

Replacements: 16 Jannes Snyman, 17 Brandon Landsberg, 18 Ettienne Oosthuizen, 19 Wiaan Conradie, 20 Hilton Mudarika, 21 James Campbell, 22 Dominic Kroezen, 23 Raeez Salie.

Varsity Shield fixtures:

Fort Hare Blues v TUT Vikings (Davidson Rugby Stadium, Alice – Kick-off: 17.00)

UKZN Impi v UWC (Howard College Rugby Stadium, Durban – Kick-off: 18.30)

Varsity Young Guns fixtures

NWU-Pukke Young Guns v NMMU Young Guns (Fanie du Toit Stadium, Potchefstroom – Kick-off: 14.00)

UFS Young Guns v Junior Maties  (Shimla Park, Bloemfontein – Kick-off: 14.00)

UCT Young Guns v CUT Young Guns (UCT Rugby Fields, Cape Town – Kick-off: 14.15)

Hostel League Championship fixtures:

Patria v Mopanie (Fanie du Toit Stadium, Potchefstroom – Kick-off: 16.15)

Vishuis v Medies (Shimla Park, Bloemfontein – Kick-off: 16.15)

Stallions v Bastion (Madibaz Stadium, Port Elizabeth – Kick-off: 16.45)

Cobras v Tigers (UCT Rugby Fields, Cape Town – Kick-off: 19.00)