Fleck lauds UCT’s ‘Points Machine’

INTERVIEW: Robbie Fleck has praised Ntokozo Makhaza and his senior contingent in the wake of UCT’s drought-ending victory in the Varsity Cup.

UCT thrashed Maties 44-21 in Stellenbosch on Monday to win the Varsity Cup title for the first time since 2014.

The result capped a long and at times painful journey for the UCT players and coaches.

After losing 25-27 to the NWU Eagles in the 2023 Final and 42-45 to Shimlas in last year’s decider, the Ikeys produced a masterclass to hammer the 2025 title favourites on their home patch.

It was a particularly significant occasion for Makhaza, who had missed a late conversion in the 2024 Final in Bloemfontein.

The winger finished the game at the Danie Craven Stadium with two tries as well as an eight-from-eight record from the kicking tee.

And in the wake of that 32-point performance, Makhaza was officially acknowledged as the 2025 player of the tournament.

“It’s crazy that that guy hasn’t been picked up yet [by a major professional team],” Fleck told @Rugby365com.

“He’s scored more than 100 points over the past three seasons, and in the Final against Maties, he slotted eight from eight. He’s just a points machine.

“Ntokozo, [UCT captain] Sipho Dyonase, Duran Koevort and a few others have played in final after final without getting over the line.

“They really stood tall at the DC on Monday, and it was great to see those stalwarts lifting the trophy at the end.”

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🏆 That champion feeling…

Once an Ikey, always a Tiger 🐅🎆#NxtLevel #RugbyThatRocks@ikeytigers https://t.co/jbU89NWOea pic.twitter.com/i7zwTxIGb0

— Varsity Cup (@varsitycup) April 15, 2025

The final scoreline may have been unexpected, but the Ikeys have been building towards this fixture – and this type of performance – for months.

The long-term planning by the coaching staff, as well as the execution of the players, contributed to an emphatic 23-point victory.

“If you look back at the past two finals, we arrived for those deciders battered and bruised. On this occasion, we were a lot fresher,” said Fleck.

“At the start of the year, we decided to give the players an extra couple of weeks off. We knew that a lighter pre-season schedule would compromise our match sharpness in early stages of the Varsity Cup, but we also bellieved that we would be fresher at the back end of the tournament.”

In the lead-up to the Final, Maties won the toss and opted to play into the wind. That decision played into the Ikeys’ hands, as the visitors raced into an early lead.

“It was always the plan to lift the tempo and intensity from minute one, and it’s for that reason that we wanted the wind at our backs for the first half,” said Fleck.

“If you look back at our league fixture against Maties, we employed a similar approach at the start – but Maties never go away, and we were guilty of letting them back into the game [Maties eventually won 31-24].

“With that in mind, we spoke a lot about maintaining our intensity for 80 minutes in the Final.

“After the good start, we expected a response from Maties, which they provided.

“This time, however, our tempo never dropped. Our bench came into the game, and we took it to another level.

“We kept on building, and I really believe that we ran out of time. The scoreline could have been bigger if the game went on for a bit longer.

“It’s never easy to play at the DC, and Maties never give up.” he added. “That performance in the final was more about us than the opposition – we were in such a good space.”

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The try that sealed the deal and secured the FNB Varsity Cup title for the @ikeytigers! Heartbreak for the @MatiesSport Maroon Machine.

Third time lucky 🏆🙌🏽🎊#NxtLevel #RugbyThatRocks pic.twitter.com/wamgOcZKZ0

— Varsity Cup (@varsitycup) April 15, 2025

Not for the first time, Fleck steered credit to his management team as well as former coach Tom Dawson-Squibb, who stepped down after the loss to Shimlas in the 2024 decider.

“This coaching staff has been together for the past four or five years – with myself along the ride for three – and the group is tight.

“I have to give credit to Tom for creating this environment, and to our chairman Greg Fury for giving us all the support.

“So much hard work has gone into this campaign, and it’s just great to see the club reaping the rewards, in terms of the senior side and our U20s [who went down 3-18 to Wits in the Young Guns Final].”

When pushed to speak about his own experience at Varsity Cup level, the former Stormers boss suggested that the Ikeys have reignited his passion for coaching.

“I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my three years with the club, and will probably do one more.

“When Tom first approached me to join the set-up, I had lost a bit of my passion for coaching.

“At the time, I was happy to play more of a strategic role in the background.

“I also saw it as an opportunity to close the loop, given that I started my coaching journey with [current Stormers coach] John Dobson and UCT back in the day.

“But this has been a truly special experience, and I’m grateful to be involved.”