Maties, Ikeys in thrilling draw
FNB Maties and FNB UCT played to a 16-16 draw in a thrilling Intervarsity – and WP Super League – clash at Newlands on Saturday afternoon.
The Ikeys held a slender 10-8 lead at half-time, before extending that to 16-8 with 15 minutes left on the clock.
But the Men from Stellenbosch – the reigning Varsity Cup and WP Super League champions – fought back strongly with a Henoe Stoffberg penalty, before inside centre Jean Stemmet crashed over for a try to level things up at 16-16.
Stoffberg missed the conversion – his kick hit the upright – leaving the game all square and setting up a tense finale as both teams went in search of the victory. Stoffberg, however, had another opportunity to win the match with a penalty attempt, only to miss again.
All of UCT’s points were scored by flyhalf Matt Rosslee, whilst Maties flank Wesley Wilkins scored his side’s other try in a high-quality encounter between two evenly-matched sides. Stoffberg kicked one penalty on the day – from five attempts – and flyhalf Adnaan Osman weighed in with a first-half drop-goal.
Stellenbosch have now slipped to second place on the WP Super League standings, with UCT moving into third place ahead of Victorians (the only team to have beaten them in the log thus far) and SK Walmers.
Hamilton – who won again at the weekend – are in first place on 23 points from five games; followed by Maties (20) and the Ikeys on 17 points.
The scorers:
For FNB Maties:
Tries: Wesley Wilkins, Jean Stemmet
Pen: Henoe Stoffberg
DG: Adnaan Osman
For FNB UCT:
Try: Matt Rosslee
Cons: Rosslee
Pens: Rosslee 3
The teams:
Maties: 15 Jonathan Francke, 14 Morné Jooste, 13 Hayden Groepes, 12 Jean Stemmet, 11 JJ Engelbrecht, 10 Adnaan Osman, 9 Henoe Stoffberg, 8 Bennie Booysen, 7 Jonathan Adendorf, 6 Wesley Wilkins, 5 Jaco Nepgen, 4 Bertho van der Westhuizen (captain), 3 Lourens Adriaanse, 2 Mathew Dobson, 1 Johan Roets.
Replacements: 16 Arno White, 17 Gerrit Jacobs, 18 Hugo Kloppers, 19 Morné Hanekom, 20 Donald Stevens, 21 Pieter Stoffberg, 22 Louw Schabort.
Head coach: Chean Roux
UCT: 15 Therlow Pietersen, 14 Pieter Engelbrecht, 13 Dave Edgar, 12 Tim Whitehead, 11 Marcello Sampson, 10 Matthew Rosslee, 9 Jean-Paul Robert, 8 Jody Burch, 7 Nick Fenton-Wells, 6 Jonathan Gagiano, 5 Bodo Sieber (captain), 4 Michael Passaportis, 3 Herbert Mayosi, 2 Dayne Jans, 1 Dylan Rogers.
Replacements: 16 Mark Goosen, 17 Vakai Hove, 18 Dane Galley, 19 Don Armand, 20 Kyle Wickins, 21 Enoch Panya, 22 Sean van Tonder.
Head coach: John Dobson
