VC champions show their class
The FNB Maties – despite two recent WP Super League losses – showed their class on Saturday, when they beat FNB UCT 29-14 in their Intervarsity clash at the Green Mile.
A superb first-half display from the Varsity Cup champions, which saw them lead 24-0 at half-time, set up the victory for the visitors who – in the process – took a giant step towards qualification for the 2010 National Club Championships.
The Maties racked up four first-half tries, capitalising on UCT’s slow and error-ridden start – as well as having the wind at their backs, to earn a third successive win over the Ikeys this season.
Flyhalf Conrad Hoffmann – back in Maties colours after being on Vodacom Cup duty – was a star performer for the Men from Stellenbosch, whilst their tries were scored by Johann Sadie, Hayden Groepes, Morgan Newman, Lourens Adriaanse and Callie Visagie. Hoffmann (pictured) converted just two of the tries, but had a hand in three of them.
For UCT, replacement lock Don Armand scored their opening try, with captain Nick Fenton-Wells also picking up a five-pointer, but the home side also had two players sin-binned – centre Mark Esterhuizen and replacement prop Dylan Rogers, both of which cost them at key moments.
UCT coach John Dobson was bitterly disappointed, as his team “failed to arrive on this grand occasion” (Intervarsity and the carrot of Club Champs qualification), whilst his opposite number, Chean Roux, declared it his team’s “best game of the year”.
The scorers:
For FNB UCT:
Tries: Armand, Fenton-Wells
Cons: Rosslee 2
For FNB Maties:
Tries: Sadie, Groepes, Newman, Adriaanse, Visagie
Cons: Hoffmann 2
The teams:
FNB UCT: 15 Tiger Bax, 14 Marcel Brache, 13 Mark Esterhuizen, 12 Sean van Tonder, 11 Marcello Sampson, 10 Matt Rosslee (vice-captain), 9 Nic Groom, 8 JJ Gagiano, 7 Jody Burch, 6 Nick Fenton-Wells (captain), 5 Bodo Sieber, 4 Martin Muller, 3 Grant Kemp, 2 Hanyani Shimange, 1 Ashley Wells.
Replacements: 16 Mark Goosen, 17 Chris Heiberg, 18 Don Armand, 19 Yaya Hartzenberg, 20 Nick Köster, 21 Sharief Hendricks, 21 Pete Haw, 22 Paul Cohen, 23 Dylan Rogers.
Head coach: John Dobson
Assistant coach: Kevin Foote
FNB Maties: N/A
Head coach: Chean Roux
Assistant coaches: Germaine Brinkhuis, Sollie Goosen
The WP Super League log (at a glance):
(Under played, won, points)
1. Maties 9, 7, 37
2. False Bay 6, 5, 23
3. Durb-Bell 6, 4, 19
4. Hamilton’s 6, 3, 17
5. SK Walmers 6, 3, 16
6. UCT 5, 3, 16
7. Victorians 9, 2, 13
8. Villager’s 5, 2, 11
9. Helderberg 5, 1, 10
10. NNK 5, 0, 0
