CPUT, WSU remain unbeaten

VARSITY CUP WRAP: CPUT overpowered the UKZN Impi at Tuks Stadium on Sunday, while there were also Round 5 wins for the TUT Vikings and WSU.

DUT 6(6) TUT 61(19)

TUT Vikings scored nine tries in their win against the DUT Rhinos.

Six of them came in the second half, which the Vikings dominated. However, DUT showed great character to produce their best performance of the competition and will be particularly pleased with their first-half effort.

It was the Rhinos who opened the scoring with a penalty goal from flyhalf Nelson Mhlongo, before lock LJ Viljoen scored TUT’s first try.

Centre Mauritz Maritz marked his return from a broken cheekbone with an interception try on his 21st birthday and when winger Erwee Robberzte scored in the right corner, the Vikings led 19-6.

DUT wing Luyolo Nkwanca was yellow-carded for a dangerous tackle late in the first half but his team did not concede any points while down to 14 men.

TUT replacement lock Laro Delport went over from a driving maul in the 53rd minute and from then on, it was one-way traffic.

Replacement centre Franco Stassen and flyhalf Lusanda Xakwana each scored two tries, before substitute prop Goabaona Mokone went over in the last minute for his team’s ninth.

Player That Rocks: Lusanda Xakwana (TUT)

The scorers:

For TUT:
Tries: Viljoen, Maritz, Robberzte 2, Delport, Stassen 2, Xakwana, Mokone.
Cons: Xakwana 8

For DUT
Pens: Mhlongo 2

Teams:

DUT: 15 Langelihle Ntombela, 14 Luyolo Nkwanca, 13 Mpilenhle Mthembu, 12 Moyomuhle Mkhize, 11 Bongumenzi Mkhize, 10 Nelson Mhlongo, 9 Anele Mzobe, 8 Simphiwe Makhubu, 7 Malusi Mkhize, 6 Philasande Mgogo, 5 Njabulo Nkosi, 4 Nkanyiso Miya, 3 Mpumelelo Hlefane (captain), 2 Sechaba Motsapi, 1 Anelisa Mthwazi.
Replacements: 16 Sibonokuhle Ncube, 17 Sinqobile Mtshali, 18 Ntando Mahlaba, 19 Simphiwe Phiri, 20 Katambwa Mulumba, 21 Sandile Mdakane, 22 Sizwe Malakoane, 23 Andile Dlamini.

TUT: 15 Ayabulela Koza, 14 Erwee Robberzte, 13 Mauritz Maritz, 12 Lusanda Xakwana, 11 Wanga Shumi, 10 LJ Pretorius, 9 Anru de Beer, 8 Handro Horn, 7 Marco du Plessis, 6 Thabang Malone, 5 Kazadi Mukendi, 4 LJ Viljoen, 3 Thabiso Masuku, 2 Majozi Kwinda, 1 Gunter Jager.
Replacements: 16 Heirich Briedenhann, 17 Goabaona Mokone, 18 Anré O’Neill, 19 Laro Delport, 20 Dieter Groenewald, 21 Ethan Wilson, 22 Franco Stassen, 23 Malcolm Langa.

CPUT 53 (22) UKZN 12 (5)

CPUT claimed a fifth consecutive bonus-point win to entrench their position at the top of the Varsity Shield log.

The Tekkies dominated the majority of the match, securing their bonus-point try just before half-time, although the Impi did show glimpses of their ability from time to time.

It took less than two minutes for the men from the Cape to score their opening try as Asisipho Malotana dotted down. However, the wing had to sit in the naughty chair in the 15th minute, which UKZN exploited shortly after when outside centre Wandile Shabangu did brilliantly to score in the right corner.

It was blue and white after the first strategy break as the Tekkies attacked at will, with inside centre Lunathi Nxele, captain and flank Butsha Mputa and prop Matthew Coenraad all scoring tries. Flyhalf Feghon-Leigh Snyders added a conversion to push the lead to 22-5 at half-time.

UKZN flank Menzi Mabaso showed great strength to power over early in the second half, but this proved to be the last time they would threaten the scoreboard.

The Tekkies’ discipline was poor, yet it didn’t seem to affect them all that much despite losing Nxele and wing Nathan Nkutu to yellow cards.

Scrumhalf Hugan Engelbrecht started an emphatic try-scoring spree for CPUT as his efforts were followed by Nxele’s brace, a second for Mputa while replacement back Björkan Hendricks and replacement lock Bradley van Boven completed an impressive haul.

Player That Rocks: Lunathi Nxele (CPUT)

The scorers:

For CPUT:
Tries: Malotana, Nxele 2, Mputa 2, Coenraad, Engelbrecht, Hendricks, Van Boven.
Cons: Snyders, Vabaza 3

For UKZN Impi:
Tries: Shabangu, Mabaso
Cons: Sibongile Novuka.

Teams:

CPUT: 15 Raven Chester Smith, 14 Nathan Nkutu, 13 Lunathi Nxele, 12 Jurick Lewis, 11 Asisipho Malotana, 10 Feghon-Leigh Snyders, 9 Hugan Engelbrecht, 8 Sesona Macala, 7 Ché Klaasen, 6 Butsha Mputa (captain), 5 Mogamat Ameer Hendricks, 4 Anenceba Salman, 3 Matthew Coenraad, 2 Siyasanga Ngubelanga, 1 Dé-Angelo Williams.
Replacements: 16 Damian Isaacs, 17 Onika Mgijima, 18 Jacques-Lynn Josephus, 19 Bradley van Boven, 20 Roland van der Heever, 21 Cuan Maree, 22 Bjorkan Hendricks, 23 Imibongo Vabaza.

UKZN: 15 Sibongile Novuka, 14 Onke Jiba, 13 Wandile Shabangu (captain), 12 Gacula Poswa, 11 Luyanda Zondi, 10 Azakhiwe Afrika, 9 Johan Maritz, 8 Llawdden Roux, 7 Menzi Mabaso, 6 Byron Booysen, 5 Marnus Botha, 4 Heinrich Cronjé, 3 Minenhle Ngubane, 2 Tristan Trollip, 1 Lindelwe Cele.
Replacements: 16 Bambolunye Dlamini, 17 Benjamin Maseko, 18 Muzomuhle Ncanana, 19 Nkanyezi Gumede, 20 Charl Cuttings, 21 Jodian de Vos, 22 Jarryd Nicholls, 23 Cebolenkosi Mthembu.

RHODES 10(10) WSU 63 (28)

The WSU dotted down on nine occasions, including two penalty tries, as they trampled the Stallions.

Rhodes stunned their opponents with an aggressive game plan, bullying their way through collision after collision in the first 20.

Flyhalf Matthew Royle knocked over a penalty before converting the try of outside centre Damian Morrow, who ran in hard and fast to leave a stunned WSU scratching their heads.

The first strategy break seemed to work as the calming, somewhat frustrated, voices of the All Blacks’ management seemed to awake the Eastern Cape giants from their slumber, with captain and wing Litha Nkula running in a brace.

WSU grew more and more confident as the first stanza progressed, with the forwards’ monstrous ability at scrum time earning themselves a penalty try.

The Stallions must be commended on not faulting on defence as they fronted up on most occasions. However, such was the ferocity on attack by the All Blacks that lock Miyelani Ngobeni steamed through to score a bonus-point try that made it 28-10 at half-time.

The second half only opened up in the 50th minute when replacement lock Simamkele Mphelo spent 10 minutes in the sin bin. WSU capitalised on it with another penalty try and flyhalf Lisolethu Valisi then dotted down shortly before the second strategy break.

The final 20 minutes provided three more tries courtesy of replacement flank Azola Mashalaba, wing Soyama Mini and lock Asekho Marubelela. Nkula converted all three to finish with a 24-point haul.

Player That Rocks: Litha Nkula (WSU All Blacks)

The scorers:

For Rhodes:
Try: Morrow
Con: Royle
Pen: Royle

For WSU:
Tries: Nkula 2, penalty tries 2, Ngobeni, Valisi, Mashalaba, Mini, Marubelela.
Cons: Nkula 7

Rhodes: 15 Simamkele Ngantweni, 14 Dimitri Mngqolo, 13 Damian Morrow, 12 Simelela Mbanzi, 11 Tinashe Famba, 10 Matthew Royle, 9 Nicholas Dettmer, 8 Ongeziwe Shumi, 7 Ntsika Ndungane, 6 Kwandiwe Mbelani, 5 Bongumusa Mokoena, 4 Sithembele Njokweni, 3 Sinolwazingekamvalakhe Ralo (captain), 2 Loyiso Isaacs, 1 Katlego Petje.
Replacements: 16 TC Junior Manana, 17 Nhlakanipho Rabula, 18 Bradley van Heerden, 19 Viwe Makeleni, 20 Simamkele Mpehlo, 21 Abonga Manka, 22 Garfield Khanyile, 23 Kuhle Mqingwana.

WSU: 15 Sakhele Ngeno, 14 Soyama Mini, 13 Mbulelo Totose, 12 Asivile Ngcawe, 11 Litha Nkula (captain), 10 Lisolethu Valisi, 9 Lithemba Ngcetane, 8 Esethu Zenani, 7 Ayabonga Ntaba, 6 Khanya Solani, 5 Miyelani Ngobeni, 4 Asekho Marubelela, 3 Lindokuhle Seteni, 2 Nande Lucas, 1 S’bulelo Roji.
Replacements: 16 Zanokuhle Nkabi, 17 Xolani Jacobs, 18 Aviwe Tame, 19 Adri Kermis, 20 Azola Mashalaba, 21 Sicelo Tole, 22 Thembani Kori, 23 Siyasanga Dingezweni.