Ikeys gear up for one more
The Ikey Tigers will be looking to finish the first half of their 2009 Western Province Super League season on a high when they take on NNK at the Green Mile on Friday evening (kick-off 6.30pm).
The Ikeys – who lost in the semifinals of the 2009 Varsity Cup – have had a very good league season thus far; losing just twice and drawing to the Maties in their Intervarsity clash at Newlands.
Unfortunately for UCT, their two losses came against Victorians and league leaders Hamilton’s (which have cost them in terms of Club Champs qualification), but a win over NNK tonight will see the Cape Town students jump up into third place on the log – just behind the Maties and ‘Hammies’, who have played nine and won nine. (See the log below.)
In team news this week, powerhouse centre Pieter ‘Poot’ Engelbrecht is back in the mix after training with the Golden Lions and he will form a powerful midfield combination with fellow ‘bus’, Sean van Tonder.
Hard-working prop forward Dylan Rogers is back from injury and on the bench, but Ashley Wells will once again start at loosehead prop after his fine showing against the highly-rated Hamilton’s pack a fortnight ago.
Coach John Dobson is still without long-term injury victims Stu Commins (scrumhalf), Tim Whitehead (centre) and Dane Johnson (wing), as well as USA international JJ Gagiano and WP squad members Jody Burch, Martin Muller and Tiger Bax.
Said Dobson to varsitycup.co.za: “NNK is never an easy fixture. It’s a potential banana skin for us; playing on a Friday night, with the impending break and just after exams… The guys will need to remain focused throughout and that’s what I’ve been saying all week long.
“The guys were helluva disappointed after going down narrowly to Hamilton’s, but they can hold their heads high safe in the knowledge that a five-point win tonight will see us move into third place (on the log).”
The UCT team: 15 Therlow Pietersen, 14 Pete Haw, 13 Pieter Englebrecht, 12 Sean van Tonder, 11 Marcello Sampson, 10 Matt Rosslee, 9 JP Robert, 8 Nick Fenton-Wells, 7 Craig Kleu, 6 Enoch Panya, 5 Michael Passaportis, 4 Bodo Sieber (captain), 3 Herbie Mayosi, 2 Mark Goosen, 1 Ashley Wells.
Replacements: 16 Chris Darby, 17 Vakai ‘Fish’ Hove, 18 Dylan Rogers, 19 Don Armand, 20 AN Other, 21 Ian Armstrong, 22 Ollie Braithwaite.
WP Super League log (as at June 12):
(Under played, won, points)
1. Hamilton’s 9, 9, 41
2. Stellenbosch 8, 6, 31
3. Victorians 9, 5, 27
4. ‘Durbell’ 8, 5, 24
5. UCT 7, 4, 23
6. NNK 8, 4, 20
7. SK Walmers 9, 3, 20
8. Villager 8, 2, 10
9. Helderberg 8, 2, 10
10. Kraaifontein 8, 0, 1
