PREVIEW: VARSITY CUP, ROUND NINE
Few people could argue that the four semifinalists have been the best teams in this year’s FNB Varsity Cup; but who knows whether form, fate or luck will be the determining factors in the matches themselves.
FNB UP-TUKS VS FNB NWU PUKKE
(Tuks Stadium – Kick-off: 16.45)
If ever there’s a semifinal that’s too close to call then this one between UP-Tuks and NWU Pukke might be it – not least because a single log point separated them.
History shows that they are seven apiece in previous Varsity Cup clashes, and that includes them each winning a previous semifinal – Pukke in 2015 and UP-Tuks back in 2012.
What about recent form? Well, in that regard UP-Tuks have the upper hand because they travelled to Potchefstroom in Round 7 and promptly beat Pukke 28-0.
That went a long way to securing them a home semifinal, and we all know how important home ground advantage is. Not so much when these two meet, though. All told the away team has won nine of their 14 clashes, and five out of their last six meetings.
Counting in Pukke’s favour too is the ‘curse of the Round Nine bye’; Shimlas suffered from it in 2017, and so did Wits last year. UP-Tuks will be desperate to prevent a three-peat.
However, levelling things out again is the fact that rain and thunderstorms are predicted for Monday, so a set-piece battle with the flyhalves being the key protagonists should be in the offing. Even then, UP-Tuks’ Tinus de Beer and Schalk Hugo from Pukke are in the top-three all-time Varsity Cup point-scorers.
It’s all set up to be a must-watch …
Teams: yet to be confirmed
Referee: Griffin Colby
Assistant referees: Stephan Geldenhuys, Christopher Allison
TMO: Johan Greeff
FNB MATIES VS FNB UFS SHIMLAS
(Danie Craven Stadium – Kick-off: 19.00)
As well as Shimlas have done to reach the playoffs for the fifth time, upsetting defending champions and title favourites Maties will be a tall ask.
Besides the fact that Maties won all their round-robin matches, including a 59-14 drubbing of Shimlas in Bloemfontein two weeks back, history is also heavily against Hendro Scholtz’s boys.
In these two teams’ 12 previous Varsity Cup clashes, Shimlas have only won twice. Those wins came in 2015, when they went on to claim their only title, and in 2011. Significantly, both those wins were at home and in the only years when Maties didn’t reach the playoffs.
Maties, of course, have an enviable record. The ‘Maroon Machine’ have only been beaten at the semifinal stage once, by UCT Ikey Tigers back in 2014. That happens to also be the only time, in 10, that they’ve played a semifinal away from their Danie Craven Stadium fortress.
To further illustrate the task at hand for Shimlas come Monday at 19:00 is the fact that Maties have now hosted 55 Varsity Cup matches in Stellenbosch, only losing five times – and not since the 2016 final against NWU Pukke.
That all said, even Hawies Fourie and his Maties squad will be aware that records are there to be broken and matches are not won on paper or just by rocking up – especially so if you’re trying to set a new precedent with a fifth title.
Teams:
Maties: 15 Anton du Toit, 14 Munier Hartzenberg, 13 David Brits, 12 Chris Smit, 11 Edwill van der Merwe, 10 Jordan Chait, 9 Logan Boonzaaier, 8 Stephan Streicher, 7 Ben-Jason Dixon, 6 Chris Massyn, 5 Clee Sesink, 4 Zirk Jansen, 3 Sazi Sandi, 2 Dan Jooste, 1 Wayrin Losper
Replacements: 16 HJ Luus, 17 Ricky Nwagbara, 18 Piet Strauss, 19 Mitchell Carstens, 20 Jesse Johnson, 21 Brendon Nell, 22 Reinhardt Fortuin
Shimlas: 15 Sechaba Matsoele, 14 Charl Pretorius, 13 William Eybers, 12 Tiaan Schutte, 11 Marnus Boshoff, 10 Lubabalo Dobela, 9 Zinedene Booysen, 8 Albertus de Bod, 7 Menzi Nhlabathi, 6 Jan Rossouw, 5 Sibabalo Qoma, 4 Nathan Jordan, 3 Ruan Kramer, 2 Wihan Marais, 1 Daniel Wessles
Replacements: 16 Christian Wiburg, 17 John Fincham, 18 Mogau Mabokela, 19 Henk Pretorius, 20 Olehile Losaba, 21 Rewan Kruger, 22 Cham Zondeki, 23 Kurt Eybers
Referee: Ruhan Meiring
Assistant referees: Divan Uys, Cwengile Jadezweni
TMO: Joey Klaaste-Salmans
