Round Three preview: Nowhere to hide
It might just be Round Three of the 2010 FNB Varsity Cup presented by Steinhoff International, but already we are faced with some crucial matches this week – many of which will affect the overall standings in this competition.
The first game on Monday could just be the most crucial (which will be televised live on SuperSport), as FNB TUT play host to FNB Tuks in Tshwane, with both sides currently winless and desperate to open their accounts.
The TUT Vikings are searching for their first Varsity Cup win since March 3, 2008, whilst both sides, of course, are searching for their first victories in the 2010 competition.
Both TUT and Tuks deserve better than their current standings suggest (TUT are in seventh place with zero log points; Tuks are in sixth place with three log points) and both remain dangerous outfits – as both teams have proven over the years in the Varsity Cup.
Vikings assistant coach Jimmy Watt, a veteran campaigner in this competition, summed things up best this week, saying: “We have a long history with Tuks and in itself that will be enough reason for every player to be at his best. The coaching staff will have do very little to motivate the guys. They will be as pumped up as can be.”
The rest of the week’s matches all kick-off at 6.30pm and two of the fixtures will involve four of the top five teams, at present, which means there could be some interesting movements on the standings.
The UJ-Maties match in Johannesburg pits the back-to-back champions against one of the form teams in 2010; UJ having won their opening match against TUT before grabbing a last-gasp draw against Tuks in a drama-filled fixture last Monday.
Captain Clinton de Klerk is a hard-working outside centre and gives his team plenty of direction, but with an attacking flyhalf in the shape of André Smith; not to mention dangerous outside backs like Lola Waka and Earl Lewis – both of whom would test any defence. Even that of the defending champions.
“It’s a daunting prospect – making the trip to Johannesburg to play against UJ – as we’ve never played them (UJ) up there,” Maties head coach Chean Roux told varsitycup.co.za.
“I haven’t watched their full video yet (against Tuks), but I heard it was a close encounter. UJ are always a formidable side and I thought they were very unlucky to miss out on the semifinals last year when Tuks got in ahead of them after beating us [at home] in their final league match.
“[But] we’re looking forward to the challenge and will stick to our aim of trying to win every game that we play in the Varsity Cup.”
The biggest of the 6.30pm matches, and one that rivals the TUT-Tuks clash as the Game of Round Three, sees Pukke play host to Shimlas in Potchefstroom.
The home team will still be smarting from their Round Two loss to UCT in Cape Town, but they will be a different kettle of fish on their home turf against a side that has not won a match in Potch since 1997.
But Shimlas are one of the form sides in the 2010 Varsity Cup – as they showed in their opening-round 30-30 draw against UCT and subsequent demolition job of NMMU last Monday. The Shimlas, cock-a-hoop after their 54-5 win, have kept their changes to a minimum for their Potch visit; whereas Pukke have chosen a much-changed side after suffering a few injuries.
The Kovsies boast a powerful front row, with hard-running loose forwards and their backs are not scared to have a go; be it Divandré Strydom, Rashied Isaacs or Beast Ndwandwa – all of whom have featured, at times, on the wing for the Bloemfontein-based team.
Wing talk aside, however, the real battle will take place and time will tell if the young Kovsies front row will get the better of their more battle-hardened opponents, who – themselves – took some strain in Cape Town last week.
Speaking of the Mother City, the Green Mile will be empty come Monday night with UCT playing at a similarly windy venue, the Xerox NMMU Stadium in Port Elizabeth.
“We’ve all spent many a night, in gale force winds, at the Green Mile,” said UCT scrumhalf Stu Commins. “If any side should, and can, cope with the wind it should be us!”
Also winless in 2010, having won just one match last season and none in 2008, the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University remain formidable opponents – especially at home.
“We are under no illusions that this will be a difficult game,” Ikeys coach John Dobson told varsitycup.co.za, “(as) I think the scores that NMMU have conceded this season belie a far better performance, apart maybe from the second half against the Maties.”
For the Ikeys – and, indeed also for NMMU – Monday’s match will be an emotional affair as both sides get set to once again honour the late Monte Taljaard; a talented rugby player who was born and raised in PE but played his rugby for UCT before tragically passing away in 2008.
“Monte was a big part of us and would have been our future (at the club),” said Dobson. “We are grateful for an occasion such as this to honour him.”
The fixtures and team line-ups for Monday, February 15, 2010:
FNB TUT v FNB Tuks, TUT Stadium
Kick-off: 4.30pm (Live on SuperSport One)
Referee: Mlungiseli Mdashe
The teams:
TUT: 15 Hansie Graaff, 14 Johan Swartz, 13 Jaco Oosthuizen, 12 Lutho Nyeka, 11 Thabo Motau, 10 Jacques Venter, 9 Manny Raposo, 8 Wikus Botes, 7 Emile Verster (captain), 6 Alfred Khoza, 5 Werner Lourens, 4 Johan Steenkamp, 3 Braam van der Merwe, 2 Dean Muir, 1 Juan Pike.
Replacements: 16 Eugene Cunha, 17 Jacques van Rooyen, 18 Dewald van Deventer, 19 Ryno Lopes, 20 Theunis Cchoeman, 21 Simphiwe Mtkulu, 22 Henk de Ridder, 23 Johann Visser.
Tuks: 15 Gert Smith, 14 Ernie Kruger, 13 Dirk Dippenaar, 12 Franco Booysen, 11 Justin van Staden, 10 Shaun Davids (captain), 9 Zylon McGaffen, 8 Marius Weber, 7 Oswin Mentoor, 6 Lourens Lombard, 5 Joe Walters, 4 Tiaan Nel, 3 Danie Oosthuizen, 2 Chris Crous, 1 Musa Tukela.
Replacements: 16 Robbie Coetzee, 17 Ettienne Breytenbach, 18 Coenraad Pieterse, 19 Tendai Chikukwa, 20 Fanie Booysen, 21 Franco Mostert, 22 Tom Seabela, 23 Hein Viljoen.
FNB UJ v FNB Maties, UJ Stadium
Kick-off: 6.30pm
Referee: Ben Crouse
The teams:
UJ: 15 Earl Lewis, 14 Aubrey McDonald/Bernardo Botha, 13 Clinton de Klerk (captain), 12 Luan Steenkamp, 11 Lola Waka, 10 André Smith, 9 Jaco Snymnan, 8 Quinten Minnaar, 7 Justin Wheeler, 6 JP Janse van Rensburg, 5 Marnus van Huyssteen, 4 Martin Lombard, 3 Wayne Swart, 2 Edgar Marutlulle, 1 Charl du Plessis.
Replacements: 16 Brett Claassens, 17 Cllint van Niekerk, 18 Marnus van Huyssteen 19 Hennie Kilian, 20 Danny Botha, 21 Ryno Luus, 22 McDonald/Botha, 23 Jaco Claassen.
Maties: 15 Jurgen Visser, 14 Danie Poolman, 13 Stokkies Hanekom, 12 Dabeon Draghoender, 11 Tythan Adams, 10 Conrad Hoffman, 9 Johan Herbst, 8 Tertius Daniller, 7 Jonathan Adendorf, 6 Sam Mabombo, 5 Hugo Kloppers, 4 Andrew Prior, 3 Lourens Adriaanse (captain), 2 Matthew Dobson, 1 Mike De Neuilly-Rice.
Replacements: 16 Andrew Crausaz, 17 Johan Roets, 18 Marinus Pretorius, 19 Josh Strauss, 20 André Kemp, 21 Stephan van der Merwe, 22 Jonathan Francke, 23 Buhle Mxunuywa.
FNB Pukke v FNB Shimlas, Fanie du Toit Stadium
Kick-off: 6.30pm (Live on SuperSport One)
Referee: Tiaan Jonker
The teams:
Pukke: 15 Theuns Kotzé, 14 SP Marias, 13 Ruan Jacobs, 12 Cecil Dumond, 11 Johannes Seerane, 10 Niell Jacobs, 9 Andries Mahoney, 8 Thabo Mamojele, 7 Siya Mdaka, 6 Savvas Nel, 5 Markus Fourie, 4 Dirco Rautenbach (captain), 3 Stephanus Bezuidenhout, 2 Stoffel Duvenage, 1 Dewald Coetzee.
Replacements: 16 BW van Dyk, 17 BG Uys, 18 Francois Robbertse, 19 Thabo Molete, 20 Willem Barnard, 21 Kempie Rautenbach, 22 Andrew van Wyk, 23 Johan Coetzee.
Shimlas: 15 George Whitehead, 14 Divandré Strydom, 13 Earl Snyman, 12 Wayne Stevens (captain), 11 Rashied Isaacs, 10 Reinhardt Erwee, 9 Jaco Colyn, 8 Boom Prinsloo, 7 Willie Britz, 6 Hanno Pieterse, 5 Henjo van Niekerk, 4 Joubert Horn, 3 Vaatjie Koorsen, 2 PW van Vuuren, 1 Ian Potgieter.
Replacements: 16 Gert Erasmus, 17 Charles Marais, 18 Lebo Zietsman, 19 Pieter Labuschagné, 20 Marlin Ruiters, 21 Beast Ndwandwa, 22 Johan van Schalkwyk, 23 André Schlechter.
FNB NMMU v FNB UCT, Xerox NMMU Stadium
Kick-off: 6.30pm
Referee: Archie Sehlako
The teams:
NMMU: 15 Jade Barkhuizen, 14 Oscar Mazaka, 13 Stefan de Klerk, 12 Willem Laubscher, 11 Williams Heydenrych, 10 Aluzant Munnik, 9 Luso Booi (captain), 8 De Wet De Lange, 7 JP Kellerman, 6 Thomasau Forbes, 5 Mathew Lutge, 4 Jannie Fourie, 3 Pierre Hammand, 2 Werner Kapp, 1 Tyron Willams.
Replacements: 16 Hugo Lampbrechts, 17 Chris Dicks, 18 Kemsley Wesso, 19 Samuel Borsaah, 20 Phiwe Lallendle, 21 Darryl Turner, 22 Wade Roos, 23 Chariel van Jaarsveld.
UCT: 15 Therlow Pietersen, 14 Pete Haw, 13 Tim Whitehead, 12 Sean van Tonder, 11 Marcel Brache, 10 Matt Rosslee, 9 Stu Commins (captain), 8 Sam Peter, 7 JJ Gagiano, 6 Yaya Hartzenberg, 5 Martin Muller, 4 Don Armand, 3 Chris Heidberg, 2 Mark Goosen, 1 Ash Wells.
Replacements: 16 Matt Page, 17 Wes Chetty, 18 Mike Ledwidge, 19 Greg Mallett, 20 Nic Groom, 21 Paul Cohen, 22 Douglas Mallett, 23 Grant Kemp.
