Shimlas stun defending champs Tuks

VARSITY CUP WRAP: Defending champions UP-Tuks were shocked on home turf in Pretoria when UFS Shimlas scored a narrow 26-25 victory, while Maties sneak past Ikeys at the Danie Craven Stadium.

The UFS Shimlas avenged their defeat in last year’s semi-final with a victory in the opening Round of the 2023 Varsity Cup season.

Shimlas got off to a flyer with a try by wing Asanda Kunene within the first five minutes. Two more converted tries in quick succession saw the Free State side going up 21 points in just 12 minutes. Fullback Kyle Cyster got Tuks on the scoreboard with a try while the home team was also awarded a penalty try later in the half. Shimlas went to the halftime break 21-14 in the lead.

The visitors picked up where they left off in the second 40 minutes when Kunene completed his brace within four minutes. The Pretoria outfit fought back forcing Shimlasto to commit errors in crucial spaces which saw flyhalf Jacobus Burger kicking two penalties. They managed to reduce the deficit to a single point when hooker Allister Williams scored from a driving maul.

Meanwhile, Maties claimed the tightest of victories over old foe UCT Ikeys at the Danie Craven Stadium, winning 21-19 at the death.

An early bit of magic by flyhalf JurieMatthee saw Maties go ahead 9-0 in as many minutes as he converted his seven-point try. Wing Maselino Poole, a late call-up due to an injury to veteran speedster Mike Mavovana, was shown a red card after a high tackle in the lead-up to the try by Ikeys fullback Duran Koevort.

The teams continued to arm wrestle before some superb play between the backline and forwards saw Ikeys inside centre Lyle Hendricks go over in the corner before a superb touchline conversion from Makhaza. The visitors went into the halftime break 16-9 in front with the match still very much in the balance.

A second red card for Maties, this time against Marco van Rhyn, complicated matters for last year’s beaten finalists as Ikeys stretched their lead to 19-9.

The hosts however responded with a try by livewire scrumhalf Thomas Bursey. The spark was a chip and chase by replacement Luke Burger and the conversion by Matthee made it a single-point game with the clock winding down. A late penalty by Matthee, with the hooter going off in the background, clinched the slimmest of victories for Maties.

Wits drew first blood in the 2023 Varsity Cup with a strong second-half showing against CUT Ixias in Bloemfontein on Monday, coming away with a 59-49 victory.

NWU Eagles got their 2023 Varsity Cup campaign started with an enthralling 41-28 victory over UJ at the Fanie du Toit Sports Ground.

The scores and scorers:

UP-Tuks 25 UFS Shimlas 26

The scorers:

For UP-TUKS
Tries: Kyle Cyster, Allister Williams, penalty try.
Con: Jacobus Burger
Pens: Jacobus Burger 2

For UFS Shimlas
Tries:Asanda Kunene 2, Kwezi Dlamini, John Moffat.
Cons: Ethan Wentzel 3

Player That Rocks: Pierre Uys (UFS Shimlas)

MATIES 21 UCT IKEYS 19

For Maties:
Tries: JurieMatthee, Thomas Bursey.
Cons: Matthee 2
Pen: Matthee

For UCT Ikeys
Tries: Duran Koevort, Lyle Hendricks.
Cons: Ntokozo Makhaza 2
Pen: Makhaza

Player That Rocks: Asad Moos (UCT Ikeys)

WITS 59  CUT  Ixias 49

For Wits
Tries: LindokuhleNcusane, Wian de Lange 2, Mark Snyman 2, KabeloMokhethi, Azakhiwe Afrika, Banele Mthenjane.
Cons: Chris Rheeder 5

For CUT Ixias
Tries: Tokelo Ntapane 3, Zachery Bester, Ulrich Stander, Thabiso Mkhwebane, MaboeSekele.
Cons: Christian Humphries 7
Pen: Christian Humphries.

Player That Rocks: Mark Snyman (Wits)

NWU Eagles 41 UJ 28

For NWU Eagles
Tries: IsromePhatudi, Theuns Pretorius, Vernon Paulo, Sylvester Hassien, Stephan Krugel, Wihan Nel.
Cons: Zinedine Robinson 2, Martin Venter
Pen: Robinson

For UJ
Tries: Dernell Osuagwu, Jonathan Viljoen 2
Con: Jonathan Viljoen
Pens: Jonathan Viljoen 3

Player That Rocks: Sylvester Hassien (NWU Eagles)

Source: @VarsityCup