Tuks 'slip-up' no distraction for Maties
FNB Maties head coach Chean Roux does not believe his team’s 23-25 loss to Tuks this past week will have any bearing on next week’s Varsity Cup semifinal clash against the same opponents.
Tuks managed to sneak into the semifinals of the 2009 FNB Varsity Cup presented by Steinhoff International courtesy of their hard-fought win over the previously unbeaten Maties, even prompting Roux to suggest that his team should go into the Last Four as underdogs.
“Technically we are the underdogs,” a smiling Roux told varsitycup.co.za. “The semifinals are a whole new ball game and the last time we played them, they beat us!”
Of course, Roux – a former Stormers and Western Province No.8 – is far too canny a coach to really believe that last statement of his…
“Look, earlier this season I said my goal was to finish on top of the log after the league phase of the Varsity Cup; we’ve achieved that,” he said. “Sure, it would’ve been great to end the season unbeaten, but I’d much rather lose a meaningless league game than go into the play-offs unbeaten and lose one of those matches.
“I told the guys after the loss to Tukkies on Monday, ‘This is what failure feels like… Let’s make sure we don’t have that same feeling next week’,” added the Maties mentor.
“Next Monday (against Tukkies, again) is a different week, with different things at stake… and different goals (that need) to be achieved.”
Earlier this week, UCT head coach John Dobson admitted that his team lacked the proper motivation to beat Pukke in Potchefstroom on Monday, because they simply needed one point from the encounter – or had to deny Pukke a bonus point win – in order to qualify for the semifinals.
Roux, revealed a similar problem in his camp – especially after UCT’s 13-17 loss, the game having finished just before the Maties ran out to face Tuks in Stellenbosch at 6.45pm.
“It’s no excuse and we certainly didn’t under-estimate Tuks,” admitted Roux, “but there wasn’t really much for us to play for after UCT lost…
“We were assured of top spot, no matter what happened against Tuks, so I think the guys might not have been as focused as they should’ve been.”
The Maties-Tuks semifinal match – a repeat of last year’s memorable SF clash, which produced a staggering 91 points – kicks-off at 6.45pm at the Danie Craven Stadium on Monday, March 23. The match will be televised live on SuperSport One.
Looking ahead to the game, Roux said: “Our flyhalf Jason (de Villiers) won’t be available – he took a heavy knock in a late charge on Monday. Otherwise, aside from the guys in the Stormers and WP teams, we’ll have a full squad to choose from – despite a few niggles here and there.
“All the guys are looking forward to Monday,” he added.
“We’ve done a fair bit of work on the training ground this week and we know where we went wrong (last week) and where we need to improve.”
