TUT end two-year Varsity Cup drought
The FNB TUT Vikings recorded their first win in the FNB Varsity Cup presented by Steinhoff International since 2008 – beating the NMMU Madibas 45-40 in a nail-biter in Tshwane on Monday night.
Much more than merely the Wooden Spoon was at stake in the two teams’ last match of the 2010 Varsity Cup tournament – both sides were playing to avoid the promotion/relegation games later in the year.
The TUT Vikings scored seven tries to five and, on balance, were the better side on the night.
The match got off to a slow start, however; with the teams wasting precious possession with aimless kicking and handling errors.
But the home team eventually got their act together and made more of their opportunities with official Man of the Match, Vincent Gwavu, scoring his team’s first try.
Gwavu broke through a gap, after the forwards had gained some hard yards with great phase play, to stretch over.
The Vikings added two more first-half tries through Simphiwe Mtimkulu and Johan Swartz, who scored the first of his three well-worked tries.
But the Madibas had been giving as good as they got, and with ten minutes in the first half remaining they capitalised on a fumbled TUT ball in midfield. Nippy Madibas scrumhalf Hugo van Heerden – playing in place of regular skipper Luso Booi – fielded the ball and ran through for his team’s first try.
The scoreline changed hands on many occasions, with the Madibas taking the lead after the break via a goal and a penalty, but then the Vikings came bouncing back with three quick tries that effectively won the match.
They opened a 40-23 lead over the visitors with 15 minutes remaining in the match.
The defence was not always as solid as it should have been at this level, and towards the end of the match both sides found gaps opening without having to really work for their opportunities
TUT had to stave off an intense fight-back by the Madibas – who scored two quick tries near the end to end five points short of avoiding the Wooden Spoon, with the earlier try-blitz by the home side making all the difference in the end.
The scorers:
For FNB TUT:
Tries: Gwavu, Mtimkulu, Swartz 3, Steenkamp, Oosthuizen
Cons: Oosthuizen 5
For FNB NMMU:
Tries: Van Heerden, Fourie 2, Heydenrych, Wesso
Cons: Van Niekerk 3
Pens: Van Niekerk 3
The teams:
TUT: 15 Hansie Graaff, 14 Johan Swartz, 13 Simphiwe Mtkulu, 12 Lutho Nyeka, 11 Thabo Motau, 10 Jaco Oosthuizen, 9 Manny Raposo, 8 Wikus Botes, 7 Emile Verster (captain), 6 Vincent Gwavu, 5 Dewald van Deventer, 4 Johan Steenkamp, 3 Braam van der Merwe, 2 Dean Muir, 1 Juan Pike.
Replacements: 16 Alfred Khoza, 17 Jacques van Rooyen, 18 Werner Lourens, 19 Ryno Lopes, 20 Theunis Schoeman, 21 Adillio Coutriers, 22 Ruan van Loo, 23 Marco van Deventer.
NMMU: 15 Aluzant Munnik, 14 Oscar Mazaka, 13 Mlindazwe Nqoro, 12 Wade Roos, 11 Williams Heydenrych, 10 Carl van Niekerk, 9 Hugo van Heerden, 8 Samuel Borsaah, 7 Mathew Lutge, 6 JP Kellerman, 5 Kemsley Wesso, 4 Jannie Fourie, 3 Pierre Hammand, 2 Werner Kapp, 1 Hanre Basson.
Replacements: 16 Hugo Lampbrechts, 17 Chariel van Jaarsveld, 18 De Wet De Lange, 19 Thomasau Forbes, 20 Phiwokhule Lalendle, 21 Stefan de Klerk, 22 Jade Barkhuizen, 23 Bathabile Mtimka.
Referee: Bongani Maloni
