TUT eyeing Varsity Cup safety
FNB TUT coach Jimmy Watt is hoping that his team’s form in the recently-completed Carlton Cup will be enough to help them qualify for the 2010 Varsity Cup competition.
The Men from Tshwane are due to play two promotion/relegation games this month against the University of KwaZulu-Natal – the first of which takes place this Wednesday (August 19), before a return fixture on Saturday, August 29.
Wednesday’s match is a home one for TUT (and will be played at the TUT Stadium in Tshwane), with the return leg taking place in Pietermaritzburg.
“These (promotion/relegation) games are tougher than a grand final,” Watt told varsitycup.co.za with a nervous laugh.
“Losing is never nice… but you never want to lose a match that means you’re unable to compete in a great tournament like the Varsity Cup.”
TUT, however, finished last in the 2009 FNB Varsity Cup presented by Steinhoff International and they have known their fate since the end of March. Now that they know who their opponents are – the University of KwaZulu-Natal – they can set about preparing for these important fixtures.
“We know very little about the University of KwaZulu-Natal,” admitted Watt. “However, we won’t be worrying about our opponents – if our level of play is good enough, we should be able to beat them”
These two promotion/relegation matches will be played on a points system similar to that of the Varsity Cup proper and according to a mini-log.
The winner in each match will receive four points, with bonus points on offer for four tries and/or losing by fewer than seven points. A draw is worth two points.
Said Watt: “Our aim is to win both matches and qualify for the 2010 Varsity Cup – we’ll take any points that come our way.
“The guys are in good form and good shape after the Carlton Cup where we lost 13-16 in the semifinals to the eventual winners, Police, who went on to beat Tuks in the final.
“I think we’re better prepared than we were in the (2009) Varsity Cup and we’ll do our best in these two games in order to stay in the Varsity Cup,” he added.
“It’s a great tournament and we certainly don’t want to be left out in the cold come next year February.”
