Unchanged UJ eyeing semifinals
With everything to play for in the last two rounds of the league phase of the 2010 Varsity Cup, FNB UJ will have their minds fixed on clinical performance against FNB NMMU in Johannesburg on Monday.
After announcing an unchanged team on Friday, UJ head coach Hugo van As made it clear that FNB NMMU’s winless record, and last place on the log, would not make his team rest any easier ahead of Monday.
“The easiest game to lose is the one that everyone expects you to win,” a clearly wary Van As told varsitycup.co.za.
“The one mistake we will not make is to think of them as easy prey. They are a far better team than their position on the log reflects and the marked improvement in their overall play in the last two matches has not gone unnoticed.”
Van As, who is hoping for a first-ever semifinal spot for UJ added: “We are so close but also as far in (terms of) qualifying for the play-offs.
“Our mental toughness will now have to kick in so that nothing is left to change. In a way we’re not taking on FNB NMMU on Monday, but rather our own ability to stick to the game plan longer and more clinical.”
* UJ and NMMU have met twice before in the FNB Varsity Cup presented by Steinhoff International, with the Men from Johannesburg winning both encounters – by 57-7 in 2008 and 36-10 in 2009.
The FNB UJ team: 15 Earl Lewis, 14 Bernado Botha, 13 Clinton de Klerk (captain), 12 Luhan Steenkamp, 11 Lola Waka, 10 Ryno Luus, 9 Jaco ‘Haas’ Snyman, 8 Hennie Killian, 7 Wiehan Roos, 6 JP Janse van Rensburg, 5 Marnus van Huyssteen, 4 Martin Lombard, 3 Clint van Niekerk, 2 Edgar Marutlulle, 1 Charl du Plessis.
Replacements: 16 Brett Claassens, 17 JP Olivier, 18 Corné Cordier, 19 Quintin Minnaar, 20 Danny Botha, 21 André Smith, 22 Aubrey McDonald, 23 Jaco Claassen.
Head coach: Hugo van As
Date: Monday, March 8
Venue: UJ Stadium
Kick-off: 6.30pm (Live on SuperSport One)
Referee: Matt Kemp
By Morris Gilbert
