WSU whack CPUT to set up rematch in Final

VARSITY SHIELD MATCHDAY WRAP: WSU beat an understrength CPUT 39-5 at Tuks Stadium on Tuesday to book a spot in Sunday’s Final, against the same opponents.

Defending champions CPUT, who made 14 changes to their team for this clash and have a Round 7 bye on Friday, will finish the league stage of the tournament with 25 log points from six matches.

WSU, who will play the third-placed TUT Vikings on Friday, also have 25 log points but are top of the log on points-difference.

The Vikings thrashed Rhodes on Tuesday to take their log-points tally to 18.

UFH BLUES 75 (35) DUT RHINOS 0

The UFS Blues were impeccable on attack as they ran in 11 tries, including a hat-trick and two braces, to demolish the DUT Rhinos.

DUT tried to play at the same tempo and although they had their opportunities they endured an abrasive defensive effort by the Blues that left the Durbanites not only scoreless but frustrated.

It certainly didn’t take the men from the Eastern Cape long to bother the scoreboard as wing Brandt Fields touched down in the third minute. He added a try in the second half and kicked six conversions for an impressive haul of 22 points.

DUT upped the ante on defence after the opening try and it took until after the first strategy break for Fort Hare to strike again.

Inside centre Jonathan Booysen’s try was the moment that the dam wall broke as flank Kamvelihle Fatyela crossed for his brace while outside centre Keith Chiwara scored the first of his three to inflate the scoreline to 35-0 at half-time.

It was much of the same for the Blues on attack when the match resumed for the second stanza as captain and No 8 Yamkela Mzozoyana scored within five minutes before utility back Lukho Jongizulu crossed the chalk and Fields got his brace.

The Rhinos, usually animals to guard their territory ferociously, appeared to just lie down and show off their bellies, while rejigging their defensive patterns with the loss of fullback Langelihle Ntombela due to a reckless tackle and subsequent yellow card.

The final quarter was one-way traffic for Fort Hare as they scored another three tries, including two more to Chiwara and one from replacement utility back Lungelo Rintsana.

Player That Rocks: Brandt Fields (UFH Blues)

The scorers

For UFH Blues
Tries: Fields 2, Booysen, Fatyela 2, Chiwara 3, Mzozoyana, Jongizulu, Rintsana
Cons: Fields 6, Sidloyi 2, Chiwara 2

For DUT Rhinos
None

Teams

UFH Blues: 15 Liyema Tyali, 14 Brandt Fields, 13 Keith Chiwara, 12 Jonathan Booysen, 11 Sive Lubisi, 10 Apiwe Sidloyi, 9 Merlin du Plessis, 8 Yamkela Mzozoyana (captain), 7 Kamvelihle Fatyela, 6 Lukhanyiso Tosholwana, 5 Ayabulela Xhosana, 4 Walter Moyo, 3 Sibabalo Mnkani, 2 Daniel Caku-Caku, 1 Anele Nkohla.
Replacements: 16 Garin Strydom, 17 Samkelo Ntshulwane, 18 Mesuli Nzima, 19 Lungelo Rintsana, 20 Bukho Mgatyelwa, 21 Lwazi Madiba, 22 Lukho Jongizulu, 23 Lakhanya Sam.

DUT Rhinos: 15 Langelihle Ntombela, 14 Luyolo Nkwanca, 13 Mpilenhle Mthembu, 12 Moyomuhle Mkhize, 11 Bongumenzi Mkhize, 10 Nelson Mhlongo (captain), 9 Anele Mzobe, 8 Simphiwe Phiri, 7 Malusi Mkhize, 6 Sithembiso Mthihare, 5 Katambwa Mulumba, 4 Nkanyiso Miya, 3 Anelisa Mthwazi, 2 Sechaba Motsapi, 1 Bayanda Mdladla.
Replacements: 16 Siyanda Mthembu, 17 Mpumelelo Hlefane, 18 Sinqobile Maseko, 19 Philasande Mchunu, 20 Philasande Mgogo, 21 Simphiwe Makhubu, 22 Andile Dlamini, 23 Sizwe Malakoane.

Referee: Graciano Pienaar
Assistant referees: Local
TMO: Egon Seconds

TUT VIKINGS 64 (12) RHODES 6 (6)

The TUT Vikings overcame a slow start to thrash Rhodes.

The Vikings’ ended up scoring 10 tries, with their fourth win in five matches keeping their hopes of reaching the Final alive.

However, they would be extinguished a couple of hours later when WSU beat CPUT.

Rhodes took a 6-0 lead after two penalty goals from flyhalf Matthew Royle, but tries to No 8 Laro Delport and centre Mauritz Maritz, the latter’s just before half-time, gave TUT a 12-6 advantage.

Maritz scored his second try early in the second half and when flank Francois de Villiers and winger Musawenkosi Sili crossed the line, the Vikings led 31-6.

Flyhalf Lusanda Xakwana, who has been nominated for the Varsity Shield’s Overall Player That Rocks award, scored TUT’s sixth try, before Stallions replacement Garfield Khanyile was red-carded for a dangerous tackle on Vikings try-scorer Dieter Groenewald.

TUT wasted no time in reaching the half-century mark as centre Franco Stassen rounded off a great team try. Replacement flanks Kazadi Mukendi and Handro Horn then dotted down in the final two minutes of the match to complete a convincing win.

Player That Rocks: Mauritz Maritz (TUT Vikings)

The scorers

For TUT Vikings
Tries: Delport, Maritz 2, De Villiers, Sili, Xakwana, Groenewald, Stassen, Mukendi, Horn
Cons: Pretorius 2, Xakwana 5

For Rhodes
Pens: Royle 2

Teams

TUT Vikings: 15 Lusanda Xakwana, 14 Wanga Shumi, 13 Mauritz Maritz, 12 Musawenkosi Sili, 11 Vuyani Vanqa, 10 LJ Pretorius, 9 Ngcebo Thusi, 8 Laro Delport, 7 Francois de Villiers, 6 Phuzukuvela Sithole, 5 Anré O’Neill (captain), 4 LJ Viljoen, 3 Goabaona Mokone, 2 Joseph Kwinda, 1 Ruhan Oosthuizen.
Replacements: 16 Heirich Briedenhann, 17 Thabiso Masuku, 18 Kazadi Mukendi, 19 Handro Horn, 20 Thabang Malone, 21 Ethan Wilson, 22 Dieter Groenewald, 23 Franco Stassen.

Rhodes: 15 Simamkele Ngantweni, 14 Cameron Marais, 13 Damian Morrow, 12 Simelela Mbanzi, 11 Tinashe Famba, 10 Matthew Royle, 9 Nicholas Dettmer, 8 Athenkosi Nkewana, 7 Ntsika Ndungane, 6 Kwandiwe Mbelani, 5 Xhanti Stofile, 4 Bongumusa Mokoena, 3 Sinolwazingekamvalakhe Ralo, 2 Loyiso Isaacs, 1 Sithembele Njokweni.
Replacements: 16 TC Junior Manana, 17 Katlego Petje, 18 Ongeziwe Shumi, 19 Bradley van Heerden, 20 Viwe Makeleni, 21 Dimitri Mngqolo, 22 Abonga Manka, 23 Garfield Khanyile.

Referee: Johre Botha
Assistant referees: Local
TMO: Egon Seconds

WSU ALL BLACKS 39 (12) CPUT 5 (0)

WSU booked their place in the Varsity Shield final with a convincing win against a second-string CPUT.

With one eye on Sunday’s final, CPUT fielded a vastly changed team for this top-of-the-table clash.

It seemed to be more of a distraction in the first half as their attacking game plan appeared to be full of holes. However, their defence was resolute as they frustrated the All Blacks’ attacking opportunities on a regular basis.

This changed in the 30th minute when replacement utility back Yamkela Mzozoyana, who had only just come on as a blood replacement, rolled out of a tackle to score. Lock Asekho Marubelela then powered his way over 12 minutes later.

Flyhalf Lwandile Mapuko converted the second try to hand the All Blacks a reasonably comfortable 12-0 lead at half-time.

Much like the Dam Busters of World War 2, WSU smashed straight through the top-of-the-table Tekkies in the second half.

Outside centre Sicelo Tole began the onslaught as he blitzed through an almost non-existent defence within a minute of the match resuming, before Marubelela, who won the Player that Rocks award, grabbed his second try eight minutes later.

CPUT’s woes were worsened when outside centre Björkan Hendricks was sent to the sin bin for 10 minutes after a reckless tackle.

The All Blacks had zero issue with further punishing their opponents as Mapuko scored a try and a penalty goal, while Hendricks made up for his earlier transgression by scoring a consolation try.

Fullback Litha Nkula had the final say with a sensational try that saw him reach 100 career points in the Varsity Shield and become WSU’s all-time top point-scorer.

Player That Rocks: Asekho Marubelela (WSU All Blacks)

The scorers

For WSU All Blacks
Tries: Nyemba, Marubelela 2, Tole, Mapuko, Nkula
Cons: Mapuko 3
Pen: Mapuko

For CPUT
Try: Hendricks

Teams

WSU All Blacks: 15 Litha Nkula (captain), 14 Sakhele Ngeno, 13 Sicelo Tole, 12 Thembani Kori, 11 Tebogo Madigoe, 10 Lwandile Mapuko, 9 Eric Mcaphukana, 8 Adri Kermis, 7 Ayabulela Zono, 6 Siphosihle Magawu, 5 Hlomla Payi, 4 Asekho Marubelela, 3 Siyasanga Dingezweni, 2 Zanokuhle Nkabi, 1 Xolani Jacobs.
Replacements: 16 Nande Lucas, 17 Lindokuhle Seteni, 18 Miyelani Ngobeni, 19 Esethu Zenani, 20 Lithemba Ngcetane, 21 Lisolethu Valisi, 22 Yamkela Nyembe, 23 Khanya Solani.

CPUT: 15 Raven Chester Smith, 14 Christopher Andrews, 13 Bjorkan Hendricks, 12 Kieran Dreyden, 11 Tauriq Gamieldien, 10 Imibongo Vabaza, 9 Cuan Maree, 8 Phumlani Mkhaliphi, 7 Roland van der Heever, 6 Butsha Mputa (captain), 5 Bradley van Boven, 4 Joshua Paris, 3 Jacques-Lynn Josephus, 2 Damian Isaacs, 1 Onika Mgijima.
Replacements: 16 Lucien Phillips, 17 Dé-Angelo Williams, 18 Matthew Coenraad, 19 Anenceba Salman, 20 Ché Klaasen, 21 Hugan Engelbrecht, 22 Feghon-Leigh Snyders, 23 Lunathi Nxele.

Referee: Jaco Pretorius
Assistant referees: Local
TMO: Egon Seconds

Source: @varsityshield