Pukke set the early pace
Pukke demolished CUT-Ixias 70-7, Maties cruised to a 31-3 bonus-point victory over UJ, Wits edged UCT in Cape Town and Shimlas got the better of UP-Tuks in Pretoria.
All the scores and scorers!
NWU-Pukke 70-7 CUT-Ixias
Pukke hit the ground running and opened the scoring in two minutes through Walt Steenkamp before Dean Gordon and Estehan Visagie added tries of their own to take a 21-0 lead after 25 minutes.
CUT bagged a try on the stroke of half-time through Tiaan Erasmus, as they went into the break trailing 7-24.
Gordon got his brace early in the second half before Pukke ran riot with further tries from Tapiwa Mafura, Gideon van der Merwe, Visagie, Hendrik Marais and Evardi Boshoff. Schalk Hugo slotted seven conversions and a penalty to round off the victory.
Scorers:
NWU-Pukke:
Tries: Walt Steenkamp, Dean Gordon 2, Estehan Visagie 2, Tapiwa Mafura, Gideon van der Merwe, Hendrik Marais, Evardi Boshoff
Cons: Schalk Hugo 7
Pen: Schalk Hugo
CUT-Ixias:
Try: Tiaan Erasmus
Con: Heinrich Bitzi
Teams:
NWU-Pukke: 15 Tapiwa Mafura, 14 Dean Gordon, 13 Evardi Boshoff, 12 Akhona Nela, 11 Dean Stokes, 10 Schalk Hugo, 9 Chriswell September, 8 Pieter Bezuidenhout, 7 Estehan Visagie, 6 Gideon van der Merwe, 5 Walt Steenkamp, 4 Johannes Retief, 3 Johannes Ferreira, 2 Siphesihle Mngadi, 1 Morné Strydom
Substitutes: 16 Louis van der Westhuizen, 17 Nelius Theron, 18 Robert Hunt, 19 Duren Fillies, 20 Edward Haas, 21 Nkosana Mathaba, 22 Hendrik Marais, 23 Jimmy Mpailane.
CUT-Ixias: 15 Rasmus Breedt, 14 Dimitrio Tieties, 13 Duncan van Vuuren, 12 Mazithulele Nkosi, 11 Dian Dry, 10 Heinrich Bitzi, 9 Ruben De Haas, 8 Stefan Kruger, 7 Rayno Nel, 6 Dean Rossouw, 5 Brendon Fortuin, 4 Sylvester Makakole, 3 Hendrik Smit, 2 Tiaan Erasmus, 1 Quintin Vorster.
Substitutes: 16 Johannes Terblanche, 17 Raynard Esterhuizen, 18 Stefan van Schalkwyk, 19 Isiah Bila, 20 Songezo Ngozi, 21 Ruben Heymans, 22 Masego Toolo, 23 Tiisetso Madonsela.
Referee: AJ Jacobs
UP-Tuks 17-19 Shimlas
The home side opened the scoring in the 18th-minute through a Xolisa Guma try but Shimlas hit back immediately after the strategic break when wing Gideon Agenbag raced away for his side's opening try.
Shimlas extended their lead soon after the half-time break when Benjamin Janse van Vuuren muscled his way over in the corner. Lubabalo Dobela extended his side's lead to 19-7 when he slotted a penalty before the home side got themselves back into the game.
Toko Seerane took advantage of his side's extra man – Tuks' Joseph Botha being shown a yellow card – to bring his side back in the game and despite a late Denzel Hill score, Tuks fell just short of staging a dramatic comeback.
Scorers:
UP-Tuks:
Tries: Xolisa Guma, Toko Seerane, Denzel Hill
Cons: Tinus de Beer
UFS-Shimlas:
Tries: Francois Agenbag (seven point), Benjamin Janse van Vuuren
Cons: Lubabalo Dobela 2
Pen: Dobela
Yellow card: Joseph Botha (Shimlas)
Teams:
UP-Tuks: 15 WJ Strydom, 14 Dewald Naude, 13 Tony Botha, 12 Toko Seerane, 11 Xolisa Guma, 10 Tinus de Beer, 9 Theo Maree, 8 Clyde Davids, 7 Denzel Hill (captain), 6 Jaco Bezuidenhout, 5 Eli Snyman, 4 Marius Verwey, 3 Andrew Beerwinkel, 2 Jan-Henning Campher, 1 Franco van den Berg.
Replacements: 16 Johan Grobbelaar, 17 Ettienne Janeke, 18 Ruan Nortje, 19 Eduan Lubbe, 20 Carlo Engelbrecht, 21 Zandre Kruger, 22 Mehle Nelani, 23 Mornay Smith.
UFS-Shimlas: 15 Nicholas Naude, 14 Athi Halom, 13 Kurt Eybers, 12 Sango Xamlashe, 11 Francois Agenbag, 10 Lubabalo Dobela, 9 Dian Badenhorst, 8 Albertus de Bod, 7 Menzi Nhlabathi, 6 Benjamin Janse van Vuuren, 5 Henk Pretorius, 4 Sibalalo Qoma, 3 Mogau Mabokela, 2 Hanno Snyman, 1 Johan Kotze (captain).
Replacements: 16 JC Janse van Vuuren, 17 Wentzel Vorster, 18 Joseph Botha, 19 Raymond Woest, 20 Christoffel Roelofse, 21 Zinedine Booysen, 22 Carel Coetzee, 23 Sechaba Matsoel.
Referee: Paul Mente
UCT 26-30 Wits
Wits turned defence into attack early in the counter to grab the opening try when Kasande Kapepula raced over from inside his own half to hand his side a 9-0 lead but UCT hit back when a well-executed driving maul from a line-out ended with Nyasha Tarusenga dotting down to trail 7-9.
The home side took the lead shortly after when, after an attacking five-metre scrum, Wits' defence crumbled and referee Egon Seconds awarded UCT a penalty try as they took a 14-9 lead at the half-time interval.
Wits regained the lead soon after the restart as Constant Beckerling went over from close range. UCT fullback Brian Martin restored the home side's lead soon after as they went into the second strategy break with a slender 23-16 lead.
Wits ended the match in perfect fashion as Chris Hume and AJ van Blerk dotted down late in the to secure a come-from-behind victory.
Scores:
UCT-Ikeys:
Tries: Nyasha Tarusenga, Penalty try, Brian Martin
Cons: Brian Martin 2
Pen: Brian Martin
Wits:
Tries: Kasande Kapepula, Constant Beckerling, Chris Hume, AJ van Blerk
Cons: Christian Humphries 2
Teams:
UCT-Ikeys: 15 Brian Martin, 14 Rayno Mapoe, 13 Khanyo Ngcukana, 12 Joel Smith, 11 Sebastian Roodt, 10 Gresham Hock, 9 Stefano de Gouveia, 8 Nyasha Tarusenga, 7 Josh Moon, 6 Liam Greenhalgh, 5 Duncan Saffy, 4 David Meihuizen, 3 Simon Raw, 2 Hablutzel Cuan, 1 Quinton Losper.
Substitutes:16 Josh Van Vuuren, 17 Ashwyn Adams, 18 Stanley Modjadji, 19 Gary Porter, 20 Kwezi Puza, 21 Eduard Schoonraad , 22 Lohan Lubbe, 23 Suwilanji Chibale.
Wits: 15 Tyrone Green, 14 Peabo Ngema, 13 Gregory Champion ,12 AJ van Blerk, 11 Kasande Kapepula, 10 Christian Humphries, 9 Ruan Cloete, 8 Ayabulela Mdudi, 7 Conor-Terrah Brockschmidt, 6 Constant Beckerling, 5 Ludwig Snyman, 4 Dawid Bodenstein, 3 Jacobus Greeff, 2 John Conradie, 1 Ameer Williams.
Substitutes: 16 Carl Brandon, 17 Peter Hume, 18 Sipho Siboza, 19 Lwazi Monakali, 20 Jethro de Lange, 21 Morne van der Berg, 22 Manqoba Mbatha, 23 Siliwe Luyolo.
Referee: Egon Seconds
UJ 3-31 Maties
Two minutes into the match, Maties flyhalf Chris Smith played a neat grubber between UJ's defence to put Michal Haznar in for the opening try but UJ hit back through a Jeanluc Cilliers penalty – their only points of the game.
Maties extended their lead with a seven-point try when a cross-kick found Duncan Saal, who collected and raced over to hand his side a 19-3 lead at the break.
Saal added his second try early in the second half before Johan Momsen sealed victory and the bonus point when he crossed the try line.
Scorers:
UJ:
Pen: Jeanluc Cilliers
Maties:
Tries: Duncan Saal 2, Michal Haznar, Wilmar Arnoldi, Johan Momsen.
Cons: Chris Smith 2
Teams:
UJ: 15 Ronald Brown, 14 Tyreeq February, 13 Cyprian Nkomo, 12 Jaco Fourie, 11 Tatendaishe Mujawo, 10 Jeanluc Cilliers, 9 Bradley Thain, 8 Wian Conradie, 7 Adriaan Bester, 6 Siyabonga Luwaca, 5 Estian Enslin, 4 Kevin du Randt, 3 Nico Du Plessis, 2 Johannes Snyman, 1 Dillon Bakos.
Replacements: 16 Baard Le Roux, 17 Lali Sibusiso, 18 Landsberg Darrien-Lane, 19 Dian Schoonees, 20 Johan Esterhuizen, 21 Kobus Engelbrecht, 22 Seun Maduna, 23 Cohen Kiewit.
Maties: 15 Reinhardt Fortuin, 14 Duncan Saal, 13 Michal Haznar, 12 Chris Smit, 11 Edwill van der Merwe, 10 Chris Smith, 9 Remu Malan, 8 Janco Venter, 7 Marno Redelinghuys, 6 Chris Massyn, 5 Johannes Momsen, 4 Ernst van Rhyn, 3 Johan Fouche, 2 Wilmar Arnoldi, 1 Roelof Oelofse.
Replacements: 16 Hendrik Luus, 17 Mzo Buthelezi, 18 Mitchell Carstens, 19 Stephen Streicher, 20 Logan Boonzaaier, 21 Cornel Smit, 22 Munier Hartzenberg, 23 Petrus Strauss.
Referee: Stuart Berry
