Just two log points separate the top four teams in the Varsity Cup ahead of Monday's matches.

Defending champions Tuks are the only team yet to lose a game this season, and they will be up against the fourth-placed UCT – who are coming off two big away wins against Maties and NMMU – in Cape Town.

Pukke and NMMU both suffered their first defeats last week, but they are not far off the pace, which sets up their clash in Port Elizabeth to be an exciting prospect.

The loss to UCT last week was the Madibaz's first defeat at home since 2012, so they will be looking to bounce back quickly against a Pukke side that went down to Maties in Potchefstroom in round three.

The Stellenbosch side will be back on home soil on Monday, with bottom-dwellers Wits set to visit the Danie Craven Stadium as they look for their first log points of the season.

Both UJ and Shimlas will be hoping to break into the top four ahead of their clash in Bloemfontein. Shimlas are down in seventh place on the log, but just three points adrift of Ikeys who are in fourth place, which shows just how congested the standings are ahead of Monday's action.

UCT vs TUKS
UCT Rugby Fields, Cape Town,16:45 (SuperSport)

UCT – 15 Ross Jones-Davies, 14 Richard Stewart, 13 Martin Sauls, 12 Nic Holton, 11 Lihleli Xoli, 10 Dean Grant, 9 Liam Slatem (c), 8 Guy Alexander, 7 Vince Jobo, 6 Jason Klaasen, 5 James Kilroe, 4 Jan Uys,3 Digby Webb, 2 Neil Rautenbach, 1 Robin Murray.
Subs: 16 Chad Soloman, 17 Michael Kennedy, 18 Shaun McDonald, 19 Zakeyo Tinetenda, 20 James Alexander, 21 Huw Jones, 22 Suwilanji Chibale, 23 David Maasch.

Tuks – 15 Warrick Gelant, 14 Jade Stighling, 13 Dries Swanepoel,12 Ryan Nell, 11 Kefentse Mahlo; 10 Tian Schoeman, 9 Carlo Engelbrecht, 8 Reniel Hugo (c), 7 Jannes Kirsten, 6 Roelof Smit, 5 Dennis Visser, 4 Irné Herbst, 3 Andrew Beerwinkel, 2 Corniel Els, 1 Juan Schoeman.
Subs: Arno van Wyk, 17 Brummer Badenhorst, 18 Jono Janse van Rensburg, 19 Leneve Damens, 20 Emile Temperman, 22 Francois Tredoux, 22 Duncan Matthews, 23 Neethling Fouche.

SHIMLAS vs UJ
Shimla Park, Bloemfontein, 19:00

Shimlas – 15 Ludwig Erasmus, 14 Mapuhta Dolo, 13 Tertius Kruger, 12 Joubert Engelbrecht (c), 11 Sethu Tom, 10 Gouws Prinsloo, 9 Kevin Luiters, 8 Gerhard Olivier, 7 Oupa Mohoje, 6 Tienie Burger, 5 Neil Claassen, 4 Armandt Koster, 3 Juston Pappin, 2 Jacques du Toit, 1 Franco van der Merwe.
Subs: 16 Markus Odendaal, 17 Rudolph Botha, 18 Johan van der Hoogt, 19 Neill Jordaan, 20 Kay-Kay Hlongwane, 21 Pieter-Steyn de Wet,
22 Divandré Strydom, 23 Luan de Bruin.

UJ – 15 Marais Schmidt, 14 PJ Walters, 13 Jacques Nel, 12 Harold Vorster, 11 Michael Haznar, 10 Jaco van der Walt, 9 Jacques Pretorius (c), 8 Kobus Porter, 7 Victor Sekekete, 6 Tiaan MacDonald, 5 David Antonites, 4 Shane Kirkwood, 3 Van Zyl Botha, 2 Francois du Toit, 1 Wiseman Kamanga.
Subs: 16 Jannes Snyman, 17 Devon Martinus, 18 Fabian Booysen, 19 Dylan Peterson, 20 Lukas van Zyl, 21 Juan Kotze, 22 Pieter Morton, 23 Hendrik Bredenkamp.

MATIES vs WITS
Danie Craven Stadium, Stellenbosch, 19:00

Maties – 15 Craig Barry, 14 Clearance Khumalo, 13 Mark Hodgskiss, 12 Louis Jordaan, 11 Caleb Smith, 10 Robert du Preez, 9 Jean Nel, 8 Tertius Daniller (c), 7 Helmut Lehmann, 6 Beyers de Villiers, 5 Wilhelm van der Sluys, 4 Jan de Klerk, 3 Nicol Heyns, 2 Freddie Kirsten, 1 Niel Oelofse.
Subs: 16 Charl de Villiers, 17 Wesley Adonis, 18 John Groenewald, 19 Lungelo Chonco, 20 Louis Nel, 21 Chris Smith, 22 Ben Kotze, 23 Liam Hendricks.

Wits –15 Ruhan Nel, 14 Mandla Dube, 13 Divan Ferguson, 12 Brent Crossley, 11 Nkuli Gamede, 10 Ashlon Davids, 9 Mathew Torrance, 8 Jason Fraser, 7 Senna Esterhuizen, 6 JP Jonck, 5 JJ Breet, 4 Devin Montgomery (captain), 3 Kelly Ferdinand, 2 Ashley Kohler, 1 Hannes Ludick.
Subs: 16 James Marx, 17 Kyle Wood, 18 Conor Brockschmidt, 19 Thato Mavundla, 20 Rendani Ramovha, 21 Ish Nkolo, 22 Joshua Jarvis, 23 Gideon Muller.

NMMU vs PUKKE
Madibaz Stadium, Port Elizabeth, 19:00 (SuperSport)

NMMU – 15 Jarryd Buys, 14 Tythan Adams, 13 Michael Bernardt, 12 Fanie Booysen, 11 Yamkela Ngam, 10 Gavin Hauptfleisch, 9 Daniel Acker, 8 Timothy Agaba, 7 Marcel Groenewald, 6 Christopher Cloete, 5 Louis Fourie, 4 Stefan Willemse, 3 Simon Kerrod, 2 Martin Ferreira, 1 Roy Godfrey (c).
Subs: 16 Jody Reyneke, 17 Abongile Mnyaka, 18 Wade Elliot, 19 Andre Barnard, 20 Ivan Ludick, 21 Andile Jho, 22 Ayabula Dlepu, 23 Laurence Christie.

Pukke – TBC

VARSITY SHIELD FIXTURES

CUT vs Fort Hare
CUT Rugby Stadium, Bloemfontein, 19:00

UKZN vs TUT
Peter Booysen Sports Park, Pietermaritzburg, 19:00)

Photo: Ryan Wilkisky/BackpagePix