Shimlas sink Ikeys

Shimlas scored two second-half tries to beat UCT 23-17 in the opening round of the Varsity Cup, while there were also wins for Pukke, UJ and Maties.

The visitors started the match strongly, with inside centre Arthur Williams going over for their first try. Flyhalf Stephan Janse van Rensburg converted and the score remained unchanged at half-time.

Ikeys came back strongly after the break, scoring through fullback Khanyo Ncgukana, but two more tries from Shimlas, including a nine-pointer, secured the win.

Elsewhere, Pukke’s Barend Janse van Rensburg scored a brace, including the first nine-point try of the Varsity Cup, in his side’s 38-15 win over Tuks in Pretoria. The visitors outscored Tuks four tries to two to get their 2016 campaign off to a winning start.

In Johannesburg, hosts UJ claimed a deserving 19-12 win after a tense battle with the NMMU Madibaz. UJ led 6-3 at break before making it 12-3 after 60 minutes. NMMU hit back with a converted seven-point try five minutes afterwards to level the scores, but a late score from UJ handed them the win.

In Stellenbosch, Maties thrashed CUT 40-0. The Maroon Machine scored four first-half tries to lead 26-0 before adding two to their tally in the second half, including a seven-pointer, to close out a convincing win.

In the Varsity Shield, Wits destroyed visitors TUT 53-0 in their second match of the season, while in Bellville, UKZN recorded their second win by defeating hosts UWC 24-13.

Varsity Cup results (Round 1):

Tuks (15) – Tries: Andrew Beerwinkel, Duhan van der Merwe. Conversions: Joshua Stander. Penalty: Stander.
Pukke (38) – Tries: Walt Steenkamp, Barend Janse van Rensburg (2), Sylvian Mahuza. Conversions: Rhyno Smith (4). Penalties: Smith (2).

Maties (40) – Tries: Beyers de Villiers, Kobus van Dyk (2), Ernst Stapelberg, Craig Corbett, Edwill van der Merwe. Conversions: Ernst Stapelberg (4).
CUT (0)

UJ (19) – Try: TBC. Conversion: TBC. Penalty: Divan Nel (4).
NMMU (12) – Try: TBC. Conversion: Bolze. Penalty: Simon Bolze.

UCT (17) – Tries: Khanyo Ncgukana, Nathan Nel. Conversion: Hilio de Abreu. Penalty: De Abreu.
Shimlas (23) – Tries: Arthur Williams, Nardus Erasmus, Mosolwa Mafuma. Conversions: Stephan Janse van Rensburg, Pieter-Steyn de Wet.

Varsity Shield results (Round 2):

UWC (13) – Tries: Jascon Marcus, Marcus Kleinbooi. Conversion: Melikhaya Aubrey Wana.
UKZN (24) – Tries: Zwela Zondi, Kerron van Vuuren, S’busiso Nkosi. Conversions: Tristan Tredder (3).

Wits (53) – Tries: Thato Marubela, Connor Brockschmidt, Constant Beckerling, Ruan MacDonald (3). Conversions: Warren Gilbert (TBC). Penalties: AJ van Blerk.
TUT (0)

Photo: Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images