An action-packed opening round of the Varsity Cup saw defending champions Tuks beaten in Pretoria, while Wits snatched a 108-point thriller in Bloemfontein on Monday.
REPORT: Perfect Mathee kicks Maties to victory
UP-TUKS 25 UFS SHIMLAS 26
Defending champions Tuks were shocked on home turf in Pretoria when UFS Shimlas scored a narrow 26-25 victory. In the process, the visitors avenged their defeat in last year’s semi-final.
Shimlas got off to a flyer with a try by winger Asanda Kunene within the first five minutes. Two more converted tries in quick succession saw the Free State side going up 21 points in just 12 minutes. Fullback Kyle Cyster got Tuks on the scoreboard with a try while the home team was also awarded a penalty try later in the half. Shimlas went to the halftime break 21-14 in the lead.
The visitors picked up where they left off in the second 40 minutes when Kunene completed his brace within four minutes. The Pretoria outfit fought back forcing Shimlasto commit errors in crucial spaces which saw flyhalf Jacobus Burger kicking two penalties. They managed to reduce the deficit to a single point when hooker Allister Williams scored from a driving maul.
UFS SHIMLAS 26 (21) – Tries: Asanda Kunene (2), Kwezi Dlamini, John Moffat. Conversions: Ethan Wentzel (3)
UP-TUKS 25 (14) – Tries: Kyle Cyster, Allister Williams, penalty try. Conversions: Jacobus Burger (1). Penalties: Jacobus Burger (2)
Player That Rocks: Pierre Uys (UFS Shimlas)
CUT 49 WITS 59
Wits drew first blood in the 2023 Varsity Cup with a strong second-half showing against CUT Ixias in Bloemfontein on Monday afternoon, coming away with a 59-49 victory.
Flanker Mark Snyman was the hero for the team from Johannesburg with tries on either side of half-time as his team fired a clear warning shot to their rivals for the rest of the tournament.
Wits started their campaign like a house on fire to race to a 7-0 lead in the opening minutes of the match courtesy of a converted try by Lindokuhle Ncusane. Further tries by the winger Wian le Grange, Snyman, and Kabelo Mokheti saw the visitors leading the match 31-28 at the break. CUT hooker Tokelo Ntapane kept his team in the game with a hat trick before the end of the opening stanza.
It took 14 minutes for Snyman to open the scoring in the second half. Tries by Azakhiwe Afrika, Banele Mthenjane and De Lange, sealed the deal for the visitors, but CUT wasn’t quite done. Tries by Ulrich Stander, Maboe Sekele and Thabiso Mkhwebane kept them in the hunt, but in the end, it was just a bridge too far for the home team.
Wits 59 (31) – Tries: Lindokuhle Ncusane, Wian de Lange (2), Mark Snyman (2), Kabelo Mokhethi, Azakhiwe Afrika, Banele Mthenjane. Conversions: Chris Rheeder (5).
CUT 49 (28) – Tries: Tokelo Ntapane(3), Zachery Bester, Ulrich Stander, Thabiso Mkhwebane, Maboe Sekele. Conversions: Christian Humphries (7). Penalties: Christian Humphries (1).
Player That Rocks: Mark Snyman (Wits)
NWU EAGLES 41 UJ 28
NWU Eagles got their 2023 Varsity Cup campaign started with an enthralling 41-28 victory over UJ at the Fanie du Toit Sports Ground.
Not before some anxious moments though as UJ asserted some dominance in the first half for an 18-15 lead at the break, courtesy of tries by Jonathan Viljoen and Darnell Osuagwu.
The Eagles’ Gustav Erlank was sent to the sin bin for dangerous play in the 15th minute of the game.
The Eagles came out all guns blazing in the last 40 minutes with Vernon Paulo and Sylvester Hassien dotting down for their tries. The home team managed to contain their composure and with two more tries by Stephan Krugel and Wihan Nel, sealed an important victory.
NWU Eagles 41 (15) – Tries: Isrome Phatudi, Theuns Pretorius, Vernon Paulo, Sylvester Hassien, Stephan Krugel, Wihan Nel. Conversations: Zinedine Robinson (2), Martin Venter (1). Penalties: Robinson (1)
UJ 28 (18) – Tries: Darnell Osuagwu, Jonathan Viljoen (2). Conversations: Jonathan Viljoen (1). Penalties: Jonathan Viljoen (3)
Player That Rocks: Sylvester Hassien (NWU Eagles)
Photo: Twitter/@VarsityCup