SIGNPOST
• Five former Varsity Cup champions have to make their mark
Five former champions have to down markers to retain or regain Varsity Cup glory. Two-time winners Tukkies have won both games to date on home turf. They are the only unbeaten side in the competition.
Five former champions have put down markers to retain or regain Varsity Cup glory.
Two-time winners Tukkies have won both games to date on home turf.
They are the only unbeaten side in the competition.
The students from Pretoria opened their campaign with a home win over three-time champions Maties, then enjoyed a bye in the next round before going on to hammer NMMU Madibas last Monday.
The win left them on nine points, third on the nine-team standings headed by a point by Shimlas (10 points).
Maties and defending champions NWU-Pukke have also logged up nine points, with the former enjoying a superior points differential for outright second place and the latter in fourth.
Shimlas had their two-game winning run ended in round three by Cape outfit Ikeys, who lifted the trophy in 2011 and 2014. The victors have now won two on the bounce and occupy fifth place. The top four sides at the end of the home-and-away round-robin phase qualify for the play-offs.
Pukke were also soundly beaten by Maties in Stellenbosch in a repeat of last season’s final for their first loss. The men from Potchefstroom, who were no match for a rampant home side in front of a sell-out crowd, went down 31-9.
All the above-mentioned sides will feel they have the game to go all the way in the 10th edition of the Varsity Cup.
Monday’s action sees Maties playing at home at the Danie Craven Stadium for a third week in a row.
The maroon machine entertain the Port Elizabeth-based Madibas and a five-point haul is on the cards for the Stellenbosch students. Their forwards have met fire with fire, especially the tight five who have scrummed well and been a constant menace at the breakdowns.
Kobus van Dyk (openside flanker) was man of the match against Pukke.
The back seven have gelled well as a unit. Fullback Tiaan Swanepoel is armed with a big boot and not afraid of the physical stuff, while left wing Edwill van der Merwe continues to be a thorn in the flesh of the opposing defences on attack.
The Madibas are a shadow of the side from previous seasons, but can upset the applecart with their expansive game.
Ikeys travel to Pukke with momentum on their side.
The outcome of the 2014 final should not be forgotten. In one of the most dramatic comebacks, Ikeys scored 24 unanswered points in the final five minutes to stun Pukke 39-33 and claim their second title.
“We’re a side on the up,” said Ikeys assistant coach Clint van Rensburg. “The boys are gelling as a unit and the will to win is at an all-time high. We gave Shimmies a hiding in the rain on their home field to show that we mean business.”
The remaining two fixtures on Monday will be televised live on SuperSport — winless Free State outfit CUT tackle Shimlas (kick-off is at 4.45pm) and yetto-win UJ welcome Tuks (7pm).