Pukke and Shimlas set to fight it out for playoffs qualification

Defending Varsity Cup champions NWU-Pukke meet 2015 winners Shimlas on their home turf in Bloemfontein on Monday night in a fifth-round clash, with a lot riding on the outcome for both camps.

As things stand, Pukke and Shimmies are in the top three on the nine-team table, with four rounds to go. The top four teams qualify for the end-of-season playoffs. Maties of Stellenbosch are top on 14 points, the same number as second-placed Shimmies but ahead on superior points differential, while Pukke of Potchefstroom are third, a point behind the top two.

Pukke beat Ikeys of Cape Town 20-15 last Monday for their third victory from four outings, while Shimmies saw off winless basement-dweller CUT of the Free State 22-13.

Pukke have lost just once this season, to Maties, while Shimmies were surprisingly beaten at home by a much-improved Ikeys outfit for their sole defeat.

Pukke coach Jonathan Mokuena believes his charges can win away from home for the second time.

“We started our defence with a win at UJ and they have just ended Tuks’ unbeaten run and, while we did come off secondbest down in Stellenbosch, I have every reason to believe we can get the job done against Shimlas. For us, it’s about playing 80 minutes at a time and ensuring we follow our processes week by week.

“We’re getting better by the week with the boys learning to play with each other and that is huge at the back-end of a competition that is getting stronger by the season.

“We must also be far more clinical in the score zone, we’ve left points on the field when in the ascendancy and that we can ill-afford to do tonight.”

Shimmies coach Hendro Scholtz said: “That loss to UCT was a wake-up call at the right time. So, no way will we give in to an opponent that enjoys the physical side of things.

“We must be on-song with our first-phase ball, then to man-up in the physical confrontations. Controlled aggression at the mauls is a must and stealing ball at the breakdowns will help our cause big time,” he said.

Shimmies wing Marco Mason has three tries and with UCT’s Cuan Hofmeyr Hablutzel are the top try scores.

Meanwhile, Ikeys and archrivals Maties meet at the Green Mile on Monday. The sides have met 12 times since 2008, with Maties winning eight and drawing one, but the former three-time champions have not won at UCT since 2013.