CUT hold on for 1-point win

THE MATCH between CUT and UJ was never going to be the highlight of Varsity Cup’s Round Three action.

While all the focus would have been on defending champions Maties’ efforts against Tuks over in Pretoria, the seventh and ninthplaced teams respectively played their part in a see-saw battle that was decided by just one point.

Both sides were almost evenly matched in every aspect that matters.

There was no major disparity when it came to set-pieces won, turnovers conceded or tries scored. And while UJ probably produced more when it came to letting the ball do the work, UJ dis their fair share when they had the chance as well.

Fullback Odwa Nkunjana brought movement to the scoreboard early on when he cut in at second receiver and easily rounded CUT’s narrow defence to dot down.

CUT responded not too long afterwards with a try through Anrich Alberts and added a penalty kick as well, but two more tries by the Johannesburg outfit granted them a 19-10 lead just before half time.

The hosts weren’t done with the first 40 just yet, though, as Hardus Nel crashed over in the 42nd minute to cut the opposition’s lead down to a two-point one (17-19).

It took a quarter in the second stanza for the teams to get any points in the form of a try on the scoresheet (CUT slotted a penalty kick after half time), and it was the hosts who did the honours first with a forwards-driven effort to stretch their lead through a converted try in the 61st minute (27-19).

A 69th minute converted try by Shaun Williams turned the already-tight contest into an even more tense one (27-26), but CUT managed to hold on and secure the win.

For the Maties versus Tuks report and other results, check www.iol.co.za. The CUT next face FNB Maties on Monday in Round 4.