Madibaz up against wall
PE students face pressure tackling Shimlas as relegation looms
WITH the dreaded relegation axe hanging precariously over their heads, the struggling Madibaz will be under huge pressure to deliver an elusive rugby win against Shimlas in a Varsity Cup clash in Bloemfontein tonight.
Though the odds are heavily stacked against his team, determined Madibaz coach David Maidza said there was no question of his men throwing in the towel.
To keep alive their slim hopes of beating the drop to the lower Varsity Shield competition, the Madibaz must snap a six-match losing streak.
Last week’s defeat against Maties left the Madibaz bottom of the log, with two rounds remaining.
The Maties clash was halted in the 48th minute at the Madibaz Stadium because of crowd trouble, which forced the players off the field.
In accordance with Varsity Cup rules, the Maties were declared the winners, because they were leading 19-0 when the match was stopped.
“Our rules state that if a game is stopped for any reason, the score at the time will stand as the final score,” Varsity Cup chief executive Duitser Bosman said.
It has been a frustrating season for the winless Madibaz, who came agonisingly close to grabbing wins in their opening games against Ikeys, CUT Ixias and Pukke.
Their inability to get over the line in those tight games has left the Port Elizabeth side facing a relegation battle.
If the Madibaz do manage to conjure up a win over Shimlas, they face a tense final game of the season against fellow strugglers Tuks, in Pretoria.
Tuks have only managed to win one of their opening six matches, and have a narrow fourpoint lead over the Port Elizabeth side.
It is a tall order for the Madibaz, but Maidza remained hopeful that his team could win both matches on the road and retain their berth in the Varsity Cup.
After the loss against Maties, Maidza said: “Now the Madibaz just want to focus on the last two games we have to play against Shimlas and Tuks.
“The team have to try and get a win out of the last two matches, and that is our main aim.
“We are fighting hard – as we showed in the first half against Maties.”
That defeat left the Madibaz at the bottom of the log, after Tuks leapfrogged them, thanks to a 54-26 win over CUT Ixias.
The Madibaz will have to step up if they are to have any hope of upsetting Shimlas in their own backyard.
The Madibaz team has not been disclosed – and it is not known whether Henrique Oliver or Simon Bolze will be wearing the pivotal No 10 jersey tonight.
In the first half against Maties, the Madibaz made too many handling errors – and Maidza will demand an error freeze in Bloemfontein.
Of all the teams, Madibaz have scored the fewest points – 96 – which will be an area of concern for the coach as he bids to cook up a winning recipe.
Every second year, the team that finishes last in the Varsity Cup competition is automatically relegated to the Varsity Shield, while the team that finishes first in the Varsity Shield gains automatic promotion to the Varsity Cup.
The Varsity Cup team finishing second from bottom will play a promotion-relegation match against the Varsity Shield team that finishes second from the top.