Klaasen gives Ikey Tigers that much needed boost
UCT claimed a comfortable 40-21 victory over Pukke in the Varsity Cup in Potchefstroom in what was a repeat of the 2014 final, while two second half tries handed Maties a slender 16-15 victory over a gutsy UJ in Stellenbosch last night.
A Jason Klaasen hat trick proved vital as UCT claimed their third victory of the competition to launch themselves into third place on the log and relegate their opponents down to fifth.
A high-intensity first half ended with UCT enjoying a 2421 lead with both teams crossing the white wash thrice which included tries from UCT’s Lihleli Xoli, Mark Prior and Klaasen.
In the second half, Khanyo Ngcukana bagged the bonus point try for UCT in the 45th minute when he latched onto a pass from Dylan Sage who stepped his way through the Pukke defence before Warren Seals added his fourth conversion to extend the visitors lead to 11 points.
For a long period Ikeys remained the dominant side and camped in Pukke’s half until the home side would launch a counter-attack in the 66th minute when Dillon Smit went on a run and gained 60 metres before the home side made their way into UCT’s 22, however, stellar defence by the Cape students kept the Pukke at bay.
Scored a hat trick
Shortly after scoring his second try, Klaasen got his hat trick and UCT’s fifth of the match in the 79th minute to round off a dominant second half performance by the Cape students. Seals added the conversion to take the score to 40-21.
In Stellenbosch, UJ drew first blood when Jaco Fourie converted Adriaan Vermeulen’s try to give the visiting side an 8-0 lead.
Despite various efforts from the home team in the first half, some great defence work from the boys from Johannesburg saw them curb the Maroon Machine from getting any points. In the 37th minute, UJ were awarded a penalty after sustained pressure. Fourie opted to have a shot at goal and it paid off as he split the uprights to take the visitors into double figures.
The visitors then stretched their lead when winger Bradley Moolman scored to take UJ to a 15-0 lead.
Maties were not going to be shut-out on their home ground as an incredible Koos Loubser pass in a tackle found Beyers de Villiers, who sprinted his way over the try line to bring the home side back into the contest. Ernest Stapelberg calmly slotted the conversion to reduce the deficit to seven points the contest.
With the crowd behind them, Maties kept hammering away at the UJ defence and finally found a way through in the 70th minute, when Jacobus van der Merwe bulldozed the line. Brandon Thomson added the extra points to hand the home side their first victory of the campaign.