Pride and play-off spots at stake in Varsity Cup showdown
PRETORIA: It may be a far cry from the heart-stopping and memorable final of 2014, but the Varsity Cup clash between Pukke and UCT Ikeys will go a long way in determining where they finish this season.
IT MAY be a far cry from the heart stopping and memorable final of three years ago, but the Varsity Cup clash between Pukke and UCT Ikeys will go a long way in determining where they finish this season.
Three years ago at the Fanie du Toit Stadium, Ikeys did the impossible by scoring three tries in the final five minutes to snatch an improbable victory from the jaws of certain defeat and deny Pukke their first title.
Today’s encounter between the two sides is nothing but a mid-table clash but one that will surely see both sides want to relive the pulsating moments of three years ago as they look to get themselves into playoff contention at the competition’s halfway mark.
While Ikeys will always take heart from the historic dying minutes of that famous final, they will come into tonight’s clash with even more of a belief of upsetting the defending champions after the Cape side recorded a shock win against Shimlas in Bloemfontein last week.
After a bad start to the competition with a defeat at the hands of the NMMU Madibaz,, Ikeys have done well to resuscitate their campaign with two consecutive wins.
Pukke, on the other hand, started well with wins over UJ and the Madibaz but came horribly unstuck last week against Maties in a replay of last year’s final.
There will be two big derbies on the day with CUT hosting Shimlas, while a struggling UJ will be looking for a season changing victory against Tuks.
But the truth of the matter is that Shimlas are riding the crest of the wave even after conceding their first defeat of the season last week and they will want to ensure that they finish the day still on top of proceedings.
Tuks will face a test of their character in their first away game against a UJ outfit that is desperate to register their first win.