Maties secure Varsity Cup home semifinal
Maties 47 – Wits 7
FNB Wits were sent packing by a dominant FNB Maties team, who worked hard to secure a commanding 49-7 victory at Wits Rugby Stadium on Monday evening. With this victory, Maties secured a home semi-final in the competition, to be played at the Danie Craven Stadium on 7 April against the Shimlas.
The visitors delivered a brilliant defensive effort in the first half, keeping Wits scoreless while racking up a 21-0 lead to the disappointment of the home crowd.
Despite their best efforts, Wits couldn’t put any points on the board as the men from Stellenbosch ran rampant. Maties’ first-half tries came courtesy of a brace from CJ Erasmus and an incredible solo effort from outside centre Grant de Jager. Inside centre CJ Marx was in fine form with the boot, converting all three tries for the Maroon Machine.
The second half saw Maties pick up where they left off, scoring immediately from the kickoff. Scrumhalf Mckyle Volmoer charged down a Wits clearance kick to dot down. The visitors continued to dominate the physical exchanges, making life difficult for Wits.
However, the hosts refused to roll over and tested the Maties’ defense, which held firm.
Wits were once again guilty of too many errors, which kept them pinned in their half. Maties hooker CJ Erasmus completed his hat-trick in the second half, while Wits finally got on the board at the death through replacement loose forward Risima Khosa, with Tireque Apolles adding the conversion. By the time the final whistle blew, it was the Maroon Machine who walked away with their heads held high after a resounding 49-7 victory.
SCORERS
Wits: 7 (0)
Tries: Risima Khosa.
Maties: 47 (21)
Tries: CJ Erasmus (3), Grant De Jager (2), Mckyle Volmoer, Carel van der Merwe.
Player that Rocks: Carel van der Merwe (FNB Maties)
The round robin stages of the FNB Varsity Cup have now ended and the semi-finalists have been decided dramatically as defending champs UFS showed their pedigree by beating Tuks in Pretoria. The Shimlas win with bonus points puts them in 4th spot just one above the Eagles who absolutely crushed the Ixias in Potch but failed to advance to the playoffs in 5th. Maties cruised past Wits to claim top spot on the log and a home semi-final while the loss sees the Witsies stay at the bottom of the log to be automatically relegated to the Varsity Shield. UCT Ikeys triumphed over UJ in a highly competitive and exciting match. The Cape side ended the group stage in 3rd and will face the Stripe Generation, who finished 2nd in Pretoria. The Orange Army ended their campaign in 7th place and will go into the promotion relegation playoff against Madibaz on the 5th May.
Playoffs:
Semi-final 1: FNB Tuks vs FNB UCT, 7 April, 4:45pm at Tuks Stadium
FNB UJ 31-49 FNB UCT Ikeys
UCT Ikeys triumphed over UJ in a highly competitive and exciting match, securing a 49-31 victory in what was a thrilling encounter.
The match began with UCT Ikeys striking first, capitalising on a penalty after UJ conceded from a dropped scrum. Winger Ntokozo Makhaza slotted the ball through the posts to give the visitors an early lead. Ikeys quickly built on this momentum, and in the 15th minute, Danio Botha spotted a gap in the UJ defense. The conversion was successful, and Ikeys extended their lead.
UJ wasn’t discouraged and responded within a minute when Reuven Ferreria found space on the outside and powered through the Ikeys defense to score a try. The conversion followed, and UJ began to close the gap. Leading to halftime, UJ had narrowed the deficit to just one point, with the Ikeys leading as the teams headed into the break.
The second half saw UJ come out determined to take control. Bian Janse van Rensburg found a gap in the Ikeys defense and crossed the line to score another try for UJ, keeping the game tight. The conversion was good, and UJ trailed by just three points.
Ikeys quickly regained the upper hand as Alex Vermeulen carried over the line to score, extending their lead. Despite a solid response from UJ, Ikeys remained clinical in their finishing.
With minutes remaining, Ikeys were awarded a penalty, and Duran Rayn Koevort made no mistake, slotting the ball through the posts to secure the win for the visitors.
Other results are:
NWU Eagles 117-19 CUT
Tuks 35-48 UFS Shimlas