First, second and third seem sewn up, but there is a proper brawl going on for the right to be the last placed semi finalist in this year’s FNB Varsity Cup presented by Steinhoff International …
Maties, Tuks and UJ currently lead the way. In fourth place Pukke (11) travel to Cape Town this week to take on the out-of-sorts Ikeys (in sixth position on six points), the defending champions having suffered a shock 21-23 loss to the Madibaz (who are now in fifth place with nine points) last week.
The Madibaz have a tougher fixture in the form of Maties in PE, but another freak win would see them take a giant step towards a first-ever semifinal place. UCT and Shimlas (in seventh place) cannot afford another loss.
The Ikeys have beaten Pukke in their last two encounters, but the Potch boys have won twice before in Cape Town – in 2008 and 2009. The defending champions have won just one game this season and are yet to face log leaders Maties and Tukkies
“We’ve dug a very deep hole for ourselves,” said coach Kevin Foote, “We know what we need to do to get out of it and we’re certainly going to give it our best shot to get out!”
UJ still have to face Maties – from the ‘comfort’ of Johannesburg – but this week they will be looking to hammer yet another nail into TUT’s coffin. (TUT are the only winless team in the 2012 Varsity Cup and favourites to be relegated at the end of the season.)
UJ have made a few last-minute changes, the most interesting which sees Namibian Rugby World Cup star Theuns ‘Worsie’ Kotze back at flyhalf, with points-machine Guy Cronjé – the leading points-scorer in the 2012 Varsity Cup – getting a deserved rest on the bench.
Fixtures, predictions and team line-ups for tonight:
UCT v Pukke
UCT Rugby Fields (Cape Town)
Kick-off: 5pm (Live on SuperSport One)
My prediction: Pukke by 7
UCT: 15 Dillyn Leyds, 14 Damian de Allende, 13 Tiger Bax, 12 Michael Morris, 11 Mark Winter, 10 Nick Holton, 9 Liam Slatem, 8 Rayn Smid, 7 Zandy Macdonald, 6 Ntsolo Setlaba (captain), 5 Levi Odendaal, 4 Don Armand, 3 Francois van Wyk, 2 Dayne Jans, 1 Wes Chetty.
Replacements: 16 Neil Rautenbach, 17 Adriaan Botha, 18 Brad Bosman, 19 Greg Mallett, 20 Ricky Schroeder, 21 Paul Cohen, 22 Nathan Nel, 23 Digby Webb.
Pukke: 15 Malan van der Merwe, 14 Andrew van Wyk, 13 Ruan Jacobs, 12 Joubert Engelbrecht (captain), 11 Joe Seerane, 10 Gerhard Nortier, 9 Tiaan Dorfling, 8 Juan ‘Spanner’ Pretorius, 7 Ernie Strydom, 6 Philip de Wet, 5 Victor Kruger, 4 Siyanda Ndlovu, 3 John-Roy Jenkinson, 2 JC Oberholzer, 1 Henry Scharneck.
Replacements: 16 Marius Fourie, 17 Martin Dreyer, 18 Lodewyk Uys, 19 Siya Mdaka, 20 Andries Botha, 21 SW Oosthuizen, 22 Terswin Raubenheimer, 23 Mashudu Mafela.
Tuks v Shimlas
Tuks Rugby Stadium (Pretoria)
Kick-off: 7pm (Live on SuperSport One)
My prediction: Tuks by 9
Tuks: 15 Riaan Britz, 14 Deon Helberg, 13 Jerome Pretorius, 12 Dabeon Draghoender, 11 Hayden Groepes, 10 Wesley Dunlop, 9 Lohan Jacobs, 8 Okkie Kruger, 7 Daniel Adongo, 6 Jacques Verwey, 5 Franco Mostert, 4 Mike Williams, 3 Grant Kemp, 2 Zane Botha (captain), 1 Sabelo Nhlapo.
Replacements: 16 Jacques Momberg, 17 Juan Schoeman, 18 Sthembiso Mlongo, 19 Lean Schwartz, 20 Clayton Stewart, 21 Willie du Plessis, 22 Wynand Pienaar, 23 Basil Short.
Shimlas: 15 Nico Scheepers, 14 Divandré Strydom, 13 Robbie van Schalkwyk, 12 Earl Snyman, 11 Jamba Ulengo, 10 Erick Colyn, 9 Kevin Luiters, 8 Erik le Roux, 7 Fanie van der Walt, 6 Freddie Ngoza, 5 Joubert Horn, 4 Wilken Heyns, 3 Stephan Kotze, 2 Michael van Vuuren, 1 Charles Marais.
Replacements: 16 JC van Wyk, 17 John-Henry Harris, 18 Lebo Zietsman, 19 Armand Koster, 20 Pieter Rademan, 21 Reinhardt Erwee, 22 Stephan van der Merwe, 23 Carl van Heerden.
UJ v TUT
UJ Stadium (Johannesburg)
Kick-off: 7pm
My prediction: UJ by 17
UJ: 15 Aubrey McDonald, 14 JR Esterhuizen, 13 Justin St. Jerry, 12 Divan van Zyl, 11 Chrysander Botha, 10 Worsie Kotze, 9 Rudy Paige, 8 Justin Wheeler (captain), 7 Wendal Wehr, 6 Johan van Deventer, 5 Sebastian de Chaves, 4 Shane Kirkwood, 3 Jaco Vermeulen, 2 Shaun Malton, 1 Heinrich Terblanche.
Replacements: 16 Jacques Gnade, 17 Njabulo Mkize, 18 Marnus van Huyssteen, 19 RJ Liebenberg, 20 Jacques Pretorius, 21 Guy Cronjé, 22 Luan Steenkamp, 23 Anthony Gallacher.
TUT: 15 Brahm du Preez, 14 Craig van Rooi, 13 Rikus de Beer, 12 Koos Kotze, 11 Ruan van Loo, 10 Hansie Graaff, 9 Manny Raposo, 8 Wikus Botes (captain), 7 Peter Matthews, 6 Yves Basiya, 5 Ewald Maree, 4 Gavin Engelbrecht, 3 Zandre Grobler, 2 Nathi Sethusi, 1 Dandre van der Westhuyzen.
Replacements: 16 Coert van Gerve, 17 Nico van den Heever, 18 Joel Kapena, 19 Ryno Coetzee, 20 Nico Smuts, 21 Quinton van Greunen, 22 Thabo Mangena, 23 Ryno van Rooyen.
NMMU v Maties
NMMU Stadium (Port Elizabeth)
Kick-off: 7pm
My prediction: Maties by 18
NMMU: 15 Martin du Toit, 14 Mayibuye Ndwandwa, 13 Quinton Crocker (vice-captain), 12 Howard Mnisi, 11 Eckard Jacobs, 10 Bradley Kretzman, 9 Charlie Purdon, 8 Jaco Swanepoel (captain), 7 André Goosen, 6 Ulrich Pretorius, 5 Mzwanele Zito, 4 Schalk Oelofse, 3 Ross David-Anderson, 2 Kobus Greeff, 1 Dexter Fahey.
Replacements: 16 Francois Coetzer, 17 Roy Godfrey, 18 Timothy Agaba, 19 Jaco Otto, 20 Marlin Ruiters, 21 Carl van Niekerk, 22 Devon Lailvaux, 23 Gareth Hartley.
Maties: 15 André Smith, 14 Ryan Nell, 13 Wessel Coetzee, 12 Louis Jordaan, 11 Dean Hammand, 10 André Kemp, 9 Boela Abrahams, 8 JP Swanepoel, 7 Helmut Lehmann (captain), 6 Sam Mabombo, 5 Hugo Kloppers, 4 Grant Hattingh, 3 Os Hamman, 2 Rob Herring, 1 Brummer Badenhorst.
Replacements: 16 Alfred Ries, 17 Alistair Vermaak, 18 Reniel Hugo, 19 Nicholas de Jager, 20 Donald Stevens, 21 Jarryd Buys, 22 Clearance Khumalo, 23 Hein van der Merwe.
