Varsity Cup, Round 6

After last week matches the race for semi final positions hotting up where teams cannot afford to stumble anymore.

by Jacques

Match 1: Pukke vs MNNU

It’s almost the fight for the wooden spoon with these two teams. At least NMMU will go into the match with a win behind them and Pukke would be trying to get their first win of the season.

Last Monday Pukke came close to win against the Shimlas and one of the guys playing his butt off all over the park was Kruger. Pukke will again look at Kruger to provide the spark against NMMU.  Coach Brent Janse van Rensburg has, wisely, not tampered with his team at all – announcing the exact same match day 23 that beat the Vikings 40-15 this past Monday.

The Teams for Tonight:

The FNB NMMU team: 15 Vuyolwethu Mazaka, 14 Juan du Preez, 13 Wade Roos, 12 Jeffrey Taljard, 11 Charl van Loggenberg, 10 Marius Muller, 9 Shannon Rick, 8 Jaco Swanepoel (captain), 7 Philip Hanekom, 6 Ferdinand Gerber, 5 Mzwande Zito, 4 Schalk Oelofse, 3 Ross Dawid-Anderson, 2 Martin Ferreira, 1 Musa Tukela.
Replacements: 16 Lumka Mbane, 17 Dexter Seanancy, 18 Louis Fourie, 19 Andre Goosen, 20 Marlin Ruiters, 21 Bradley Kretzmann, 22 Hlangoluhle Nodongwe, 23 Andile Mrwebi

The FNB Pukke team: 15 Schalk Oosthuizen, 14 Andrew van Wyk, 13 Kempie Rautenbach, 12 Wouter Watermeyer, 11 Joe Seerane, 10 Cecil Dumond, 9 Tiaan Dorfling, 8 Spanner Pretorius, 7 Philip de Wet, 6 Siya Mdaka, 5 Victor Kruger, 4 Ligtoring Landman (captain), 3 Marthinus Dreyer, 2 JC Oberholzer, 1 Pens Sharneck.
Replacements: 16 Chris Schoonraad, 17 Snoepie Coetzee, 18 Thabo Mamojele, 19 Gabriel Strydom, 20 Johann Laker, 21 Alfred Skorbinski, 22 Terswin Raubenheimer, 23 Mashudu Mafela.

Date: Monday, March 14
Venue: Fanie du Toit Stadium, Potchefstroom
Kick-off: 5pm (Live on SuperSport One)
Referee: Ben Crouse
TMO: JC Fortuin

Game 2: Tuks vs Maties

One of the big games tonight is playing itself out in Pretoria where Tukkies will host Maties. For both teams this game is a must win. For Maties it will be to stretch the lead on top of the log and for Tukkies to try and get into a semi final position.

Tukkies is lying quite snug third on the log with two points behind second place UCT.

In the beginning of the season I had Tukkies as one of the favourites to win the cup this year and I got the feeling they are peaking at the right time. Tonight will be a watershed moment for the men from Pretoria, for winning against Maties tonight will put them in a nice position for a semi final, possibly a home one at thaty.

For Maties Hugo Kloppers will captain his team against Tuks. Kloppers, starting alongside Andrew Prior in the second row, takes over the captaincy from injured hooker Callie Visagie (shoulder) and will play a key role in ensuring the Men in Maroon do not slip up away from home.

As expected, Gareth Light will wear Visagie’s No.2 shirt, with Johannes Gericke joining the squad for the first time this season. Jurgen Visser and Andries Coetzee have been bracketed at fullback; so too Coetzee and Helberg on the right wing; Hayden Groepes and GD Kotze on the left-wing; and props Vincent Koch and Morne Mellet.

For Tuks on the bench Mellet and Koch have also been bracketed – along with fellow props Grant Kemp, Stephen Pretorius and Jean Rossouw; forwards Sthembiso Mlongo and MB Lusaseni and backs JC Roos and Karlo Aspeling and Kotzee, Helberg and Arno van Zyl. Visser, centre Dabeon Draghoender and Groepes are, of course, Maties old boys and will all be keen as mustard to face their own teammates.

At the moment, however, only Draghoender seems assured of that; with injuries and other permutations set to bring out some last-minute changes on Monday.

Tonight’s Teams:

The FNB Tuks team: 15 Jurgen Visser/Andries Coetzee, 14 Andries Coetzee/Deon Helberg, 13 Jean du Plessis, 12 Dabeon Draghoender, 11 Hayden Groepes/GD Kotze, 10 Wesley Dunlop (captain), 9 Danie Faasen, 8 Jono Ross, 7 Jacques Verwey, 6 Warwick Tecklenburg, 5 Franco Mostert, 4 Nqubeko Zulu, 3 Frik Kirsten, 2 Robbie Coetzee, 1 Vincent Koch/Morne Mellet.
Replacements: 16 Chris Crous, 17 Grant Kemp/Stephen Pretorius/Jean Rossouw, 18 Sthembiso Mlongo/MB Lusaseni, 19 Willie Nel, 20 Clayton Stewart, 21 JC Roos/Karlo Aspeling, 22 Kotzee/Helberg/Arno van Zyl, 23 Mellet/Koch.

The FNB Maties team: 15 Ruan Combrinck, 14 Ryan Nell, 13 Stokkies Hanekom, 12 Louis Jordaan, 11 Tythan Adams, 10 André Kemp, 9 Donald Stevens, 8 Sam Mabombo, 7 Reuben Johannes, 6 Helmut Lehman, 5 Hugo Kloppers (captain), 4 Andrew Prior, 3 Buhle Mxunyelwa, 2 Gareth Light, 1 Os Hamman.
Replacements: 16 Johannes Gericke, 17 Alistair Vermaak, 18 Meyer Swanepoel, 19 Grant Hattingh, 20 James Alexander, 21 Jody Rose, 22 Jarryd Buys, 23 Suan Havenga.

Date: Monday, March 14
Venue: Tuks Rugby Stadium, Pretoria
Kick-off: 7pm (SuperSport One)
Referee: Mlungiseli Mdashe
TMO: J Meuwesen

Game 3: TUT vs Shimlas

TUT will look to get their season back on track against Shimlas. TUT will mainly play for pride and that is always dangerous for a team that wants to beat them to get into a semi final.

Shimlas will have to be in tip top shape tonight if they want to keep their semi-final dreams alive in competition.  Having beaten Tuks and the Pukke in Round Four and Five, respectively, the Men from Bloemfontein face a potentially tricky away encounter against TUT, who went down 15-40 to the Madibaz on Monday.

Shimlas coach Jaco Swanepoel has limited his team changes as they look to secure a semifinal place, but the introduction of the fit-again Earl Snyman at outside centre – in place of Zandre de Bruin – will serve only to bolster their starting line-up.

Teams for Tonight:

The FNB Shimlas team: 15 Shaun Davids, 14 Jamba Ulengo, 13 Earl Snyman, 12 Charl Weideman, 11 Cameron Jacobs, 10 Jaco Colyn, 9 Enrico Acker, 8 Willie Britz (captain), 7 Pieter Labuschagnè, 6 Etienne Terblanche, 5 Joubert Horn, 4 Wilken Heyns, 3 Ian Potgieter, 2 JC van Wyk, 1 John-Henry Harris.
Replacements: 16 Martin van der Heever, 17 Johan van Niekerk, 18 Frederick Ngoza, 19 Erik le Roux, 20 George Whitehead, 21 Franna du Toit, 22 Zandre de Bruin, 23 Henry van Niekerk.

The FNB TUT team: 15 Justin van Staden, 14 Andisa Gqobo, 13 Hansie Graaff, 12 Lutho Nyeka, 11 Thom Seabela, 10 Ruan Boshoff, 9 Ettienne Greeff, 8 Wessel Cronjé, 7 Wikus Botes (captain), 6 Vince Gwavu, 5 Mare Ewald, 4 Tinus van Wyk, 3 Anton Krynauw, 2 Johan Pieterse, 1 Jacques van Rooyen.
Replacements: 16 Eugene Cunha, 17 Jan Scheepers, 18 Ryno Lopes, 19 Gerrie van Niekerk, 20 Manny Raposso, 21 Simphiwe Mtimkulu, 22 Ruan van Loo, 23 Dandre van der Westhuyzen.

Game 4: UJ vs UCT:

The other big game of tonight is the match-up between UJ and UCT. Again this is one game I wished that Supersport would have broadcast.

UJ boss Hugo van As has kept the changes to the minimum as UJ set their sails for Cape Town.  UJ and UCT has suffered their first defeats last week. Those losses sees changes like Aubrey McDonald replace Earl Lewis at fullback, with Super Rugby winger Wigan Pekeur returning on the right-wing, and just one change up front where Yssel Swanepoel comes in for Shane Kirkwood in the No.4 shirt.

On the other hand Kevin Foote has made quite a few changes to his team for tonights match, especially up front where tighthead prop Shane Meier is the only survivor from Round Five. Star centre Marcel Brache who came off the bench this week – has been restored to the starting line-up and he will team up with debutante Ollie Braithwaite in the centres – meaning Therlow Pietersen returns to his favourite position of fullback.

Up front, Foote has re-jigged his loose trio, with Nizaam Carr on SA Under-20 duty, which means a switch to No.8 for captain Nick Fenton-Wells – as Zandy Macdonald and the fit-again Don Armand come in at No.7 and No.6, respectively. At lock, Levi Odendaal teams up with Pallo Manuel for the first time this season and Dayne Jans (hooker) and Fransie van Wyk (loosehead prop) will make their first starts of UCT’s 2011 campaign. Meier, of course, retains his No.3 shirt.

“It’s a must-win game for both teams,” Foote told varsitycup.co.za this week.

“There’s just two games left and then it’s semifinal time – so nobody can really afford to lose in terms of that home semifinal being up for grabs.”That said, our only focus at the moment is UJ and we cannot wait to get the chance to put things right after this week,” he added.

Teams for Tonight:

The FNB UCT team: 15 Therlow Pietersen, 14 Pete Haw, 13 Marcel Brache, 12 Oliver Braithwaite, 11 Paul Cohen, 10 Demetri Catrakilis, 9 Nicholas Farrar, 8 Nick Fenton-Wells (captain), 7 Alexander Macdonald, 6 Donovan Armand, 5 Levi Odendaal, 4 Pallo Manuel, 3 Shane Meier, 2 Dayne Jans, 1 Francois van Wyk.
Replacements: 16 Matt Page, 17 Wesley Chetty, 18 Harrison Edwards, 19 Michael Morris, 20 Scott Watermeyer, 21 Mark Winter, 22 Sabelo Siyakatshana, 23 Pete Olivier.

The FNB UJ team: 15 Aubrey McDonald, 14 Wigan Pekeur, 13 Justin St. Jerry, 12 Luan Steenkamp, 11 Lolo Waka, 10 Theuns Kotze, 9 Jacques Pretorius, 8 Cameron Peverett, 7 Justin Wheeler (captain), 6 Johan van Deventer, 5 Marnus van Huyssteen, 4 Yssel Swanepoel, 3 Ruan Dreyer, 2 Francois du Toit, 1 Caylib Oosthuizen.
Replacements: 16 Alfred Ries, 17 Ollie Terblanche, 18 Shane Kirkwood, 19 Wendal Wehr, 20 Rudi Paige, 21 André Smith, 22 Divan van Zyl, 23 Anthony Gallacher.

My predictions:

• Maties by 10 over Tuks
• Pukke by 15 over NMMU
• Shimlas by 20 over TUT
• UCT by 7 over UJ

Additional information from www.varsitycup.co.za

Tags: Varsity Cup Round 6