Jacques looks at the first round of Varsity Cup matches taking place later today.
by Jacques
The FNB Varsity Cup presented by Steinhoff International kicks off tonight with three-times champions FNB Maties who will host FNB UJ in Stellenbosch. The beauty of the Varsity Cup is that every year, every team fields an almost brand new team for the tournament, meaning you have now idea who will be the favourites for the season.
Maties new coach Chris Rossouw will want his team to keep the moment that was build-up in the pre-season games, especially their game against the Baby Boks.
Defending Champions FNB Tuks will have to travel to Potchefstroom for their first game of the season against FNB NWU-Pukke. The champions coach is not taking any chances in their first game in naming a power line-up three current junior world champions in his team.
NWU-Pukke is the one team who has been building a reputation as a formidable opponent in recent years will go into this home game knowing how much a win against the champions will do for their aspirations to lift the trophy in 2013.
In the other Western Cape match FNB UCT Tigers will be seeking a win against FNB NMMU Madibaz in their Monte Taljaard trophy clash. The Madibaz took the trophy in style last year in Port Elizabeth.
All teams will have one eye on the newcomers FNB Wits as they make their debut in front of their home crowd against FNB UFS – Shimlas.
Meanwhile, in the Varsity Shield on Monday, last year’s Wooden Spoonists the FNB UKZN Impi will be looking to defend their spot at the top of the standings when they host the FNB CUT Ixias in Pietermaritzburg.
The Impi secured a morale-boosting victory over FNB TUT in Pretoria on Thursday, leaving the former Varsity Cup outfit without a win in two games this season.
The TUT Vikings will travel to Alice on Monday to face the FNB Fort Hare Blues who will be looking to bounce back from their opening defeat to the Impi in front of their passionate home crowd.
FNB Varsity Cup fixtures – Monday, February 4;
FNB Maties v FNB UJ, Danie Craven Stadium – 4.45pm (TV)
FNB NWU-Pukke v FNB UP-Tuks, Fanie du Toit Sports Grounds – 7pm (TV)
FNB UCT v FNB NMMU, UCT Rugby Fields – 7pm
FNB Wits v FNB Shimlas, Wits Rugby Stadium – 7pm
To predict a winner is stupid because it is just what I could take from pre-season results.
- Maties vs. UJ – Maties by 10 points
- Pukke vs. Tuks – Tuks by 20 points
- UCT vs. NMMU – UCT by 25 points
- Wits vs. Shimlas – Shimlas by 20 points
**additional information from www.varsitycup.co.za and Sports Media365.
You can register on www.superbru.com in Ruggaworld pool to make your predictions in this year’s Varsity Cup.
Here are the details to join our Varsity Cup SuperBru pool:
http://www.superbru.com/varsitycup/pool.asp?p=11052217
Pool name: RW Varsity Cup 2013
Pool code: meowsway
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February 4th, 2013 at 10:56 am
Go Maties
February 4th, 2013 at 12:51 pm
Aha finally good rugby that I can watch with no loyalty… just for the joy…
February 4th, 2013 at 5:59 pm
Maties vs UJ 8-8 56 min gone
February 4th, 2013 at 6:01 pm
Khumalo gets over for their first try after slick hands from second rower Daniel Hugo
February 4th, 2013 at 6:07 pm
Try Maties through the phases
February 4th, 2013 at 6:10 pm
Maties 16 UJ 8 63 Min
February 4th, 2013 at 6:10 pm
Must say I am impressed by UJ good solid forwards with the backs to back it up, handling letting them down
February 4th, 2013 at 6:11 pm
Maties putting the all the paly in UJ half now dominating the game at this stage
February 4th, 2013 at 6:14 pm
Maties getting another one in the coner, JP Lewis
February 4th, 2013 at 6:15 pm
Maties 21 UJ 8 68 min gone
February 4th, 2013 at 6:19 pm
JP Lewis score Maties bonus point try
February 4th, 2013 at 6:19 pm
Dit is lente in die Boland!!!
February 4th, 2013 at 6:20 pm
Maties 28-8 72 min gone
February 4th, 2013 at 6:21 pm
Sorry 29-8
February 4th, 2013 at 6:25 pm
Last 4 min comming up
February 4th, 2013 at 6:28 pm
UJ game was spoiled by handeling otherwise they will be good this year
February 4th, 2013 at 6:29 pm
Final score Matis 29-8 brilliant start to the season for the three times Champions
February 4th, 2013 at 6:38 pm
Ikeys fans can follow the game on live streaming audio http://www.loudradio.tv
February 4th, 2013 at 7:20 pm
Go Pukke!
February 4th, 2013 at 7:51 pm
Pukke hardloop weg op die stadium….
February 4th, 2013 at 7:53 pm
24-0 Half time against the champions…..missed the whole half got my Land Cruiser(short wheel base)…my day can not get any more perfect.
February 4th, 2013 at 8:11 pm
Tuks score….Pukke lead 24-5
February 4th, 2013 at 8:12 pm
Tuks score again TMO
February 4th, 2013 at 8:14 pm
24-10 for Pukke 50 min gone
February 4th, 2013 at 8:15 pm
FNB UCT 5 (1 try) FNB NMMU 0. Half time in Cape Town
February 4th, 2013 at 8:17 pm
Varsity Shield -Fort Hare score their 2nd try through no.13 Lundi Ralarala and is converted by no.12 Saneliso Ngoma and the score is now 16-6 after 56 min
February 4th, 2013 at 8:18 pm
Try for UKZN through no.9 Zander Englebrecht and the conversion is good from Potgieter. UKZN lead 12-10 after 55 minutes.
February 4th, 2013 at 8:21 pm
26-10 for Pukke
February 4th, 2013 at 8:23 pm
It’s still 5-5 between FNB UCT and FNB NMMU at the Green Mile after the second strategy break
February 4th, 2013 at 8:25 pm
FNB Wits have tightened things up in the second half but still trail FNB UFS-Shimlas 32-2 at the second strategy break
February 4th, 2013 at 8:26 pm
Tuks score again Pukke still leads 26-15
February 4th, 2013 at 8:27 pm
Try scored by Sidney Tobias for TUKS
February 4th, 2013 at 8:29 pm
FNB WITS 2 vs FNB UFS 40 after 63 min
February 4th, 2013 at 8:31 pm
tuks score again 26-23 for Pukke
February 4th, 2013 at 8:31 pm
FNB UFS-Shimlas replacement Jacques du Toit goes over for their fifth try to stretch their lead over FNB Wits to 40-2.
February 4th, 2013 at 8:33 pm
Try to Fort Hare as Garth van Rayner in the 70th minute of the match. The kick is over from Ngoma. Score moves to 24-6 to Fort Hare
February 4th, 2013 at 8:37 pm
FNB WITS 2 vs FNB UFS 48 after 71 min
February 4th, 2013 at 8:39 pm
FNB UCT 5 vs FNB NMMU 5 after 70 min
February 4th, 2013 at 8:41 pm
5 min left Pukke still in lead 26-23
February 4th, 2013 at 8:43 pm
1 min left Pukke on atack
February 4th, 2013 at 8:44 pm
Penalty try to CUT with very little time on the clock. Van Tonder kicks the conversion and takes the lead to 26-12.
February 4th, 2013 at 8:45 pm
FNB WITS 2 vs FNB UFS 56 after 77 min
February 4th, 2013 at 8:49 pm
Pukke won brilliant game of rugby…that is why Varsity Cup Rocks
February 4th, 2013 at 8:49 pm
What A game great stuff
February 4th, 2013 at 8:49 pm
Full-time on the Green Mile – it’s a draw in the Monte Taljaard Trophy match! FNB UCT 5 (1 try) FNB NMMU 5 (1 try
February 4th, 2013 at 8:51 pm
Great start to Varsity Cup 2013…so glad we have tthis before the supershit
February 4th, 2013 at 8:53 pm
FNB WITS 7 vs FNB UFS 61 Full-time
February 4th, 2013 at 8:54 pm
Pukke!
February 4th, 2013 at 8:54 pm
Results from the Shield: CUT won away in Maritzburg 26-12 against UKZN and Fort Hare won emphatically against TUT 32-6
February 4th, 2013 at 9:00 pm
Must say I have a soft spot for Pukke.
I did my two geology modules there two years ago and their campus is ultra cool.
February 4th, 2013 at 9:01 pm
FNB UFH 32 vs FNB TUT 6 Full Time
February 4th, 2013 at 9:01 pm
Result: FNB UKZN 12 vs FNB CUT 26 Full Time
February 4th, 2013 at 9:05 pm
February 4th, 2013 at 9:14 pm
Reply to DavidS @ 9:00 pm: Yes, it is a great campus and university. I studied there for 4 years. Some of the best times of my life.
February 4th, 2013 at 9:19 pm
Reply to DavidS @ 9:00 pm: If you did Geology there you probably spend a lot of time in the Vredefordt Dome meteor site. Lovely place, I asked my wife to marry me on one of the koppies there.
February 4th, 2013 at 9:33 pm
Reply to Vetgesmeerde Blits @ 9:19 pm:
Lol! I suppose if it’s romance you’re looking for there should be places…
We were looking for the black trauma crystalline.
The heat was oppressive..
Not if you’re working there in searing heat… also spent plenty time in the lab at the Bsc department. Our classes were 8 – 12 and 1 – 5 – so no screwing around…
But lunch times a class mate and I would sit there (he was about 35) and admire the finely attired nubile female forms sashaying us from the ladies residences… and we both wished for a few years back…
More cool was that our residence for UNISA geology students was close to where the drama department was and the choirs and opera singers would walk past in the evening practicing… now THAT was brilliant.
February 4th, 2013 at 9:50 pm
Hehe, yes there is no shortage of lovely ladies there.
I did a project with the geologly department in my final year.
We had to make paintings(I studied graphic design)of the Vredefordt Dome to be used as art on stamps for the North-West post office. One of the subjects I painted was a slab of black rock with here and there speckles of lighter rock in it. Is that the black trauma crystalline? I believe it was mined from the Dome but it has now been stopped. If I remember correctly the geology lecturer explained to us that the black parts in the rocks was rock that melted from the heat of the meteorite.
February 5th, 2013 at 10:09 am
Ja there are two different ways to form crystal. The first is easiest. Long term heat and pressure. That’s from being underground for a long time.
Then there is trauma which was from the massive heat and pressure of the meteor strike. This was almost instantaneous creation.
There is now a third laboratory way of creating crystals but we’re just talking natural stuff here.
Under a microscope it looks jagged and splintered but it is crystalline.
I love geology.
We were lucky in our class because only about eight people attended and we had two HOD’s lecturing us as well as two class assistants.
Four of the students were from Wits… they did not really attend any classes so how they passed heaven alone knows…
The other four of us did well.
February 5th, 2013 at 10:11 am
That crystal and mineral display of theirs is probably one of the best in South Africa!
February 5th, 2013 at 11:09 am
Reply to DavidS @ 10:09 am:
Sound great, geology seems to be a very interesting field.
It is hard to think that a lot the ridges and koppies around Joburg was created by that single meteor strike, the impact must have been massive! The black crystalline is beautiful and I am glad they stopped people from mining it there.
February 5th, 2013 at 12:42 pm
It goes even further back.
The minerals of South Africa was created by a single volcanic eruption even before the meteor strike. In some places north of Joburg in Leydenburg area the lava is 6km thick…