The University of Johannesburg (UJ) have a big task ahead of their clash against the University of Cape Town (UCT) in round four of the Varsity Cup.
The match will be played at UCT rugby fields at 4.45pm this evening.
The Capetonians have had a tumultuous start to their season. They started with a close 32-24 win over the University of Western Cape (UWC), before being demolished 66-5 by a rampaging Stellenbosch University (Maties) team. Another blow to their side was losing star flanker and skipper Nama Xaba in the first game against their Cape Town rivals.
They are no way out of the competition yet, blessed with a strong pack of forwards and the trusted boot of Darian Hock.
UJ is in a rebuilding season after getting a new coach and blooding some young players. They have lost all three of their games, including a particularly embarrassing loss to Central University of Technology (CUT) last week.
They will need to use this game to come back and find their feet if they want to make a last-gasp effort for a semi-final place.
In the other Johannesburg university match, the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) will face a strong University of Pretoria (UP-Tuks) side.
UP-Tuks skipper Marius Verwey expects a backlash from Wits when encountering the Joburgers on Monday at Tuks Stadium.
The Stripe Generation was two points away from toppling the Stellenbosch giants last week and will look to get back to winning ways when they host Wits.
Wits were blindsided by a late Shimlas surge spearheaded by fly half Lubabalo Dobela with the Free Staters eventually winning 33-26.
UP-Tuks captain Marius Verwey explained that his side expects a tough bout with Wits as the Joburgers look for redemption after their loss.
“It’s going to be a very physical game. Both teams have their backs against the wall after our losses, but we are going to work very hard to be ready for the onslaught.”
UP-Tuks were so close to defeating their coastal nemesis, but some missed kicks and dropped balls led to the loss. Verwey rued UP-Tuks’s missed chances against Maties in round three.
“We were very disappointed in ourselves because we couldn’t pull through with a victory, especially given our plenty of chances.”
The other matches in the Varsity Cup sponsored by FNB are:
North-West University (NWU) vs University of the Free State (Shimlas) will resemble a war zone when they clash on Monday, at Shimla Park.
CUT will take on Maties on Monday, at the CUT Rugby Stadium.
Ticketing:
For all FNB Varsity Cup and FNB Varsity Shield matches, visit the FNB Varsity Cup website at https://varsitycup.co.za for further information or go to your stadium on game day and purchase at the gate.
Photo: Jorina Raath
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