Wits University and the University of Johannesburg have failed to secure a 2021 Varsity Cup win in three attempts each.
Instead of being at the summit of the Varsity Cup log, Wits and UJ are glued to the bottom. In their third games of the competition, Wits lost to University of Stellenbosch (SU) 19–13 while UJ was defeated by University of Cape Town (UCT) 39–34.
The boys from Stellenbosch had to overturn a half-time deficit to claim the narrow win against Wits at Tuks Stadium. Wits flyhalf Christian Humphries kicked off the scoring with an early penalty but SU soon replied thanks to a try from hooker HJ Luus. Centre Henco van Wyk got the breakthrough Wits needed when he beat several defenders to score his first Varsity Cup try. Humphries’ conversion went wide but his team went into the half-time break up 8–5.
Eight minutes into the second half, SU captain David Brits put winger Munier Hartzenberg away for a try in the corner and Nevaldo Fleurs added the conversion. SU flank Mitchell Carstens was yellow-carded with eight minutes remaining but that didn’t prevent replacement hooker André-Hugo Venter from powering over for a point-of-origin try. Wits made their numerical advantage count when Van Wyk scored his second try after SU were reduced to 13 men due to replacement prop Leon Lyons being sent to the sin bin.
UCT remained unbeaten as UJ failed to secure their first victory of the campaign. Within three minutes of play, UCT scored a point-of-origin try thanks to flanker Taariq Kruger who was put away by flyhalf James Tedder. Fourteen minutes later, fullback Athi Gazi secured another try for the Cape Town side extending the lead to 12–0.
UJ finally got on the scoreboard with a try from Nkondlo Radebe followed by a successful conversion by flyhalf Jurich Claasens. UCT responded with hooker Josh van Vuuren dotting down a converted try, before quick thinking by UJ’s backs allowed fullback Boldwin Hansen to score a converted try. At the half-time whistle the score was 21–19 in favour of UCT following a penalty by Claasens.
The thrills continued into the second half with UJ converting a penalty before UCT dotted down again through centre Le Roux Malan. Tedder ensured that UCT remained in the lead with two late penalty goals to end the game 39–34.
