UJ go above Wits in Varsity Cup log
JOBURG – One more round of matches before the battle of the city between Wits and UJ.
After three rounds of #RugbyThatRocks the University of Johannesburg (UJ) bagged their first victory against North-West University (NWU).
The Orange Army won 35–14 in their first home game of the season. The game got off to a worrying start for UJ as they found themselves trailing 7–0 after eight minutes. By the 28th minute, NWU had doubled the lead thanks to a penalty try. UJ finally got on the scoreboard towards the end of the first half with a penalty try of their own.
The home team took control of the second half and showed their dominance with a try from Philip Apea-Adu in the 44th minute and a successful conversion by Jonathan Viljoen to level the game. Kayden Kiewit and Rowan Malgas scored UJ’s next try’s in the 62nd and 65th minute respectively followed by a pair of conversions by Viljoen to take the score to 30–14. In the last minute of the game, Viljoen slotted another penalty and the game ended 35–14.
Meanwhile, Wits had their first away game of the season at Stellenbosch University and lost 10–37 to the 2019 Varsity Cup champions. The game got off to a hot start as Stellenbosch scored a try in the fourth minute with Wits replying in the ninth.
Stellenbosch added another seven points via a try and conversion in the 16th minute to go ahead 12–5. Stellenbosch were awarded two penalties before the end of the first half to increase their lead to 18–5.
Wits showed signs of life in the second half with a Thando Ngcelwane try in the 52nd minute to make it 18–10 but Stellenbosch turned up the heat with two consecutive trys and a conversion to lead 30–10. Just before full-time Stellenbosch registered another try and conversion for the emphatic win.
Wits occupies the sixth position on the log and will return to their home stadium to take on the first-placed University of Free State on March 7. The fourth-round clash will be played on the same day fifth-placed UJ travel down to the Western Cape to face Stellenbosch University who are in third.
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