Pretoria and Bloemfontein will once again host the Varsity Netball semi-finals as the tournament hits the knock-out stage today. Two-time champions Kovsies will be up against their fierce rivals NWU-Pukke at the Callie Human Hall while UP-Tuks will welcome Maties to the Rembrand Hall in Pretoria. These will be exact replays of last year’s semi-finals at the same venues which saw both home teams claim victory and progress to the final.
It is always a big occasion when Kovsies face NWU-Pukke, and it promises to be no different as the visitors aim to become the first team to beat the defending champions this season. Kovsies have swept all before them this year, starting with a 47-38 win over NWU-Pukke in Round One and ending with a 44-31 victory over Maties in Round Seven which were the only two games in which they failed to secure a bonus point.
Things have been a lot tougher for NWU-Pukke who has suffered defeats to the three teams to finish above them on the standings – Kovsies, Maties and UP-Tuks. The Potchefstroom side will come into the clash high on confidence after their 65-32 win against the Madibaz last week secured them fourth place, but they will know that taking on Kovsies at home will be an altogether different challenge.
In the other semifinal UP-Tuks will have their work cut out for them against what has been an impressive Maties outfit. When the two sides met in Stellenbosch back in Round Two it was UP-Tuks who took a narrow victory 54-51 in what was one of the games of the season.
The Pretoria side has suffered injuries to key players, but since that meeting both sides have only lost one match each – both against the unbeaten Kovsies. In the final round before the semifinals UP-Tuks cantered to a morale-boosting win against VUT, while Maties went down fighting against Kovsies at home.
They will be keen to show that they have what it takes to win on the road and gain some revenge for their semifinal defeat at the same venue last year, while UP-Tuks will be looking to make it a replay of that result and secure a place in the final to give themselves a shot at the title.
Varsity Netball semi-finals:
UP-Tuks v Maties
(Rembrand Hall, Pretoria – 17:00 live on Supersport)
Kovsies v NWU-Pukke
(Callie Human Hall, Bloemfontein – 19:00 live on Supersport)
