Brutal Shimlas upset Maties

Bloemfontein - FNB Shimlas ensured that the FNB Maties would not have it all their way in the 2011 Varsity Cup, when they beat the three-times champions by 21-15 in Bloemfontein on Monday night.

In a brutal encounter at Shimla Park, last year's losing semifinalists claimed their first-ever Varsity Cup win over the defending champs - just seven days after they had begun their 2011 campaign with a home loss to UCT.

The selfsame Ikeys have benefited most from this Shimlas win, with the Men from Cape Town moving into first place on the log - although Shimlas did themselves no harm either as they opened some daylight between themselves and the winless NMMU and Pukke teams.

Shimlas - playing in front of a much better crowd in Bloem - scored the game's only tries (one in each half) as they ran into an early lead thanks to ex-Matie Charl Weideman's first try in Shimlas colours.

Weideman profited from a fine break by flyhalf Jaco Colyn - in a late change to the Shimlas XV, he moved to flyhalf with Enrico Acker taking over at scrumhalf - and Franna du Toit (starting at fullback, not flyhalf) slotted the conversion for a 7-0 lead.

A Du Toit penalty then made it 10-0, but the Maties - courtesy of their 'new' man at flyhalf André Kemp - managed two first-half three-pointers (a penalty and a drop-goal) to leave the score at 10-6 to the home side at half-time.

The undoubted highlight of the second half was Shimlas winger Jamba Ulengo's try shortly after the 60-minute mark, the speedster running some 40 metres for a crucial five-pointer, the Maties having - for the first time - taken the lead at 15-13.

Ulengo's score came in the all-new 'Powerplay' - which means free Black Label for all Kovsies fans at the Spur on Tuesday night! - but it also allowed the hosts to keep their noses in front at a crucial stage.

Replacement Shaun Davids failed to convert Ulengo's try, but his second penalty of the night stretched the Shimlas lead to 21-15 with time running out.

Shimlas, eventually, held on to record their first win of the 2011 season, no doubt leaving coach Jaco Swanepoel a happier man after last week's dismal opening, whilst Maties coach Chean Roux will have little trouble motivating his troops for an away clash against the high-riding FNB TUT team.

The scorers:

For FNB Shimlas:
Try: Weideman, Ulengo
Con: Du Toit
Pens: Du Toit, Davids 2

For FNB Maties:
Pens: Kemp, Stevens 3
DG: Kemp

Teams:

FNB Shimlas:
15 George Whitehead, 14 Jamba Ulengo, 13 Earl Snyman, 12 Charl Weideman, 11 Cameron Jacobs, 10 Francois du Toit, 9 Jaco Colyn, 8 Willie Britz (captain), 7 Pieter Labuschagnè, 6 Hanno Pieterse, 5 Joubert Horn, 4 Wilken Heyns, 3 Henry van Niekerk, 2 JC van Wyk, 1 Charles Marais.
Replacements: 16 Hercu Liebenberg, 17 John-Henry Harris, 18 Oupa Mohoje, 19 Etienne Terblanche, 20 Enrico Acker, 21 Zandre de Bruin, 22 Shaun Davids, 23 Ian Potgieter.

FNB Maties:
15 Ruan Combrinck, 14 Tshotsho Mbovane, 13 Ryan Nell, 12 Louis Jordaan, 11 Tythan Adams, 10 Jody Rose, 9 Donald Stevens, 8 Tertius Daniller, 7 Grant Hattingh, 6 Helmut Lehman, 5 Hugo Kloppers, 4 Andrew Prior, 3 Buhle Mxunyelwa, 2 Callie Visagie (captain), 1 Johan Roets.
Replacements: 16 Gareth Light, 17 Os Hamman, 18 Meyer Swanepoel, 19 Sam Mabombo, 20 James Alexander, 21 André Kemp, 22 Jarryd Buys, 23 Suan Havenga.

Referee: Dilbert November