Varsity Cup
Cape sides favourites for VC
2010-03-21 18:24
Email | Print
FNB Varsity Cup logo (file)
|
Johannesburg - It’s North versus the two favourite South teams as the semifinals of the FNB Varsity Cup are played in the Western Cape on Monday evening, with UCT preparing to host the Shimlas and the Maties facing last year’s vanquished finalists NWU-Pukke in Stellenbosch.
It really is tough to look past the Maties winning through to their third successive final. Pukke, a proud pedigree team, will fight hard but the loss of their talisman and scrumhalf Andries Mahoney due to concussion could just have scrapped their hopes.
Coach Rudy Joubert put on a brave face after confirming Mahoney's non-availability.
"If I didn't think we had a chance, what would the point be of even arriving on Monday? "I believe we were very unlucky against them this past week in the last league match. "The scoreboard doesn't tell the full story, and I am looking forward to the match - as are my players," he said to varsitycup.co.za, Maties coach Chean Roux, on the other hand, thought that the loss of Mahoney would hurt last year's losing finalists somewhat but is more concerned about his own team that will have to do without injured loose forwards Cameron Peverett and Tertius Daniller.
"It might sound a clich, but our only concern in the build-up to last week's match (against Pukke) was our game - and it's the same again this week. We did no video analysis on the Pukke then and haven't done anything this week either. It's all about executing our game effectively, no matter who we play against." Roux's approach might seem hard to believe, but he believes in concentrating on the basics - and who can dispute a man, who has not tasted defeat in this competition since last year's final league meeting against Tuks? The Pukke, albeit it against a Maties side without some of their stars including captain tighthead Louwrens Adriaanse had the better of last week’s match when they took the defending champions on with their forwards.
However, that match was played in Potchefstroom - and to win in Stellenbosch the Pukke will again have to dominate up front and then grasp their chances at the back.
Giving the home side too much possession will be a fatal act with Maties’ Andre Kemp at flyhalf a classy player who can control and dictate to perfection - and some speedsters and real class on his outside.
With the Maties expected to keep their unbeaten semifinal the attention will firmly be on the earlier game when the Ikey Tigers host first-time semifinalists Shimlas at the notorious Green Mile.
Much has been spoken of the treacherous conditions at UCT's Groote Schuur home ground. The wind can win or lose matches, for the home side and visitors, at the Green Mile, and the men from Bloemfontein seem acutely aware of the challenge they face.
"I just hope the wind won't be the determining factor," Shimlas coach Jaco Swanepoel told varsitycup.co.za, "we’re not used to wind like that in the Free State." For Swanepoel's opposite number, UCT coach John Dobson, Monday's fixture is the culmination of a three-year plan that he and former assistant coach Robbie Fleck dreamt up one balmy afternoon in 2007.
This year was meant to be their year. They narrowly lost the 2008 final and also hosted a semifinal last year, and have a record of finishing, second and second on the log since 2008.
"We're a settled side and a happy side, but we are up against the current form team of the tournament, who in essence have won what was effectively a Last 16 match and then a quarterfinal in the past two weeks in their league fixtures - and won them well," said Dobson.
UCT have never lost to Shimlas in the Varsity Cup, but their most recent encounter, on the opening day of this year’s tournament - produced a 30-30 draw; the Ikeys having won previous games by 28-14 (in 2008) and 23-20 (in 2009).
Dobson added: "They are a very good rugby side. And, as I always read, they should have beaten us in our league fixture, so it's going to be a very tight, tough game." Franna du Toit, the 2008 SA Schools flyhalf, has been selected as Shimlas flyhalf. Dobson has also made a few changes to his side, including Matthew Rosslee as flyhalf in place of Douglas Mallett - and these two changes behind the pack can dictate the course of the match and the end result.
The semi-final fixtures are (home teams first):
UCT v Shimlas, Groote Schuure, 4.14pm
Maties v NWU-Pukke, Danie Craven Stadium, 6.30pm
(both matches to be televised)