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Preview: Varsity Cup Week 3

Cape Town - With this past Monday's amazing Varsity Cup results still fresh in everyone's minds, all eyes will be on this coming week's third-round televised matches as FNB TUT play host to FNB Maties and FNB UJ entertain the FNB Shimlas.

TUT and Shimlas - along with FNB UCT - produced the results of the second round by beating FNB Tuks and FNB Maties, respectively. (UCT, meanwhile, trashed Pukke in Potchefstroom.)

However, it is now up to those selfsame TUT and Shimlas teams to prove that their wins were by no means flukes as they prepare for battle in the third round of the 2011 Varsity Cup; with both those matches - at 17:00 and 19:00 - being televised live on SuperSport on Monday.

"I don't think that (Maties being beaten) is very good for us because they will come with a big backlash," admitted TUT Vikings coach Alex de Kock to varsitycup.co.za, as the Men from Tshwane get set to welcome the three times champions to their home ground.

"We've got to concentrate - the Maties will always be the favourites in the competition... no matter what has happened before."

Whilst they are on a high this week, the Vikings certainly know all about the highs and lows of the FNB Varsity Cup presented by Steinhoff International - having ended second last in 2008 and 2010 and walking off with the Wooden Spoon in 2009.

De Kock added: "I think the competition this year has shown that if you have a lapse in concentration, or you are not up to it 100% in every game, then any side can beat you on the day.

"We are very positive," he continued, "we said from the beginning that we don't want to just make up the numbers. We want to compete and we want to play positively and that is what we are going to do (on Monday)."

Stellenbosch coach Chean Roux was refreshingly candid in his post-match reaction this week, putting his hand up and admitting that, tactically, he had got things wrong.

As a result, the very successful Maties boss added that his team would tighten things up a bit - on the field - from now on... but their overall approach would not differ.

"Like I've said before, we've got only three home games this year, so we need to win at least one on the road - if we win all our home games - to be in contention for the semifinals," Roux told varsitycup.co.za.

"TUT is never an easy place to play and then, after playing at home the following week against NMMU, we also have to travel (away) to UCT the following week.

"So, as you can see it doesn't get any easier for us. It's not about bouncing back from a loss; it's more about getting that win away in order to stay in semifinal contention."

The two unbeaten teams in the competition at present, UCT and UJ, will also be hosting games in Round Three - both for the first time this year after playing away in their opening two fixtures.

UJ, arguably, have the toughest assignment of the week as they entertain the giant-killers of Round Two; the University of the Free State.

Having beaten the Maties for the first time ever in their Varsity Cup history - it was also Stellenbosch's first loss in twelve Varsity Cup matches - they are still playing catch-up after losing their opening home match to the Ikeys.

A win, at UJ, will keep them well within Top Four contention, but there will be some nervous moments for them with Friday's news that they will be traveling to Johannesburg without their inspirational captain Willie Britz after he took a knock to his head against Stellenbosch.

UCT, given their fantastic start away from home this season, will fancy themselves to make it three from three against the Madibaz from NMMU, but the Men from PE are an entirely different team this year.

Yes, UCT have never lost to NMMU - they also beat them 65-9 last year - but there is a new resolve in the Madibaz team this year and, of course, this fixture will - once again - double up as the Monte Taljaard Trophy Match in honour of the late UCT flanker, Monte Taljaard, who was killed in a car accident in September 2008.

Games like these are never easy.

That said, NMMU coach Brent Janse van Rensburg was not expecting many favours from the Ikeys, telling varsitycup.co.za: "UCT very adventurous; they are not scared to give things a crack so we will have to stick to our systems on defence.

"We will have to stick to the plan and the strategy for the game to make sure we can keep the game close and not allow them to get away with tries early on in the match.

"So certainly I think the big thing for us in this game is our defensive system, we need to stick to our system and play within that system and be disciplined," he added. "If we can do that then we will be able to stop them out wide."

Tuks, after their shock home defeat at the hands of TUT, will be looking to make up for that loss when they travel to Potchefstroom to face up to the FNB Pukke.

The Pukke, who are bottom of the log and without a win thus far, can kiss their 2011 campaign goodbye with another defeat.

Tuks, given that their first-round win over NMMU was away and that they picked up a losing bonus point against TUT, could afford a second successive loss - but they will also know that a win will really keep them in semifinal contention as the tournament gathers momentum en route to reaching its halfway mark.

Meanwhile, the fifth round of the Varsity Shield will see the unbeaten FNB CUT play host to FNB UKZN and FNB Fort Hare - who are chasing that elusive first win - will entertain FNB UWC.

Both those matches - in Bloemfontein and Alice, respectively - will kick-off at 19:00 on Monday evening.

Varsity Cup fixtures and team line-ups for Monday, February 21:

FNB TUT v FNB Maties
Kick-off: 5pm (Live on SuperSport One)
TUT Stadium, Tshwane
Referee: Archie Sehlako
TMO: Gerrie Coetzee

Teams:

TUT:

15 Justin van Staden, 14 Andisa Gqobo, 13 Hansie Graaff, 12 Lutho Nyeka, 11 Thom Seabela, 10 Ruan Boshoff, 9 Manny Raposo, 8 Wessel Cronjé, 7 Wikus Botes (captain), 6 Vince Gwavu, 5 JJ Breet, 4 Emile Verster, 3 Juan-Phillip Pike, 2 Johan Pieterse, 1 Jacques van Rooyen

Replacements: 16 Mbonambi Bongi, 17 Anton Krynauw, 18 Mare Ewald, 19 Julian Erasmus, 20 Ettienne Greeff, 21 Simphiwe Mtimkulu, 22 Ruan van Loo, 23 Jan Scheepers.

Maties:
15 Ruan Combrinck, 14 Ryan Nell, 13 Berton Klaasen, 12 Louis Jordaan, 11 Tythan Adams, 10 André Kemp, 9 Donald Stevens, 8 Tertius Daniller, 7 Meyer Swanepoel, 6 Helmut Lehman, 5 Hugo Kloppers, 4 Chris van Zyl, 3 Buhle Mxunyelwa, 2 Callie Visagie (captain), 1 Os Hamman

Replacements: 16 Gareth Light, 17 Suan Havenga, 18 Grant Hattingh, 19 Reuben Johannes, 20 James Alexander, 21 Jody Rose, 22 Jarryd Buys, 23 Alistair Vermaak.

FNB UJ v FNB Shimlas

Kick-off: 7pm (Live on SuperSport One)
UJ Stadium, Johannesburg
Assistant referees: Quinton Immelman
TMO: JC Fortuin

Teams:

UJ:
15 Aubrey McDonald, 14 Wigan Pekeur, 13 Luan Steenkamp, 12 Harry Collins, 11 Lolo Waka, 10 Theuns Kotze, 9 Jacques Pretorius, 8 Cameron Peverett, 7 Justin Wheeler (captain), 6 Johan van Deventer, 5 Marnus van Huyssteen, 4 Shane Kirkwood, 3 Anthony Gallacher, 2 George Riest, 1 Caylib Oosthuizen
                                                       
Replacements: 16 Francois du Toi, 17 Ollie Terblanche, 18 Jacobus Swanepoel, 19 Wendal Wehr, 20 Daniel Botha, 21 André Smith, 22 Earl Lewis, 23 R Dreyer.

Shimlas:
15 Shaun Davids, 14 Jamba Ulengo, 13 Zandre de Bruin, 12 Charl Weideman, 11 Cameron Jacobs, 10 Jaco Colyn (captain), 9 Enrico Acker, 8 Etienne Terblanche, 7 Pieter Labuschagnè, 6 Hanno Pieterse, 5 Joubert Horn, 4 Wilken Heyns, 3 Ian Potgieter, 2 Hercu Liebenberg, 1 John-Henry Harris

Replacements: 16 JC van Wyk, 17 Stephan Kotze, 18 Oupa Mohoje, 19 Erik le Roux, 20 George Whitehead, 21 Franna du Toit, 22 Divandre Strydom, 23 Henry van Niekerk.

FNB Pukke v FNB Tuks
Kick-off: 7pm
Fanie du Toit Stadium, Potchefstroom
Referee: Tiaan Jonker

Teams:

Pukke:
15 Willem Barnard, 14 Andrew van Wyk, 13 Kempie Rautenbach, 12 George Tossel, 11 Johannes Seerane, 10 John Welthagen, 9 Johann Laker, 8 Cornell du Preez, 7 Thabo Mamojele, 6 Savvas Nel, 5 Victor Kruger, 4 Ligtoring Landman (captain), 3 Marthinus Dreyer, 2 Christiaan Schoonraad, 1 Henri Scharneck

Replacements: 16 Johan Oberholzer, 17 Dewald Coetzee, 18 Jacobus van Zyl, 19 Johannes Pretorius, 20 Tiaan Dorfling, 21 Cecil Dumond, 22 Tershwin Raubenheimer, 23 Mashudu Mafela.

Tuks:
15 Jurgen Visser, 14 Andries Coetzee, 13 Jean du Plessis, 12 Dabeon Draghoender, 11 Hayden Groepes, 10 Wesley Dunlop (captain), 9 Neil de Bruin, 8 Arno Botha, 7 Nqubeko Zulu, 6 Warwick Tecklenberg, 5 Franco Mostert, 4 MB Lusaseni, 3 Jean Rossouw, 2 Robbie Coetzee, 1 Vincent Koch

Replacements: 16 Chris Crous, 17 Juan Schoeman, 18 Stairs Mlongo, 19 Wesley Kotze, 20 Clayton Stewart, 21 Marnitz Boshoff, 22 Arno van Zyl, 23 Grant Kemp.

FNB NMMU v FNB UCT
Kick-off: 7pm
Venue: Groote Schuur, Cape Town
Referee: Rasta Rashivenga

Teams:

UCT:
15 Ricky Rijs, 14 Pete Haw, 13 Therlow Pietersen, 12 Adrian Kritzinger, 11 Paul Cohen, 10 Demetri Catrakilis, 9 Nic Groom, 8 Greg Mallett, 7 Nick Fenton-Wells (captain), 6 Nizaam Carr, 5 Levi Odendaal, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Shane Meier, 2 Matt Page, 1 Wes Chetty

Replacements: 16 Dayne Jans, 17 Francois van Wyk, 18 Don Armand, 19 Zandy Macdonald, 20 Ricky Schroeder, 21 Nick Holton, 22 Sabelo Siyakatshana, 23 Pete Olivier.

NMMU:
15 Vuyolethu Mazaka, 14 Juan du Preez, 13 Wade Roos, 12 Jeffrey Taljaard, 11 Makholokoe Ramashala, 10 Marius Muller, 9 Shannon Rick, 8 Jaco Swanepoel (captain), 7 André Goosen, 6 Ferdinand Gerber, 5 Mzwande Zito, 4 Schalk Oelofse, 3 Ross David-Anderson, 2 Martin Ferreira, 1 Dexter Seanancy

Replacements: 16 Lumka Mbane, 17 Musa Tukela, 18 Louis Fourie, 19 Philip Hanekom, 20 Marlin Ruiters, 21 Bradley Kretzmann, 22 Charl van Loggenberg, 23 Andile Mrwebi.
 
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