UJ, Ikeys to host semis
21 Mar 2011
UJ eliminated defending champions Maties with a 39-19 win to finish on top of the log while Ikeys, Shimlas and Tuks also qualified for the semi-finals after the seventh round of the Varsity Cup.
UJ delivered a great performance in Stellenbosch to knock out the three-time champions out of the running for the 2011 title. On attack, they exposed the hosts early on and they completed their impressive all-round performance with a robust defence which restricted the usually lethal Maties offence.
The team from Johannesburg started off strongly as they scored three tries through wing Lolo Waka, scrumhalf Rudy Paige and centre Luan Steenkamp to take a 15-0 lead in the 29th minute. Maties hit back via centre Stokkies Hanekom as they trailed 15-7 at half time.
The hosts then scored an early try through lock Hugo Kloppers for a perfect beginning to the second stanza but UJ built a commanding lead as Waka grabbed a double and flyhalf André Smith converted a drop goal. UJ showed an imposing defensive display at the death to restrict Maties while the latter were errant on attack with handling errors a major problem.
Maties eventually broke through as replacement centre Jacobus Jordaan crashed over, but by then it was too late as there were only four minutes left of the clock. Thousands of the disappointed home fans were seen streaming out of Danie Craven stadium as UJ completed the emphatic win with another try by replacement hooker George Ries. Smith added the extras for the last action of the game.
In Pretoria, Ikeys edged Tuks 19-17 in a tight encounter. The win secures UCT a home semi-final in Cape Town while Tuks still manage to qualify for the play-offs despite the defeat.
It was a one-point game at half time with Tuks leading 7-6 as fullback Andries Coetzee dived in at the corner. UCT flyhalf Demetri Catrakilis kept his team in the game with two penalties. The visitors then sealed the win as centre Marcel Brache scored a try and Castrakilis slotted the conversion and two more penalties for the crucial win.
Shimlas sneaked into the semi-finals with a 17-13 comeback victory over NMMU in Port Elizabeth.
NMMU were 3-0 up at the break and stretched their lead to 13-0 early in the second stanza as flyhalf Marius Muller scored all their points through a try, conversion and two penalties. However, the visitors put together a 17-point blitz as replacement scrumhalf Daniel Ackers and flanker Willie Britz crossed the chalk while fullback George Whitehead kicked seven points with the boot to sink the Madibas.
Pukke ended their disappointing campaign on a positive note as they thumped TUT 48-0 in Pretoria.
Pukke ran riot as they scored eight tries in their comprehensive victory and they delivered an impressive defensive display to keep the hosts scoreless. The heavy loss sees TUT finish last on the log and they will face the Varsity Shield champions (CUT or Wits) in the promotion/relegation play-off.
Varsity Cup, Round 7 results:
Maties 19(7) - Tries: Hugo Kloppers, Jacobus Jordaan, Stokkies Hanekom. Conversions: Donald Stevens (2).
UJ 39(15) -Tries: Aubrey McDonald, George Ries, Lolo Waka, Luan Steenkamp, Rudy Paige. Conversions: André Smith. Drop Goals: Smith.
Tuks 17(7) - Tries: Hayden Groepes, Dabeon Draghoender, Andries Coetzee. Conversions: Wesley Dunlop.
UCT 19(6) - Tries: Marcel Brache. Conversions: Demetri Catrakilis. Penalties: Catrakilis (4).
NMMU 13(3) – Tries: Marius Muller. Conversions: Muller. Penalties: Muller (2).
Shimlas 17(0) – Tries: Daniel Acker, Willie Britz. Conversions: George Whitehead (2). Penalties: Whitehead.
TUT 0(0)
Pukke 48(31) – Tries: Andrew van Wyk (2), Tiaan Dorfling (2), Alfred Skorbinski, JC Oberholzer, Chris Schoonraad, Joe Seerane, Conversions: Cecil Dumond (3), Schalk Oosthuizen.
Varsity Cup semi-finals (28 March):
UJ vs Tuks, Johannesburg.
Ikeys vs Shimlas, Cape Town.
24 Comments
21 Mar 2011, 21:13 pm
So UCT did to Tukkies what Maties couldn’t, so where was this hand of God influence by HRH Meyer this time?
21 Mar 2011, 21:25 pm
Dear, dear. No Matie gloating for a while, thanks.
21 Mar 2011, 21:34 pm
We’ll just gloat about 2008; 2009 and 2010, thanks.
21 Mar 2011, 21:38 pm
I am putting money on the fact that the final will be moved to Skelmsbos this year because they have longer grass or some **** like that.
21 Mar 2011, 21:45 pm
@Maties FTW(Maties FTW)-3: Ah, save it!
21 Mar 2011, 21:54 pm
It must be said though…
I am really disappointed in Ikeys fielding Hilton Lobberts tonight.
Now before anybody gets up my nose about the rules of the competition let me save you the trouble.
I know the Ikeys did not break any competition rules, but consider the following for just a second.
Lobberts is not allowed to play next week because he did not play in 2 round robin games (tonight was his first game and unless there is serious injury within the Ikeys team they cannot select him for semi’s or finals in which you needed to play 2 games).
The Ikeys coaches claim they helped WP rugby out.
Again, fine… they did not break any competition rules.
But I tell you what, tonight the Ikeys broke the spirit of this competition and what it is all about and what made it so attractive. Winning is everything, but the cost that comes at some times means you actually lose.
I expect similar funny tricks by other administrators next year unless Francois and the boys from the Varsity Cup addresses these loopholes.
21 Mar 2011, 22:01 pm
@PissAnt(PissAnt)-6: Really ticked off with that selection. Ikeys has become a riverbed of gems, but then when a never-was is selected… Did someone say “Frikkie Welsh, Wylie Human, Gcobani Bobo, AJ Venter to the Cape”.?
21 Mar 2011, 22:15 pm
@BishopsOD(BishopsOD)-7:
Ikeys turned the Varsity Cup into a national club competition with this one move…
Some might say that is not a bad thing either, but in my opinion, the Varsity Cup lost its soul because you can bet your ***, other ‘Varsities’ administrators will now also look for the best way to manipulate the ‘rules’.
And when competitions gets decided in the boardroom and not between those 4 white lines, then its lost (in what was the Varsity Cup’s biggest appeal) its soul.
Varsity Cup has now become nothing more than the Vodacom Cup where union’s administrators have managed to put their long fingers into to corrupt it.
21 Mar 2011, 22:43 pm
@PissAnt(PissAnt)-8: Maties did this with Joe Pietersen in the final a couple of years ago, didn’t they?
21 Mar 2011, 22:48 pm
@super_adi(super_adi)-9:
If memory serves Joe was hardly a known entity at that stage, and he, as Juan de Jongh 2 years ago, at least saw the inside of a university at some stage…
21 Mar 2011, 22:48 pm
@PissAnt(PissAnt)-8:
couldn’t agree more.
hate the manipulation of intervarsities to ensure wins and bragging rights.
ever since the 70′s when danie craven did everything to ensure a win against ikeys (boland coetzee etc playing).
very disappointed uct have sunk to the same level.
21 Mar 2011, 22:55 pm
@PissAnt(PissAnt)-10: Fair enough, but he was a Western Province “star” back then according to a Google search…but your point is valid, they shouldn’t be resorting to such measures.
21 Mar 2011, 22:57 pm
so what was the criteria for Ikeys to draft in Lobberts, how they get round the legislation that he qualifies as an Ikeys student? Has he ever studied at UCT?
21 Mar 2011, 22:57 pm
@super_adi(super_adi)-12:
Oh well, as a guy supporting Ikeys I will probably go ‘Hell Yeah’ tomorrow!
Until then, ciao for now.
21 Mar 2011, 22:59 pm
@skopiskoobidoo(ilanjo)-13:
http://www.varsitycup.co.za has the rules there but if you want to save yourself time, google Tank Lannings blog on news24 where the answers are short and sweet.
Ikeys did not break any ‘rules’
21 Mar 2011, 23:01 pm
Did Lobberts ever qualify as a student, if the competition is not confined to students only then why they calling it the Varsity cup?
21 Mar 2011, 23:02 pm
anyway I check out these ‘rules’ on Lannings blog or the varsity cup site, thanks.
22 Mar 2011, 05:28 am
The winning try of Ikeys came from a massive forward pass. The ref was poor. And then there is poor old Lobberts. Ikeys is probably the only varsity that would accept him with a grade 8 certificate. But let the Francois Pienaar ego show continue.
22 Mar 2011, 07:40 am
Lobbets and Whitehead both played, the difference is Whitehead is a student and was discovered while playing Varsity cup rugby … Lobberts is just a mercenary.
22 Mar 2011, 08:13 am
can’t be bothered reading the rules but to my mind rthis competition was originally started for proffessional students who play rugby and not pro-rugby players who are ameteur students.
can anyone confirm that the players at varsity get paid zilch?
22 Mar 2011, 09:59 am
@super_adi(super_adi)-9: I am very disappointed to hear UCT did that. When I was at UCT we got gatvol when maarties played played joe pietersen in that game- because he made all the difference. It left a sour taste in all the UCT supporters.
Up till that point, stellenbosch were unbeaten. So selected joe above the player at the time (and I don’t who that is) who probably started every game and worked very hard to get stellebosch to where they were, was a big f you to the team and that player.
Anyway I thought UCT had a bit more class than that. It seems that Lobberts is a result of a weak system in place which coachs have capitalised on, and unless it is snuffed out – they will continue you to.
Not cool Kevin Foote.
22 Mar 2011, 11:07 am
Wouldn’t Hilton Lobberts have to be a registered student? And under 23 (or is it 24) years old?
22 Mar 2011, 11:18 am
@Vundu(Vundu)-22: I think the age limit is under 25.
22 Mar 2011, 11:22 am
let’s not too carried away about Lobberts playing. The guy can barely be called a provincial player anymore, he’s under 25 and UCT is his club. This isn’t Maties selecting Joe Pietersen in 2008, who had been playing for the Stormers that same season. Also, there was a request from WP to give him some game time and with the Fleckie/ Dobson connection to the club, UCT were happy to oblige.
Let’s not forget that UCT are the only really amateur team in the competition. None of the players get paid, all the support staff and coached volunteer their time for free. With regards to the actual students in the team, none of them get any special treatment from the university – they have to meet UCT entry criteria, which is much higher than other universities, like Stellenbosch.
Compare that to Tukkies who pay their players and offer them scholarships, and are reported to have a budget upwards of R5 million.
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