Ikeys, Tuks march into final
29 Mar 2011
UCT and Tuks picked up semi-final victories over Shimlas and UJ respectively to book their places in the Varsity Cup showdown in the next fortnight.
Ikeys thrashed Shimlas 57-20 in Cape Town while Tuks recorded a 25-11 upset against tournament favourites UJ in Johannesburg to setup an interesting final to be played on 12 April. UCT, who finished second on the log behind UJ, are supposed to host the final but because the Green Mile doesn’t have the necessary lighting for the 7pm-scheduled game, the Varsity Cup decider will be moved to Pretoria.
In the first semi-final, outside centre Therlow Pietersen and wing Pete Haw starred for UCT as they scored hat-tricks in their team’s massive victory over Free State University. Fullback Ricky Rijs and replacement back Marcel Brache also crossed the chalk to seal the comprehensive victory.
The hosts ran in six of these tries in the first half as they built a commanding 45-3 lead at the break. Shimlas delivered a better second half performance as wings Jamba Ulengo and Cameron Jacobs, and reserve back Charles Marais dotted down, but this only added respectability to the score as UCT closed out the game with two more tries.
In Johannesburg, skipper and flyhalf Wesley Dunlop played a key part in Tuks’ victory as he scored 15 points against UJ via a try, two conversions and two penalties. Man of the Match Andries Coetzee grabbed a double with five-pointers coming either side of half-time in the physical affair.
Coetzee and Dunlop touched down in the first stanza to build a 14-6 advantage at half-time. UJ fullback Theuns Kotze kicked a penalty and drop goal to keep his team within reach. However, Coetzee’s second try and Dunlop’s boot secured the visitors a big away win as UJ couldn’t catch up.
Varsity Cup semi-finals results:
Ikeys 57(45) – Tries: Therlow Pietersen (3), Pete Haw (3), Ricky Rijs, Marcel Brache. Conversions: Demetri Catrakilis (7). Penalties: Catrakilis.
Shimlas 20(3) – Tries: Jamba Ulengo, Charles Marais, Cameron Jacobs. Conversions: George Whitehead. Penalties: Whitehead.
UJ 11 (6) - Tries: Snyman. Penalties: Theuns Kotze. Drop Goals: Kotze.
Tuks 25 (14) - Tries: Andries Coetzee (2), Wesley Dunlop. Conversions: Dunlop (2). Penalties: Dunlop (2).
23 Comments
28 Mar 2011, 21:28 pm
******* travesty the final won’t be played in CPT. Whats the point of a log table?
28 Mar 2011, 21:30 pm
Keo I hope you cover this **** on your radio show.
28 Mar 2011, 21:34 pm
Duracell powered floodlights came back to haunt Ikeys.
28 Mar 2011, 21:48 pm
Tuks put the money where their mouths is. It cost them around R10m for the upgrade of the floodlights. UCT knew for the last four years that their floodlights are not up to standard. Up till now nothing has been done to upgrade the lights.
29 Mar 2011, 07:14 am
@PissAnt(PissAnt)-1: @dWeePer(dWeePer)-4: Two very good points. Why not move the venue to a stadium that has the proper lighting here in Cape Town? UCT should have done something about this in the first year of Varsity Cup. But to move the Final to the oppositions home ground is just plain stupidity by the organisers of the Varsity Cup.
29 Mar 2011, 07:27 am
its going to be goooooooooooood!!!!
Tukkies Pappa
29 Mar 2011, 07:28 am
A clash of the proverbial good vs evil if ever there was one. Pity that evil probably has the stronger team in this instance. But even if good doesn’t do it this year, their improvement has been immense and it seems to all be down to Heyneke’s involvement.
29 Mar 2011, 08:43 am
@iori Yagami(iori Yagami)-5:
I made the point last night on twitter.
Rules are rules, Ikeys knew these so they cannot *****.
Doesn’t mean rules are always fair though.
There are lots of rules in the world that are stupid, this is one of them.
I understand the reasoning for propper lighting for a night game broadcast, but the organisers could also easily make an exception for a final where the game can be moved to Newlands or Green Point. I believe 30 000+ people would easily pitch up for such a game or final.
But again there are rules (can only be played on Varsity Cup grounds).
I have no problem with people citing these rules, but don’t call it fair.
29 Mar 2011, 09:54 am
which 30000 are going to go to newlands or greenpoint on a monday night?
unlikely
nonetheless, a daft rule but even dafter uct. does this mean that they never expected to top the log?
how many of the lobberts’ did they field last night?
29 Mar 2011, 10:05 am
@Brigadier Van Zyl(Brigadier Van Zyl)-9:
Its cape town, they fill out stadiums even if their team wins ****.
29 Mar 2011, 11:07 am
@PissAnt(PissAnt)-8: Why not just move it to Coetzenburg?
Its a Varsity Cup ground afterall and would assure the Ikeys hometown support?
Not that Im complaining!
29 Mar 2011, 12:10 pm
@Taahirah(Taahirah)-11: Ja.
29 Mar 2011, 12:11 pm
Disgraceful that the game is being moved to Pretoria. God forbid common sense should prevail and the game be played at Coetzenburg, Newlands, Greenpoint, or….brace yourselves for the horror….a 5pm kickoff?!
It’s ridiculous that UCT should be penalised yet again for being a national monument.
29 Mar 2011, 12:12 pm
@Twig(benjamin)-13: Ja whats wrong with an earlier kick-off.
29 Mar 2011, 12:31 pm
@iori Yagami(iori Yagami)-14: TV rights! Why an amateur rugby competition should be held to ransom by the likes of SuperSport is beyond me. Once again it’s a case of the spirit of the game coming second to commercial endeavours.
29 Mar 2011, 12:48 pm
If UCT lack the facilities to host, then the game should be moved to a NEUTRAL venue – even with the current regulation of games having to be played at varsity venues, UCT should have been given first choice as to which neutral venue they wished to host.
The game would still be filled to the brim with Ikeys supporters if hosted at Stellenbosch for instance.
Sad that an over-achieving club is being punished for not having the necessary finances.
29 Mar 2011, 12:53 pm
2 Words for you guys:….
Eben
Etsebeth
remember that name.
29 Mar 2011, 12:57 pm
@ali(ali)-16: It’s not a case of the necessary finances, the issue is that UCT has been declared a national monument and as such we are not allowed to “deface” it with the installation of professional quality lights. It is a problem that literally cannot be overcome unless the government takes an interest in it….and fair enough if they don’t deem Varsity Cup broadcasts important enough to warrant putting floodlights on the Green Mile, but in that eventuality I really don’t see why the final needs to be played on a Varsity field. What difference does it make if UCT plays at UCT or a kilometre down the road at Newlands? Even at Stellenbosch? Handing the opposition such a massive advantage though is just ridiculous, and a complete slap in the face to the Ikeys fans who now get shafted because, while 5pm is seemingly fine for a semi-final, it’s not good enough for a final.
29 Mar 2011, 13:01 pm
@Twig(benjamin)-18: Thanks for the clarification re: Green Mile.
I heard whispers that plans were being made to change UCT’s playing field elsewhere, and revert the Green Mile to a training pitch only. Do you know anything about this?
29 Mar 2011, 13:07 pm
@ali(ali)-19: I haven’t heard anything about that, but if it’s not at UCT, how does it qualify as a university field? I’m sure it’d be a lot easier if the administrators of the Varsity Cup just applied a bit of common sense here and there.
It’d be a shame if UCT moved away from the campus, I feel…half the charm of it is the students all milling down from lectures on a monday afternoon to watch.
31 Mar 2011, 10:09 am
Bahahahaha this is on ikeys, its they’re responsibility to get they’re lights up to standard, even if they have to go to government to do it, does someone else have to do it for them? Please its your own fault. And as for playing at Coetzenburg, who said they are welcome to?
9 Apr 2011, 06:48 am
Come on, get real! The UCT grounds in front of Smuts and Fuller have NEVER been first class facilities. They’re only practice pitches. And the lighting for them –as practice pitches — are perfectly adequate.
UCT’s “big” encounters — like the Intervarsity — have always been held at Newlands. A genuine test venue. Way better than Coetzenberg. Better lights than Stalag Luft 17!
Have the final there! Duhhh!
Or in the brand-new White Elephant Toilet Seat in Green Point!
9 Apr 2011, 06:53 am
@Twig(benjamin)-20: “It’d be a shame if UCT moved away from the campus, I feel…half the charm of it is the students all milling down from lectures on a monday afternoon to watch.”
If that’s what was going to happen, what would you need ANY floodlights for? It’s broad daylight when lectures end at 2.30pm. They’d play in the not-too-blazing Autumn sun!
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