Varsity Shield kicks on
Following
a thrilling opening round on
Monday, the FNB Varsity Shield presented by Steinhoff International
cracks on
with the second round of fixtures on Thursday.
FNB
UWC's dominant second-half performance
against the FNB TUT Vikings in Bellville sees them making the early
running
with a full house of five log points to show for their efforts, but
Peter de
Villiers' side will have to produce another polished display if they
are to
back that up with another victory over the FNB CUT Ixias in
Bloemfontein.
The
Ixias have played in both Varsity
Shield finals since the competition started in 2011, and they will be
intent on
starting their 2013 season with a bang when they take on the Cape
outfit in
front of their home crowd on Thursday.
The
2011 champions have a new coach in
Skillie Bester, but he is no stranger to the set-up having managed the
team in
their previous two campaigns, and he has set his sights on building on
the
solid platform laid by the previous coaching staff.
"I
hope we can continue because the
previous two coaches did a good job - we have played in two finals and
won it
once and lost it once.
"So
we will try and keep the good work
up. I have been part of the whole set-up from the start - I am just
changing
jobs, maybe this one is easier than the previous one," he said.
Former
Varsity Cup side the TUT Vikings
will be desperate to bounce back after conceding five tries after
half-time
against UWC in Bellville on Monday, and they will have the benefit of
playing
in front of their home crowd when they square up to the FNB UKZN Impi.
The
Impi secured their first victory in the
competition since 2011 when they overcame FNB Fort Hare in a wet
Pietermaritzburg on Monday, and they will have their sights set on
making it two
wins from two when they travel to Pretoria to face the Vikings.
TUT
coach Andre Eloff has named the same
starting line-up that did duty against UWC, and they will be aware that
they
cannot afford to lose any home games if they want to stay in touch with
the top
sides in the competition, so expect some sparks to fly in Pretoria.
FNB
Varsity Shield fixtures - Thursday, January 31:
FNB CUT v FNB UWC, CUT Rugby Stadium - 7pm
FNB
TUT v FNB UKZN, TUT Stadium - 7pm
Bye:
FNB UFH
TEAMS:
FNB
CUT: 15 Kholo
Ramashala, 14 Alec Mhlanga, 13 Johan
Van Schalkwyk, 12 Leon Pretorius, 11 Meyer Van Tonder, 10 Noël Marx, 9
Inus
Kritzinger (captain), 8 Juan Hugo, 7 Frans Sisita, 6 Moekoa Bolofo, 5
Andrew
Bester, 4 Johan Klopper, 3 Petri Coetzee, 2 Deon Gouws, 1 Carl Gersbach.
Replacements: 16 Anrich Bitzi, 17 Francois Bender, 18
Levette Shikwambana, 19 JJ
Nel, 20 Christoff Swanepoel, 21 Dean Kauprihanoff, 22 Nhlanganiso
Sibanda, 23
Danie van der Merwe.
FNB
UWC: 15 Quade
Langeveld, 14 Godlen Masimla, 13
Kenwin Weiner, 12 Yondela Stampu, 11 Donovan Williams, 10 Charl Van
Vollenhoven, 9 Fredderick Muller, 8 Njabulo Ndlovu, 7 Juan-Paul
Kellerman, 6
Jose Julies, 5 Pallo Manuel, 4 Methetheleli Fuzani, 3 Kelvin de Bruyn,
2
Charlton van Jaarsveld (captain), 1 Michael September.
Replacements: 16 Michael Mkhize, 17 Siphiwokuhle Bakeni, 18
Sebenza Maphumulo, 19
Samuel Borsah, 20 Denzel Willemse, 21 Lubabalo Faleni, 22 Tsepo Manaka,
23
Brent Fisher.
Referee: Jaco Kotze
FNB
TUT: 15 Paul
Walters, 14 Thabo Mangena, 13 Zandre
De Bruin, 12 Oswald Gibson, 11 Fanie Raseroka, 10 Morne Hugo, 9 Nico
Smuts, 8
Barend Nordeje, 7 Tinus Van Wyk (captain), 6 Mandla Mdaka, 5 Gareth
Bredenhann,
4 Isak Deetlefs, 3 Dylan Middleditch, 2 Adriaan Joubert, 1 Gerrit Van
Gerwe.
Replacements: 16 Dawid Roux, 17 Ricardo Burger, 18 Armand
Marshall, 19 Welile
Ntozakhe, 20 Johannes Venter, 21 Anele Magubane, 22 Siyabulela Mbuqe,
23 Xander
Grobler.
FNB
UKZN: 15 Jeandre
Small, 14 Jaco Potgieter, 13
Hendrik Lategan, 12 Garath Meikle, 11 Mondli Ntshingila, 10 Heinrich
Meyer, 9
Zander Engelbrecht, 8 Andre Greyvenstein, 7 Calvin Ngcungama, 6 Njabulo
Zondi,
5 Gerrit Fourie, 4 Corne Nieuwenhuizen, 3 Sizwe Khubeka, 2 Senzo
Ngubane, 1
Luciando Santos.
Replacements: 16 Richard Sakhile, 17 Leon Mulder, 18 Hendrik
Groenewald, 19
Sanele Malwane, 20 Siyanda Madlala, 21 Ngcebo Phungula, 22 Yandisa
Mdolomba ,
23 Sanele Mweli.
Referee: Gerrie de Bruin
