Varsity Cup 2023: The heat is on

As the North-West University (NWU) Eagles prepare to face the Central University of Technology (CUT) Ixias at the Fanie du Toit Sports Grounds in Potchefstroom tonight (20 March 2023), they must contemplate the positive results of their Varsity Cup campaign so far.

The Eagles won three out of their four matches, and are at the top of the log with 17 points. But the team must also think of their closest rivals, the CUT Ixias, who have 15 points ahead of tonight’s match.

The tournament still has various possible outcomes, as any team in the top six can reach the semi-finals. Stellenbosch University, or Maties, and the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) are placed in the top four with 14 points and 13 points respectively. 

The University of Cape Town is in fifth place with 11 log points, followed by the University of the Free State with 10 points. The University of Johannesburg is in seventh place while the defending champions, the University of Pretoria (Tuks), are at the bottom of the log.

Burger van der Westhuizen, the Eagles coach, said the match against the Ixias promises to be a big one. “I believe they are the best team in this year’s tournament. They have a great team culture and they play attacking rugby. I have a lot of respect for them.”

The Eagles’ previous encounter with Tuks on 13 March 2023 in Pretoria, was a nailbiter. The men from Potchefstroom had to fight and defend fiercely to secure the victory. Vernon Paulo (22), the captain and hooker of the NWU Eagles, was sent off with a red card in the first half after his arm made contact with the head of the Tuks scrumhalf, Rowan Cloete. This led to set-pieces misfiring as the Eagles conceded multiple scrum penalties and lost possession in 8 out of their 24 lineouts.

Van der Westhuizen believes that the set-piece issues are a thing of the past. “It was obvious that the set-pieces weren’t good, but the boys appreciated the win much more because they had to work so hard for it. This week we worked on the lineouts; it should be sorted now.” 

He was relieved that Paulo is eligible to play after having been cleared from possible suspension following his disciplinary hearing. “I can assure you, there was nothing malicious in that red card, Paulo was just unfortunate,” Van der Westhuizen said.

Paulo was appointed captain before the Tuks match on 13 March 2023 after the previous captain, Riaan Genis, was injured and ruled out for the rest of the season. “Everybody knows exactly what their job is and what is expected of them, the captain is just there to make decisions on the field,” he said.

Genis was replaced by fullback Tino Swanepoel (22). Swanepoel rocked his first game of the tournament against Tuks and was aptly named Player That Rocks. He scored two tries in the match – slicing through the Tuks defence for the first one to score a 75m solo try. He was also an integral part in the Eagles’ defence.

Van der Westhuizen said that Swanepoel is an experienced player. “He had an opportunity and he made good use of it.”

Melusi Mthethwa, the Ixias coach, said that the Eagles are a “quality side” and that they are on a high after their recent performances. “We did prepare to the best of our abilities and I am very excited, especially for the boys to show their skills. They understand what is at stake.”

The Ixias ended last season without claiming a single win; now they are competing for a spot on top of the log. Mthethwa said that it remains important for them to stay humble and be grateful. “We need to respect what is happening to our team currently and respect our opponents; this competition is tough.”

In a change of fortunes, defending champions Tuks are yet to claim their first victory of the season. Nico Luus, the Tuks head coach, said that the games they lost were close, “we have made it difficult for ourselves. We have conceded too many unforced errors”. 

Tuks now face the possibility of relegation to the Varsity Shield division. The eighth-ranked team will be automatically relegated while the seventh-placed team will face the Shield runner-up in a promotion relegation match.

“We obviously want to avoid relegation, we need to pick up at least 12 log points in our remaining matches,” Luus said. However, there is a daunting task ahead of them as they will travel to Stellenbosch on 20 March 2023 to face the third-placed Maties. “We beat them there last year, hopefully we can pull it off again this year. We have a plan or two in store for them.”

Monday 20 March 2023 fixtures: Ikeys vs. Wits (Live on SuperSport); Eagles vs. Ixias; Shimlas vs. UJ; Maties vs. Tuks (Live on SuperSport).