Pukke defeated Maties in the match-up of Round Three in Day Two of Varsity 7s, while Madibaz thrashed UFH 50-7 and UWC continued on their winning streak.
Maties vs Pukke
It was a replay of the recent Varsity Cup final when Pukke faced Maties on Day Two of Varsity 7s.
Pukke scored first to go 7-0 up. Kyle Steyn crossed over after Pieter Schoonraad spread the ball swiftly to the quick Steyn and Pukke couldn’t catch him. It was 7-7 at half time in a very tight match.
Pukke enjoyed 87% of possession in the first half with Maties having to make more tackles. It only took 30 seconds for Maties to add seven points to their score in the second half after Paul de Wet crossed over for the men in maroon.
Kowie Groenewald left Schoonraad for dead just a minute later when Pukke struck back and it was 14-14.
But with two minutes to go right on the Pukke tryline, Kyle Steyn knocked on the ball and Ian Heyns chipped and chased to score. Only moments later, Eugene Hare sealed it off, running wide to score during the Power Play and Pukke were 29-14 ahead.
Marno Redelinghuys failed to kick the ball out after the hooter and Carlisle Nel scored a consolation try to end the match 29-19 in favour of Pukke.
Kovsies vs UCT
Kovsies scored as early as the tenth second of the match as they regathered their own kickoff and Reuben Heymans scored after the ball was popped up to him just before the tryline.
Five minutes in, UCT’s Gerard Pieterse scored after Kovsies were waiting for a scrumhalf and Hilio de Abreu snatched the ball up, swinging it wide and nobody could catch Pieterse as he ran the length of the field. UCT led 7-5 at half time.
Arno van Staden received the ball out wide for Kovsies midway through the second half and the men from Free State upped the tempo, Van Staden scoring for the Kovsies.
Kovsies closed out the match after Renier Botha drew the defender and set Wilandre Kotzenberg through for Kovsies to extend their lead to 17-7.
Kotzenburg scored again shortly after that as his team beat UCT 27-7.
UJ vs Tuks
PJ Uys scored right in the corner for Tuks early in the first half to take a 7-0 lead. He scored another one a minute later after UJ failed to gather the restart and he had nobody between him and the tryline.
Matters got worse when UJ had a man yellow carded for repeated infringements and Brendan Owen used the overlap to score Tuks’ third. It was 19-7 to Tuks at the break.
In the second half, Aphiwe Dyanti turned on the gas for UJ, slipping three tackles to run 60 metres and pull UJ back into the game.
Ronald Brown was on the end of one of the tries of the day when UJ worked the ball from their own tryline, with Brown receiving the ball on the halfway line and nobody could catch him. It was 19-14 to Tuks.
But WJ Strydom hit right back for Tuks a minute later after strong, straight running by his teammates set him free, and it was 26-14.
UJ got a consolation try when Etienne Oosthuizen crossed over, but Tuks won the encounter, 26-19.
Madibaz vs UFH
Ivan-John du Preez scored in the right hand corner to put Madibaz 7-0 up after just two minutes following an excellent move and clinical passing by the Madibaz.
Riaan Esterhuizen was on the end of some excellent wide play by Madibaz after Nathan Gogela held it up, popping the pass to the on-running player.
UFH hit back through their star man, Siphuxolo Zaula handed off a Madibaz defender and stepped the last man to run in a 60-metre try and pull the score back to 14-7.
Madibaz ended the half strongly as Dundre Maritz picked the ball up at the scrum, ran around the blindside, and Asiphe Fihla couldn’t catch him. It was 19-7 at the break.
Ivan-John du Preez scored his second after Christiaan Willemse offloaded in the tackle and Du Preez stepped his defender and they were 26-7 up.
Steven Hansen ran in after Luan Niewoudt held it up and popped it to the running Hansen. Madibaz led 31-7 with four minutes to play.
Helin Pietersen stepped brilliantly, untouched as he went through for another Madibaz try and they led 40-7. It ended 50-7 when Steven Hansel stepped his man and Madibaz scored a Power Play try to end the match 50-7 victors.
UWC vs WSU
WSU came into the match off the back of their first victory in the tournament, against a classy UWC outfit.
Excellent defence by WSU prevented UWC from scoring on a number of occasions in the opening half. Although UWC were on top, they were unable to cross WSU’s tryline and it was 0-0 at half time.
UWC eventually broke the deadlock, as he scored after play was switched wide to Minenhle Mtetwa, who stepped inside and scored. UWC were 5-0 up.
Then WSU levelled it up at 5-5 through Lusanda Xakwana as he brushed off UWC Herman Du Plessies and Danny Benjamin converted. WSU led 7-5.
But two tries by Vernon Treu took the game away from WSU. His first came after excellent work by Jacquin Moses to set him up and the second after the hooter following a strong UWC scrum five metres from the WSU tryline. It ended 24-7 in favour of UWC.
Results:
Maties 19-29 Pukke
Kovsies 27-7 UCT
UJ 19-26 Tuks
Madibaz 50-7 UFH
UWC 24-7 UFH
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