NWU-Pukke snuck into the 2015 Varsity Cup semifinals ahead of the Maties on points’ difference, as defending champions UCT made it into the Last Four with a hard-fought win over UJ in Cape Town on Monday, March 23.
FNB NWU-Pukke, last year’s beaten finalists, will face table-toppers FNB UP-Tuks in Pretoria next week, while defending champions, the FNB Ikey Tigers will travel to Bloemfontein to take on the unbeaten FNB UFS-Shimlas in the other semifinal.
Three-time champions, FNB Maties, romped to a comprehensive 53-8 victory over the winless FNB CUT side in Bloemfontein, but it was not enough in the end as they missed out on the play-offs for just the second time in the eight-year history of the competition.
Although the Pukke went down 26-29 to UFS-Shimlas in Bloemfontein, two late tries saw them pick up two vital bonus points to knock the Maties – one of two Cape teams in the Varsity Cup – out on points’ difference.
UFS-Shimlas, meanwhile, ended in second place to UP-Tuks (who were far too strong for FNB NMMU), despite not losing a game during the league phase of the competition. The Pretoria outfit outscored the FNB Madibaz by five tries to one in Port Elizabeth to seal top spot ahead of Shimlas on points’ difference.
UFS-Shimlas will host their first-ever semifinal against UCT who battled to a tough 8-0 victory over FNB UJ on a windy Green Mile in Cape Town to secure their spot in the play-offs.
Ikeys flank Jason Klaasen scored the only try of the match in a tight encounter, which saw UJ end the season in sixth place ahead of NMMU and CUT, who finished their debut season without a single log point.
In the Varsity Shield, another Cape side, FNB UWC, kept their hopes of sneaking into the final alive with a comprehensive 58-8 victory over FNB Fort Hare in Alice, despite being reduced to 14 men for most of the game.
FNB Wits secured a home final with a comfortable 50-5 victory over FNB TUT who have not won a single game this season.
The Varsity Young Guns Final will be a replay of last year’s dramatic clash between UFS and UP-Tuks, although this year they will be playing in Bloemfontein instead of Pretoria.
The Pretoria side handed the NMMU Young Guns their first defeat of the season to deny the Eastern Cape side a place in the final on points difference.
In the Steinhoff Koshuisrugby Championship Steinhoff Vishuis lost to Steinhoff Patria but secured their place in the final with a bonus point, while CUT’s Steinhoff Tigers easily beat NMMU’s Steinhoff Stallions.