Michael Horak’s UKZN Impi remain undefeated at the top of the Varsity Shield log, after a fourth straight competition victory last night. The Impi were made to work hard to overturn an 18-25 half-time deficit against TUT in Pretoria, running out 63-30 winners in an 9-try extravaganza.
The visitors did the early scoring, with lock Juan Dorste crossing in the fifth minute. TUT replied with a try of their own, before centre Grant Rattray added a second for Impi. Curwin Bosch’s conversion of the earlier try saw his team lead 13-8, but TUT then scored twice within just a couple of minutes to take an unlikely lead. A penalty extended their buffer to 25-13 and an upset was looking likely, with half time approaching.
This Impi team is made of sterner stuff, though and their fightback started before the break, with powerful winger Sbusiso Nkosi scoring his first just before half time to narrow the gap.
Curwin Bosch – voted man of the match – then scored what seems an early contender for try of the tournament, jinking his way past half of the TUT team to score a few minutes into the second half. His conversion edged Impi ahead 26-25 and that lead soon became 34-25, as prop Andrew Acton got in on the action (he he). Nkosi then scored again (42-25), before TUT replied with their fourth. Not in charitable mood, though, UKZN scored three further tries as the game wound down, all of them going to players named Tristan.
First centre Tristan Blewett scored, followed by a late brace to replacement Tristan Tedder. With five more log points in the bag and a healthy +33 to the points difference, it was ultimately a successful evening for the men in white. Closest rivals Wits remain 7 points behind Impi on the log, albeit with a game in hand. Impi’s slightly better points difference provides a slight additional buffer, but the game between the two sides on Monday 29 Feb is truly shaping up as a tournament decider.
TUT (30) Tries: Calvin Maduna, Lisa Banzi, Tshepo Nyathi, Shawn Jaards. Penalties: Lukas Van Zyl. Conversions: Lukas Van Zyl
UKZN (63): Tries Juan Droste, Grant Rattray, Sbusiso Nkosi (2), Curwin Bosch, Andrew Acton, Tristan Blewett, Tristan Tedder (2). Conversions: Bosch (5)
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Flyhalves. We have them!
This Tedder oke seems to like scoring tries…
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 2) : He is a good player…has a good sense for the game and can run,kick,pass. Only disadvantage is his slight build which at the moment isnt hampering him…but if pushed into higher levels and constantly tackling some of those guys will take its toll and probably influence his good attacking skillset.
Inny is already up there. We need to take care of tedder and bosch. As they both are great players. We are well stocked at fh , just look after the guys. A bid BLOW for our guy lambie 3rd year in a row , but he will be back.
*…jinking his way past half of the TUTU team…*
Surely you meant dancing? 😛
@Spirit of Rugby (Comment 5) : Tshwane University of Technology University 🙂
@vanmartin (Comment 1) : Let’s see if we can keep them.
@robdylan (Comment 6) : Reminds me of Department of Redundancy Department
@SheldonK (Comment 3) : He can and probably bulk a little he is still very young.
Great victory for the Impi!!! Almost there lads just a couple of games left to win and you will be into the Varsity Cup!!!! Give them Spears!!!!!!!
I don’t know whether I am allowed to say this out loud, but today I am a BIG UWC SUPPORTER!!
Pukke Ikeys are at 8-8 after 24 minutes…
@pastorshark (Comment 12) : My bad…that is the young guns score…. 😀
@pastorshark (Comment 12) : thats an early kick-off.
@50shadesofshark (Comment 14) : You just beat me to it… 😆
@pastorshark (Comment 15) : 😀 hope the pukke vs ikeys game is on tv.
UJ lead CUT 14-0 after 58 minutes…
UJ still lead 14-0 after 70 minutes…
@pastorshark (Comment 18) : What time is the wits game tonight?
@FireTheLooser (Comment 19) : Now…Wits is leading 16-0 after the first quarter…
UJ won 14-0…
Pukke lead UCT 10-0…
Shimlas lead NMMU 12-7…
TUT lead Fort Hare 8-0…
All scores at the strategy break after the first quarter…
@pastorshark (Comment 20) : Sheesh…..I guess Impi will have to do it all by themselves….unless uwc finds that rabbit they so skillfully hid in the hat.
Pukke lead UCT 17-3 at halftime…
Wits stayed at 16-0 until halftime…come on UWC!!
@FireTheLooser (Comment 26) : Here rabbit, rabbit…here rabbit, rabbit, rabbit!
Maties Tuks 9-9 after 15 minutes…
The Shimlas NMMU game has been stopped by protesters on the field for what must be some #mustfall protest…oh dear…
TUT lead Fort Hare 8-5…
@pastorshark (Comment 31) : Organisers are waiting for security and for police to decide whether the game can continue…
UWC kick a penalty to make it 16-2…come on…
Maties score another 9-pointer to make it 18-9 to Maties…
@pastorshark (Comment 35) : Make that 20-9 after a successful conversion…
@pastorshark (Comment 34) : Wits score a try pretty much straight from the kick off…sigh…at least prevent them from getting a bonus point!
Ikeys get another 3-pointer to claw back to 6-17 against Pukke…
A TUT penalty stretches their lead to 10-5 over Fort Hare…
The Shimlas NMMU game can apparently continue…
TUT score another 2-point penalty to make it 12-5 against Fort Hare…
@pastorshark (Comment 37) : Thanks for the ‘blow-by-blow’ updates…clearly you have serious multi-tasking skills.
Maties lead 20-9 at halftime against Tuks…
@FireTheLooser (Comment 42) : Only on my day off… 😀
@pastorshark (Comment 40) : It seems Students who were there to watch the rugby – rather than the police – removed the protesters from the field…
Wits have a bonus point and surely seal the win…sigh…sigh, sigh, sigh…oh well, we’ll just have to win next week…
Shimlas lead 12-7 after 28 minutes…
Wits score again to make it 31-2 after 66 minutes…
Fort Hare score a try to lead for the first time against TUT 13-12…
Wits actually converted that try to make it 34-2…
TUT sneak back into the lead via a penalty making it 14-13 against Fort Hare…
damn – a big Wits win is not what we need
Tuks make a strong start to the second half against Maties and get an early score in the second half…20-14 Maties…
@robdylan (Comment 52) : Too true! Damn, damn, damn…
Tuks convert that try to make it 20-16…
Wits score their 6th of the evening and the flood gates have clearly opened…39-2…
Wits convert to make it 42-2…
@robdylan (Comment 52) : I hope our boys are moving into final mode for the next game! We’ll have to do this thing ourselves…
That was the final score as Wits thrash UWC 42-2…
Pukke scores a third to lead 24-6 against UCT…
Shimlas 12-7 NMMU…halftime…
Fort Hare score a try in the final minute to grab the lead 18-14 against TUT…
Fort Hare hold on to win their first game 18-14 against TUT…
Shimlas score their third right at the start of the second half to lead 21-7 against NMMU…
@pastorshark (Comment 64) : Make that 23-7 with the conversion…
Pukke have beaten Ikeys 24-6…
@pastorshark (Comment 66) : Is that Ikeys’ third loss in a row?
Maties still lead Tukkies 20-16 going into the last 10 minutes…
Maties score their third! That makes it 27-16 on 72 minutes…
@pastorshark (Comment 69) : And the conversion should seal it for Maties as they lead 29-16…
@pastorshark (Comment 70) : I smell the chance to rag all my Tukkies mates…MAAAATIIIEEES!!!
Shimlas score their bonus point try to make it 26-7 against NMMU…
The conversion makes it 28-7 Shimlas and they should have that one wrapped up as they head into the last quarter…
Maties win 29-16…
Shimlas now lead 34-7…
Sorry missed a Madibaz try somewhere…34-12 with 10 mins to go…
Madibaz score their third…34-19…
And the Shimlas score immediately again and go into the 40’s…
46-19 Shimlas…
That’ll be about it from me for this evening of updates…
Oh yes, this was my facebook post for my Tukkies mates…:
To all my Tukkies mates…you really are my mates… 🙂 but 🙂 : MAAAAATIIIIIEEEES!! #29-16 #backyourboytjies
@pastorshark (Comment 59) : To UWC….never send a boy to do a man’s job….Impi’s fate will be in Impi’s hands.
Thanks for the effort Pastor….good show.
@pastorshark (Comment 59) : @FireTheLooser (Comment 82) : seems as if Impi will have to win Wits to secure top spot!
@pastorshark (Comment 80) : thanx for the updates!!!!
Will the Impi’s game vs Wits still go ahead as planned (aren’t they playing this week somewhere?)…..seeing as Varsity Cup is suspended until April?
@FireTheLooser (Comment 85) : think Varsity Shield is also suspended I just don’t know until when.
@JD (Comment 86) : just for one week.
Wits v Impi moved to 4th April.
@robdylan (Comment 87) : so basically the game is shifted to the end of the season?!?! If so it would be apt as the last game of the season will then probably decide who get promoted to the Cup!
Thanks fellars 😉
@JD (Comment 88) : that’s what I thought too
@robdylan (Comment 90) : was a bit surprised that they played against each other in the first game, would have thought that the strong teams would have played each other in the final round but now it happened anyway!!