Maties clip Eagles’ wings, Wits hammer UWC

FNB Maties rebounded from a poor start to beat the FNB NWU Eagles 20-12 in round six of the FNB Varsity Cup in Stellenbosch on Monday night.

The contest was an arm-wrestle for much of the first quarter. Eagles captain Sampie Swiegers converted an early opportunity before the hosts responded with a converted try of their own through hooker Sean Swart. In the 25th minute, outside centre Waqar Solaan seized the initiative for his side when he broke the line and set up fullback Nevaldo Fleurs for a stunning try.

Fleurs slotted the conversion and then two subsequent penalties. Suddenly, FNB Maties had a commanding 20-7 lead.

FNB NWU’s attack was hampered by a series of handling errors over the course of the game. Their lineout misfired and their discipline let them down at key moments.

Their scrum, however, kept them in the contest. After earning some reward from a set-piece, and after addressing their lineout and mauling woes, they scored another try through Swiegers in the 61st minute. Replacement flyhalf Martin Venter missed the ensuing conversion and a late penalty attempt. As a result, the Eagles failed to claim so much as a losing bonus point from the fixture.

FNB NWU will be hard-pressed to make the playoffs from here. FNB Maties, however, remain in the hunt for a home semifinal.

Earlier in the day, FNB Wits romped to a 51-12 bonus-point win against FNB UWC in Johannesburg to move out of the relegation zone.

Several teams face a fight for survival in the latter stages of this year’s competition. At the end of the current season, the two-lowest ranked sides on the combined 2021-22 log will be relegated to the FNB Varsity Shield. FNB Wits will breathe easier after securing a crucial result at Wits Rugby Stadium on Monday. Meanwhile, the pressure will mount on FNB UWC, who remain in the relegation zone.

FNB Wits absorbed a lot of early pressure and then struck from the turnover ball. Two point-of-origin tries and two successful conversions boosted the hosts into a commanding 18-0 lead after 20 minutes.

Scrumhalf Hlumelo Ndudula scored a second try thereafter, while halfback partner Chris Humphries secured the team’s four-try bonus point on the stroke of halftime.

The tempo of the FNB Wits attack wreaked havoc upon the visitors’ defence. The hosts maintained their intensity after the break to surpass the half-century mark. Humphries finished the contest with a haul of 20 points.

In Gqeberha, FNB UJ recorded a well-deserved 24-9 win against the FNB Madibaz. Two early converted tries by hooker Darnell Osuagwu gave the visitors a 14-0 lead, which is how it stayed until the start of the third quarter when flyhalf Jonathan Viljoen kicked a penalty goal. Replacement flank Philip Apea-Adu scored the Orange Army’s third try of the night in the 64th minute but they were unable to get another for the bonus point.

Instead, it was fullback Kyle Cyster who got the FNB Madibaz on the board with a consolation point-of-origin try. In Pretoria, No 8 Divan Venter scored two of FNB UP-Tuks’ nine tries as they thrashed the winless FNB CUT Ixias 61-12.

The match between FNB UFS Shimlas and the FNB UCT Ikeys was postponed due to lightning and will be played at 9am on Tuesday.