UFS clinches narrow victory away at UJ

Thousands of first-year and senior students packed the University of Johannesburg (UJ) rugby stadium in Westdene in support of the senior men’s rugby team in round 2 of the FNB Varsity Cup match on home soil.

UJ’s cheerleaders entertained with their dance routines, while the Parktown Boys High School brass band, and music from the UJ gwijo squad in song, filled the stadium with a hive of exciting activities for the first time this year.

The heavy rains did not dampen the spirits of the crowd and the UJ team. Despite the brief pause due to heavy downpours and lightning in the near distance just 14 minutes into the opening half, UJ edged the visitors close with their narrow 15–12 lead.

The two sides had both lost their opening matches in round one of the tournament in separate matches in Bloemfontein. UJ’s Tiaan Wessels opened the score with a 5-point try in the 8th minute of the first half, before the University of Free State (UFS) responded with a 5-point try in the 18th minute. In the 25th minute, UJ’s Rowen Malgas’ educated through-pass kick to Prince Nkabinde on the edge of the left flank saw UJ extend their lead through Nkabinde’s 5-point try and a subsequent conversion by Malgas to put UJ in the lead (12–5).

The visitors did not hold back. They mauled their way into UJ’s tryline, reducing the deficit to 12–10 just two minutes after UJ’s try. In the 34th minute, UFS’ hooker, Francisco Dos Reis, downed another try for the visitors to put the visitors in the lead for the first time in the first half.

The end-to-end play saw Likhona Finca turn the scoreline in UJ’s favour just eight minutes into the second half with a 5-point try from an excellent run. UJ continued building momentum in the second half. A great interplay of short passes between the Orange Army players in the 56th minute took FNB UJ to a 26–15 lead with a point of origin (7–point try) by Nkabinde and a conversion by Malgas. In this moment, the jubilant crowd thought UJ was winning the game.

Speaking on scoring several tries for UJ in the two consecutive games, Nkabinde said, “It is a privilege to perform the way I did and I thank the Lord for the opportunity. I am thankful for playing this game and representing my team very well. All the work started from inside, and I’m just a winger who executed to score the two tries. Credit goes to the team’s collective effort.”

UFS responded with two quick 5-point tries in the 59th and 64th minutes through a maul past the UJ defence, taking the score to 26–25 with UJ narrowly in the lead. The visitors continued piling pressure on FNB UJ, with Siviwe Zondani sneaking in a clever 5-point try for Shimlas in the 72nd minute and a conversion to take the visitors in the lead. UJ scored their last try in the 77th minute, but it was a tad too late to claim victory on home soil. Final score stood at 34–31 in favour of the UFS Shimlas.

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