Another pair of losses for Johannesburg university’s
TSHWANE – UJ registers its fourth loss of the season while Wits records its fifth.
The University of Johannesburg (UJ) and Wits University are struggling once again following their 6th round Varsity Cup losses on 30 April.
The orange army of UJ took on University of the Western Cape (UWC) and lost 5–31 while Wits was up against North West University (NWU) and went down 20–22.
UJ struck first in the 20th minute which turned out to be their only try of the game when winger Prince Nkabinde powered over from close range to score. Late in the half UWC were reduced to 14 men when lock Bronlee Mouries was yellow-carded for collapsing a UJ maul. Fortunately, for the team from the Cape they did not concede any more points while Mouries was off the field.
The half-time score remained at 5–0 in favour to UJ but the UWC boys came into the second half with a different mindset. UWC scrumhalf Branden de Kock got his team onto the scoreboard thanks to a penalty after UJ’s Siyabonga Masuku was sent to the sin-bin. Four minutes later, UWC replacement flyhalf Ethan Diston scored a superb point-of-origin try, with De Kock kicking the conversion and then adding a penalty to make it 15–5.
UWC sealed the deal when centre André Manuel ran in two late tries, the first a seven-pointer. The result left UJ 7th on the log with 12 points coming from two wins and four losses with three games remaining before the knockout stages.
With the rain pouring down, Wits and NWU took to the field and an early penalty kick from NWU’s Keagan Fortune got the North West side on the scoreboard first followed by a response from the Johannesburg side coming from a Keagan Glade try. Unfortunately, Wits’ experienced lock Kevin du Randt was stretchered off the field shortly afterwards.
NWU took advantage and converted another penalty which gave them a slender lead of 6–5 going into the break. Wits got on the scoreboard once again in the second half thanks to a Travis Gordon try. In the 57th minute, Wits flyhalf Kurt Webster was red-carded for a shoulder charge and NWU finally gained momentum through the a maul with replacement hooker Gustav du Rand scoring his seventh try of the tournament. Their lead was short-lived, however, as Wits centre Yanga Hlalu sliced through the defence to score under the posts and fullback Christian Humphries’ conversion put his side ahead 17–16. Fortune and Humphries then exchanged penalties, but it was NWU who would have the final say ending the match 22-20 winners.
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