Home semi-final for Tuks after victory in Potchefstroom
Tuks ended top of the Varsity Cup log on Monday night with a good victory over the defending champion.
The Tuks rugby team seems to be ready to be crowned as Varsity Cup champions for the first time since 2013, after their victory of 43-28 against the NWU-Pukke on Monday night in Potchefstroom helped them to finish top of the log in the competition.
It was Tuks’ first victory in five years over the NWU-Pukke. With this victory Tuks ended the defending champion’s campaign for this season and it took just revenge for the shock defeat against the men from the North West in the semi-final of 2015. That year Tuks also ended the league phase top of the log, but NWU-Pukke shocked them in the semi-final when the former Affie, Johnny Welthagen, scored the winning try in the dying moments of the match.
This time however, it was Tuks who could have smiled when the final whistle was blown and NWU-Pukke had to kiss goodbuy their last chance to qualify for the play-offs rounds.
Tuks, who played for the first time this year in their alternate blue jerseys, were already the leaders on the scoreboard (25-9) at halftime.
After half time the NWU-Pukke’ Walt Steenkamp went through a gap to secure a converted try for the home side underneath the poles to leave them on 25-14.
Tinus de Beer was successful with a penalty kick in the 47th minute for Tuks, but NWU-Pukke narrowed the gap again to 28-21 as Wilmar Arnoldi went over the try line.
However, the show belonged to André Warner from Tuks as he drove over the line from a scrum to secure his second try of the match to leave his team on 35-21.
NWU-Pukke scored a bonus-point try in the 70th minute to narrow the deficit to 35-28. But another penalty kick from De Beer stretched his team’s lead once again to 38-28.
In the final movement of the match Sibahle Maxwane from Tuks crossed the whitewash and rubbed salt in the wounds of the NWU-Pukke as the visitors claimed a fairly easy victory.
Tuks will play on Monday night at 19:00 at home against the Shimlas from Bloemfontein in the second semi-final of the tournament. Earlier on Monday night the Maties from Stellenbosch will play against UJ in the first semi-final.
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