Absolute perfection led on Monday night to the Tuks netball team qualifying for next week’s Varsity Tournament final against Maties.

The statistics will only show that Tuks has beaten Northwest Pukke 57-38 in the semi-final, but the spectators who witnessed the game in the Rembrandt Hall will know they had been privy to see something special.

Everyone strives to perfection, but few ever achieve it. In those first 30 minutes, Tuks did come very close to playing the perfect game.

The team became the ultimate unit. There were no wild passes. The goal shooters ensured with a clinical precision that numbers on the scoreboard kept on changing. Northwest’s defenders were totally rattled missing shot after shot. If there were a wayward pass, it was intercepted by a Tuks player. It was beautiful to watch.

Few would have expected Tuks to be in the lead by more than 20 goals in the third quarter. Towards the latter stages of the game Tuks dominance did start to fizzle out slightly, but it was to be expected as they had achieved what they set out to do. That was to qualify for the final.

After this performance, Tuks is one game away from the perfect tournament. Beating Northwest means they have won nine games on the trot. If they should beat Maties in the final, Tuks might be the first team ever not to lose one match in an entire Varsity Tournament.

Tuks captain Tshina Mdau admits that it was exciting to be playing when everyone was on top of their game.

“I would say for at least 15 minutes we played the way we all have dreamt about. It was if we were all in synch. It was amazing,” said Mdau.

Chantelle Swart (goal attack) deservedly got the player of the match award. The way she combined with goal shooter, Venetia Grobler, centre Marelize de Bruin and Mdau was brilliant.

Jasmine Ziegelmeier, Akosua Mensah and Lungile Mthembu proved again that they probably form the best defensive combinations in South African netball. There has not been a game in which they did not manage to rattle the opposition’s goal shooters.

Ziegelmeier confessed on Monday night that she has injured her ankle ligaments earlier, but there was no way she was going to allow a setback like that to keep her off the court.

“I am not getting any younger so I cannot afford to miss out playing for Tuks. I just make sure I strap my ankle correctly, and then I play. I am actually not in pain anymore. Perhaps the ligaments have healed itself,” joked the 23-year old.

Next week’s Varsity-final between Tuks and Maties will start at 18:45 on Monday night (7 October) in the Rembrandt Hall.

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