Tuks scores five tries for bonus point victory over Ixias
Tuks continued their Varsity Cup campaign on Monday night in Bloemfontein with another bonus point victory over the Central University of Technology's Ixias.
The Tuks rugby team got big match temperament that can’t be doubted after the way they fought back to beat CUT last night in Bloemfontein during a Varsity Cup encounter.
At halftime, Tuks was trailing 16-20. However, during the second half Tuks started to dominate. It led to them winning 40-23.
Tuks’s head coach, Nico Luus, afterwards said he certainly gained a few grey hairs watching from the stands during the first half. He is, however quick to emphasise he is only joking.
“Last night was at least a 60% improvement from the game against Northwest. That excites me. One of the genuine impressive statistics is that in two games we have not lost one lineout ball and we have had quite a few turnovers. I am also impressed with our defensive play,” said Luus
According to Luus, the playing conditions were far from ideal. Heavy rains meant that the field was wet and muddy, which made ball handling difficult. The same goes for the scrums.
“The scrums turned out to be quite tactical. The first ‘hit’ was of cardinal importance. CUT’s forwards might have had the best of this battle, but then again, our forwards gave as good as they got. Overall, I think apart from maybe ten minutes during the first half, we were in control. Unfortunately, that lapse of concentration led to CUT scoring twice,” Luus explained.
The Tuks coach pointed out that the wet conditions forced his team to change their strategy.
“It was decided to keep the ball close in hand. Hanru Sirgel (flanker) excelled doing so. His work rate as a ball carrier was terrific. I should actually not be surprised. Hanru is one of those players who when the going gets tough, can step up. Wian van Niekerk (inside centre) was equally as impressive,” he stated.
Tuks were on the attack from the very first minute of the second half and basically never relented. The continuous pressure led to CUT starting to make errors. The deciding moment was when one of their players got a yellow card. In the time he spent in the sin bin Tuks scored twice.
Luus considers the Tuks captain, Marius Verwey, as the team’s unsung hero.
“I don’t think Marius always gets the recognition he deserves. He is a true leader who never seems to panic. When the team was trailing by 16-23, he was the one who continuously encouraged his teammates not to be discouraged and to stick to the game plan,” Luus remarked.
Verwey, however, refuses to take credit. Emphasising that last night was a genuine team effort.
“It is easy to be a captain when your teammates don’t know the meaning of giving up. In the dying minutes of the game, CUT was on the attack. There was a real chance they could score, but everyone remained calm,’ the proud captain concluded.
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