TUT get a hiding in Varsity Shield tournament game against CPUT
After Kaya Malotana's TUT team kicked off their Varsity Shield campaign with a victory on the road, things went awry last week in their first home game.
TUT lost their second game in this year’s Varsity Shield series last week, when the team of Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) beat them 34-15 at the TUT stadium in Pretoria West
The visitors from CPUT managed to score five tries while the Vikings could only answer with two of their own in hot and humid conditions accentuated by the rain earlier in the evening.
TUT coach Kaya Malotana would have been pleased with his charges’ start when flyhalf Lusanda Xakwana slotted a penalty two minutes into the game. That, however, was the last time in the first half that TUT’s side of the scoreboard changed.
After the home team’s good start, the boys from Cape Town took charge. Feghon-Leigh Snyders was the first visitor to score, when he levelled matters with a penalty of his own after 11 minutes.
Xakwana then missed another penalty attempt, before hooker Bekithemba Gqibithole and scrumhalf George-Lee Erasmus scored tries in quick succession for CPUT on either side of the half-hour mark.
Randy Brinkhuis then added another try shortly before half-time with all three being converted to give the Capetonians a convincing 24-3 lead at the break.
TUT were dealt a double injury blow in the first half, as first openside flanker Rhudi Pretorius and then hooker Junior Kwinda left the field. This was disruptions to the Vikings’ game plan which they didn’t need.
Mpho Kganakga and his team returned with new fire after half time and they started the second half the better team. Lock Anré O’Neill deservedly scored a try, with Xakwana knocking over the conversion.
However, any thoughts of mounting a comeback were short-lived. The visitors held TUT at bay for about 10 minutes, before Erasmus scored his second try and then left-winger Keenan Williams sped over. Both tries were unconverted to extend CPUT’s lead to 24 points with 15 minutes left to play.
When TUT’s left-winger Wandile Shabalala was shown yellow and sent off for ten minutes by referee Johre Botha, further punishment might have been expected for his teammates. However, Xakwana was to have the final say in the game as he dotted down. He missed the attempt at adding two more points with the conversion.
TUT, undoubtedly, will have much to think about during their bye week next up. After that they will be back on the road – to Pietermaritzburg – where they will face UKZN.
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