The one given in Varsity Cup rugby is that every team will have that one bad game over nine weeks, in which things go wrong.

For coach Nico Luus and his men, hopefully Tuks’ loss on Monday night against Maties was that game.

Maties beat Tuks 19-9 at the Tuks stadium in Pretoria.

The two teams got a proud rivalry over decades, but Monday night’s game will not be remembered for its excellent rugby. It was a scrappy affair. So, the referee had no choice but to use his whistle more than he would have wanted.

Still, it would be unfair to judge the players too harshly. It was both teams’ first game of the tournament. It was to be expected that there would be some jitters. Often it led to players doing things overhastily, which led to mistakes.

It is especially true for the Tuks players. They were their own worst enemies at times, losing concentration at vital moments.

Tuks captain, Lincoln Daniels, is confident that he and his teammates can perform better.

“From a personal perspective, our clash with Maties was exciting. We expected them to come hard at us, and they did not disappoint. It is never nice being the captain of the losing side, but I think we did OK apart from the score,” Daniels said after the game.

He believes what sunk his team on Monday night was their execution, especially in the backline.

“We really tried to keep the ball in hand when we were on the attack. But every so often, all our hard work got undone by a bad pass,” Daniels explained.

Next Monday Tuks play the Madibaz from Port Elizabeth in an away game.

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