Tuks have virtually secured a place in the Varsity Cup semi-finals with Monday night’s 78-17 victory over CUT.

In the fourth week of the Tournament, Tuks are still the only unbeaten team and lead the log with 20 points. The Northwest Eagles (Pukke) are second with 17 points, followed by Ikeys with 15 points. Shimlas, Maties and UJ all have 11 points.

Tuks has the advantage of having already played the Ikeys, Shimlas and Maties in the first three weeks. Theoretically, the upcoming Monday’s match against the Northwest Eagles is the last big derby they have to play. After that, Tuks will play against Varsity College, who are last on the log, and UJ, who are hot and cold in the tournament.

Ikeys still have to play against Maties, Shimlas and Northwest Eagles. Maties and the Eagles also have to face each other. It means the log standings could change dramatically in the next three weeks.

One of Tuks’ great standouts is the “Man Mountain”, tighthead prop Jayd Austin. The fourth-year Public Management and International Relationships student is 1.81m tall and weighs 128kg. His large physical stature certainly does not hold him back.

Last night at Tuks, he regularly appeared in the back line. With the ball in hand, CUT’s defenders had to pull out all the stops to bring him to ground. Austin is surprisingly agile. He is also one who regularly puts his body on the line to perform tackles.

“I just played my game. Performed a few hits and carries. The scrums went well, too. For me, every position in rugby is important. Each of us has our own unique job to do,” was Austin’s honest answer when he was asked about his high performance.

According to Austin, he likes set pieces because of the fact that they can make or break a team.

“For example, say there’s a scrum on the halfway line with your team throwing in the ball. The challenge then is to force the opposition to concede a penalty. When it happens, suddenly you could be only metres from the opposition’s try line. That is rewarding when playing as a prop,” he explained.

Austin admits that scrums take their toll.

“Your neck and back, in particular, take a beating, which is why pre-conditioning is so important. It has happened that when I get up too quickly after a scrum, I feel dizzy and can’t see clearly for a second or two,” he said to emphasize the intensity of scrums.

Tuks take on the Northwest Eagles in Potchefstroom on Monday 16 March. Kick-off is at 19:00.

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