Bernard van der Linde of Tuks runs with the ball during the Varsity Cup final against Maties at Danie Craven Stadium on Monday. Picture: Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images
A brilliant second half comeback from the University of Pretoria (Tuks) saw them upset the University of Stellenbosch (Maties) with a late try to steal a dramatic 29-23 Varsity Cup final win at the Danie Craven Stadium in Stellenbosch on Monday night.
Tuks trailed 23-10 after 52 minutes, but powered back with three tries in the last 28 minutes of the match to snatch what had looked like an unlikely win at that point.
It was a tough start to the match for Tuks who lost their left wing Tharquinn Manuel in the first minute, after he got in on the wrong side of a tackle and had to go off for concussion, with Keane Galant replacing him.
Maties then took the lead in the fifth minute as they attacked into Tuks half, inside centre Taigh Schoor then sent a superb cross kick for right wing Mike Mavovana to field on the 22m and sprint in to score in the left hand corner.
Flyhalf Nevaldo Fleurs missed then hit the uprights with the conversion attempt, however that was his only miss of the game as he slotted everything else.
Penalties in the 13th and 22nd minutes then allowed Fleurs to extend their lead to 11-0 before Tuks hit back.
With Maties on attack just in the Tuks half, scrumhalf Bernard van der Linde snatched an intercept and sprinted away to score a point of origin try, which gave them seven points as it started in their own half.
Fullback Stefan Coetzee missed the conversion, leaving the score at 11-7 after 26 minutes.
Fleurs and Coetzee then traded penalties, before Fleaurs slotted two more, the second after the halftime hooter to give Maties a 20-10 lead at the break.
Maties then picked up where they left off in the second half, earning a number of penalties in Tuks 22m, but opted to go for the lineout as they chased a try.
But Tuks superbly defended their line, which meant Maties finally went for poles in the 52nd minute after another penalty, with Fleurs putting them 23-10 up.
This sparked Tuks to life and they started turning the tide, as they then took hold of the final 30 minutes of the match.
Straight from the restart Tuks regained the ball, attacked down the blindside, and finished with right wing Kabelo Mokoena going over in the corner for an unconverted score, making it 23-15.
Tuks continued to dominate and thought they had scored again in the 68th minute when flank Stefan Willemse forced his way over next to the uprights, only for Maties to call for a white card, which allows a team to challenge a specific moment.
Maties had spotted a knock on in the build-up and were proved right by the TMO, with the try then chalked off.
Tuks however had a penalty advantage and continued hammering away at the line and eventually made space for Mokoena to go over in the corner for his second unconverted try which made it 23-20 with eight minutes to play.
The pivotal moment then came in the 77th minute as Maties, with possession in Tuks half, decided to grubber a ball through, only for Coetzee to pick up the ball between his 22m and 10m and set off on a devastating run.
He powered his way through a number of tackle attempts, breaking to just before the Maties 22m where he offloaded to van der Linde to run in his second point of origin try of the match, with the conversion giving them a six point lead that they held onto over the final minute.
Scorers
Maties: Tries – Mike Mavovana; Penalties – Nevaldo Fleurs (6)
Tuks: Tries – Bernard van der Linde (2), Kabelo Mokoena (2); Conversion – Stefan Coetzee; Penalty – Coetzee