The opening round of the restructured, nine-team Varsity Cup tournament will feature a match between newly-promoted Wits and former champions Shimlas in Johannesburg on Monday.
Reigning Varsity Shield champions Wits make a comeback to the premier competition after a two-year absence and will be looking to register their first-ever win not only against Shimlas, but in the tournament overall.
The last time these two teams met, Shimlas outlasted Wits in a high-scoring affair, but after morale-boosting pre-season wins over UJ and Pukke, the hosts will look to exact revenge over Shimlas.
Pukke, the 2016 champions, are set for a tricky opening round as they travel to UJ. But despite their champion status, pressure will be on Pukke as they have lost two of their last three encounters against UJ.
The hosts, who lost the core of their 2016 squad, will look to continue their stranglehold over Pukke in this fixture to send out an early signal of intent.
In a potentially explosive clash, Tuks welcome Maties to Pretoria. The visitors, who were 2016 runners-up after falling short in a nail-biting final last year, will aim to correct that loss with a big performance at Loftus.
Last season’s basement dwellers UCT and NMMU will square-off in the other match-up in round one. Both coaches have talked up their teams’ chances of victory, but while UCT did finish the previous campaign below the Madibaz, the students from Cape Town will enter the clash as favourites because they play at the Green Mile.
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Wits vs Shimlas
Wits Rugby Stadium, Johannesburg
Kick-off: 16:45 (SuperSport 1)
Wits – 15 Lux Ntsepe, 14 Kwanele Ngema, 13 Josh Jarvis, 12 AJ van Blerk, 11 Jarred Branco, 10 Warren Gilbert (c), 9 Ruan Cloete, 8 Jethro de Lange, 7 Mike Renwick, 6 Ruan Macdonald, 5 Rhyno Herbst, 4 Graham Logan, 3 Luvuyo Pupuma, 2 CJ Conradie, 1 CJ Greeff.
Subs: 16 Justin Brandon, 17 Ameer Williams, 18 Pascal Snyman, 19 Chris Worthington, 20 Wolta Mtsweni, 21 Brandan Hewitt, 22, Themba Mpemvu, 23 Brandon Palmer.
Shimlas – 15 Sechaba Motsoela, 14 Marco Mason, 13 Carel-Jan Coetzee, 12 Stephan Janse Van Rensburg (c), 11 Vuyani Maqina, 10 Niell Stannard, 9 Dian Badenhorst, 8 Bernadus Erasmus, 7 Phumzile Maqondwana, 6 Daniel Maartens, 5 Neil Claassen, 4 Nicolaas Immelman, 3 Ruan Kramer, 2 Hanno Snyman, 1 Kwenzokuhle Blose.
Subs: 16 Francois Steyn, 17 Johan Kotze, 18 Raymond Woest, 19 Musa Mahlesa, 20 Rewan Kruger, 21 Lihleli Xoli, 22 Nicholas Naude, 23 Thabiso Msiza
UJ vs Pukke
UJ Stadium, Johannesburg
Kick-off: 19:00 (SuperSport 1)
UJ – 15 Ronald Brown, 14 Tyreeq February, 13 Ramaboea, 12 Jaco Fourie, 11 Aphiwe Dyanti, 10 Divan Nel, 9 Johan Esterhuizen, 8 Jo-Hanko de Villiers, 7 Adrian Bester, 6 Wian Conradie, 5 Estian Enslin, 4 Kyle van Dalen, 3 Nico du Plessis, 2 Johannes Snyman, 1 Dillon Bakos.
Subs: 16 Emmanuel Morowane, 17 Gela Khanya, 18 Reinhaard Nothnagel, 19 Leon Massyn, 20 Hilton Mudraki, 21 Ewan Adams, 22 Peter John Walters, 23 Sarel Smit.
Pukke – 15 Lungelo Gosa, 14 Jimmy Mpailane, 13 Elden Schoeman, 12 Henko Marais, 11 Tapiwe Mafura, 10 Schalk Hugo, 9 Chriswill September, 8 Jeandré Rudolph, 7 Marno Redelinghuys, 6 Wandile Mazibuko, 5 Loftus Morrison, 4 Walt Steenkamp, 3 Dewald Dekker, 2 Wilmar Arnoldi, 1 Dolf van Deventer.
Subs: 23 Justin Newman, 22 AK Nela, 21 Caleb Louw, 20 Marcel Henn, 19 Boela Venter, 18 Morné Strydom, 17 Nico van Tonder, 16 Louis van der Westhuizen.
Tuks vs Maties
Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
Kick-off: 19:00 (not televised)
Tuks – 15 Divan Rossouw, 14 Dewald Naude, 13 Toko Maebane, 12 Impi Visser, 11 Keanan van Wyk, 10 Tinus de Beer, 9 Theo Maree, 8 Chris Massyn, 7 Marco van Staden, 6 Ruan Steenkamp (c), 5 Eli Snyman, 4 Aston Fortuin, 3 Neethling Fouche, 2 Jan-Henning Campher, 1 Andrew Beerwinkel.
Subs: 16 Theuns Reynolds, 17 Jaco Holtzhausen, 18 Brian Leitch, 19 Eduan Lubbe, 20 Raegen Oranje, 21 Christo Hamman, 22 Mervano da Silva, 23 Franco van den Berg.
Maties – 15 Craig Barr, 14 Duncan Saal, 13 Kyle Steyn, 12 Braam Venter, 11 Edwill van der Merwe, 10 Ernst Stapelberg, 9 Paul de Wet, 8 Devon Nash, 7 Kobus van Dyk, 6 Beyers de Villiers, 5 Johan Momsen, Ernst van Rhyn, 3 Jacobus van der Merwe, 2 Freddie Kirsten 1 Wesley Adonis.
Subs: 16 Craig Corbett, 17 Niel Oelofse, 18 Janco Venter, 19 Mitchell Carstens, 20 Logan Boonzaaier, 21 Chris Smith, 22 Ryan Muller, 23 Wikus Groenewald.
UCT vs NMMU
UCT Rugby Fields, Cape Town
Kick-off: 18:30 (not televised)
UCT – 15 Rob Anderson, 14 Seb Roodt, 13 Suwi Chibale, 12 Rico Lategan, 11 Joel Smith, 10 Lohan Lube, 9 Stef de Gouveia, 8 Nyasha Tarusenga, 7 Luke Stringer, 6 Jason Klaassen (C), 5 Duncan Saffy, 4 Gary Porter, 3 Michael Kumbirai, 2 Cuan Hablutzel, 1 Waryin Losper.
Subs: 16 Msizi Zondi, 17 Marty Chandler, 18 Lee-Marvin Mazebuko, 19 Nama Xaba, 20 Sanele Malwane, 21 Hilio de Abreu, 22 Ibbie Adams, 23 Jez Mcintyre.
NMMU – 15 Lindelwe Zungu, 14 Ivan-John du Preez, 13 Siphumelele Msutwana, 12 Andile Jho, 11 Jixie Molapo, 10 Simon Bolze, 9 Lovu Claassen, 8 Kevin Kaba, 7 Lusanda Badiyana, 6 Stephanus Nieuwoudt, 5 Gerrit Huisamen, 4 Wynand Grassmann, 3 Nicolas Roebeck, 2 JP Jamieson, 1 Xandre Vos.
Subs: 16 Jedwin Harty, 17 Tembelihle, 18 Janse Roux, 19 Henry Brown, 20 Rouche Nel, 21 Thomas Kean, 22 Luan Nieuwoudt, 23 Daniel Voigt.
Photo: Thys Lombard/SASPA
