In part one of the 2022 Varsity Cup preview, four of the 10 head coaches in this year’s tournament give the lowdown on their squads and talk about their expectations for the season ahead.

UCT: Tom Dawson-Squibb

Last year – Played: 11, Won: 9, Drew: 1, Lost: 1
Best Varsity Cup finish – Champions (2011, 2014)

Expectations for 2022
We’re into our third season as a coaching staff. We want to win the tournament, but we also want people to remember us for the way we play. There is a time to attack and a time to play tactically. Overall, we want to play with energy and intensity. Those are the characteristics that should define our brand, whether we are attacking, defending or kicking.

Their squad
The turnover in a competition comprised of students is always going to be high. You can’t really talk about building from season to season. We’ve lost more than 50% of our squad since 2021. There aren’t many guys left who started in last year’s final. That’s the nature of the beast at this level, though, and we’re pleased to see so many guys moving on to receive opportunities here in South Africa and abroad. We have plenty of young players coming through from the U20 ranks, so we certainly aren’t short on talent.

UWC: Paul Treu

Last year – Played: 9, Won: 3, Drew: 1, Lost: 5
Best Varsity Cup finish – 6th on log (2021)

Expectations for 2022
We aren’t looking past our first game against Shimlas. Since I took over in 2021, I have encouraged the players to back their skills and to play at a high tempo. We’d like to bring more structure into our game, but we are essentially an opportunity-based team. We played an exciting brand of rugby in 2021, and came within a few points of qualifying for the playoffs. We’ll stay true to that style in 2022, and push for a place in the semis.

Their squad
It pleases me as a coach when UWC players are recruited by top unions, franchises and even overseas-based teams. That said, it is tough to lose so many players, and a couple of our players failed to qualify for the tournament because of insufficient academic credits. We do have a number of exciting player prospects, though, and Therlow Petersen has joined us as an assistant coach. As a player, Therlow won Varsity Cup titles with Maties as well as Ikeys – I don’t think that’s been done before. The players will benefit from his knowledge and experience.

UJ: Jonathan Mokuena

Last year – Played: 9, Won: 2, Lost: 7
Best Varsity Cup finish – 1st on log (2011)

Joining UJ ahead of the 2022 season
I’m thrilled to be a part of the set-up, and I’m looking forward to putting a few new things into place with what I consider to be a special group of players.

Expectations for 2022
We know that we have to be more consistent if we’re going to push for a place in the playoffs. Earlier this year, we spoke about three or four matches in the 2021 campaign that we lost in the final minutes. If we had won even two of those games, our season may have looked very different. So, there’s a lesson in that about finishing strongly and staying on task.

Their squad
We’ve retained most of our players from 2021, but have lost several senior statesmen. Captain Franco Schutte, hooker Pierre Rabie and prop Herman Agenbag have all moved on. Senior players are so important in a tournament like this, especially in the bigger matches where experience is key. That said, we have some great youngsters at our disposal, and I’m excited to see what flank Johannes Terblanche – whom we recruited from CUT – can do. There are a few more dark horses in the mix, but I don’t want to say too much about them just yet. You’ll spot them in the early rounds of the tournament.

CUT: Braam van Straaten

Last year – Played: 9, Won: 6, Lost: 3
Best Varsity Cup finish – 5th on log (2021)

Joining CUT ahead of the 2022 season
Pieter Bergh and his management team put some excellent structures in place. I’ve been with the side for over five months now, and I must say that the job done by my predecessor has made the transition a lot easier. We’re going to build on that platform, and hopefully take things forward in 2022.

Expectations for 2022
Everybody is in a better mental space this season, knowing that the bubble restrictions have been lifted. Crowds will be back, and the players will have extra motivation to showcase their talent. The team enjoyed a relatively good campaign in 2021, but they know that they will have to be even better in 2022 if we are going to qualify for the playoffs. The details, in preparation and performance, will be important.

Their squad
Seven of our stars received Currie Cup contracts at the end of the 2021 tournament, and that is something to celebrate. That’s your role at this level: to prepare players to make the step up to professional rugby. Perhaps we will see more players following suit at the end of the 2022 season. I’m not going to mention names, but we still have plenty of talent in reserve. I would expect a few individuals in this team to push for higher honours over the course of the campaign.

By Jon Cardinelli for Varsity Cup