UCT snatch historic Varsity Cup derby against Maties

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UCT scored two point-of-origin tries in the final 10 minutes to beat rivals Maties in the Varsity Cup’s landmark 500th game in Cape Town on Monday night.

The much-anticipated 500th Varsity Cup game, played by possibly the competition’s biggest rivals, certainly lived up to its billing. Eight tries were scored in total between the two teams, five of those being point-of-origin tries.

It was a dramatic encounter with Maties dominating the first half and taking a deserved lead into the break, but UCT upped the tempo in the second half and their attacking intent was rewarded with some spectacular scores.

Statistically speaking, it is the fourth game that UCT have won this season after trailing at half time, as well as their first win over Maties at the Green Mile since the 2014 semi-finals.

In the end, it was young centre Suleiman Hartzenberg, playing in his first Varsity Cup campaign this year, who turned into the hero for the home side, scoring two sensational tries from inside his own half to give them a 44-27 victory and a full house of points.

Hartzenberg’s fellow graduate of Bishops school in Cape Town, scrumhalf Imad Khan, also made an excellent impact off the bench and scored a remarkable try at the start of the second half when UCT took three consecutive quick-taps from three consecutive penalties.

Prior to that, Maties, looking for their landmark 100th win in the competition to be the first team to do so, took a 17-10 lead into half time thanks to a point-of-origin try from captain Adriaan van den Berg and a good finish by tighthead prop Vernon Matongo.

Despite struggling to cope with the pace that UCT were playing at in the second half, Maties punished some ill-discipline with two penalties from fullback Nevaldo Fleurs, in between No 8 Simon Miller finishing off a well-worked try.

UCT made it a tense finish when substitute forward Mika Schubert came off the bench and only just grounded the ball over the tryline to make it a one-point game going into the final 10 minutes.

That was when Hartzenberg struck as UCT punished two handling errors from Maties to seal a memorable victory.

UCT Ikeys – Tries: Rihaz Fredericks, Imad Khan, Mika Schubert, Suleiman Hartzenberg (2). Conversions: Duran Koevort (4).  Penalty: Koevort.
Maties – Tries: Adriaan van der Bank, Vernon Matongo, Simon Miller. Conversions: Nevaldo Fleurs (2). Penalties: Fleurs (2).

UCT Ikeys – 15 Duran Koevort, 14 Rihaz Fredericks, 13 Suleiman Hartzenberg, 12 Rethabile Louw, 11 Ntokozo Makhaza, 10 David Hayes, 9 William Rose, 8 Jason MacLeod Smith, 7 Taariq Kruger, 6 Sipho Dyonase, 5 Thomas Meyer, 4 Reynhardt Crous, 3 Keagan Glade, 2 Keagan Blanckenberg, 1 Luthando Woji (c).
Subs: 16 Alex Castle, 17 Seth Christian, 18 Alizwa Mngqeta, 19 Mika Schubert, 20 Matthew Hamilton, 21 Imad Khan, 22 Kian Davis, 23 Thoubaan Gabriels.

Maties – 15 Nevaldo Fleurs, 14 Mike Mavovana, 13 Waqar Solaan, 12 Taigh Schoor, 11 Sibabalwe Xamlashe, 10 Adriaan van der Bank (c), 9 Thomas Bursey, 8 Simon Miller, 7 De Wet Marais, 6 Gift Dlamini, 5 Matthew Gray, 4 Juan Beukes, 3 Vernon Matongo, 2 Sean Swart, 1 Rhynardt Rijnsburger.
Subs: 16 Jan-Corrick van der Watt, 17 Wian van Zyl, 18 Corne Weilbach, 19 Jesse Johnson, 20 Siyabonga Matanda, 21 Mckyle Volmoer, 22 Brendan Venter, 23 Marcqiewn Titus.

Photo: Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images

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Dylan Jack