Pressure mounts as play offs loom in Varsity Cup
Photo: Anton Geyser
The pressure will be on in the penultimate round before the FNB Varsity Cup presented by Steinhoff International play-offs on Monday.
With six teams still in the hunt for a place in the semi-finals, Round Six could have a major influence on the final log positions and play-off venues this year.
Log-leaders FNB UP-Tuks face fourth-placed FNB UJ in a high-stakes Gauteng derby in Johannesburg, while the other big game will see the unbeaten FNB UFS-Shimlas host defending champions FNB UCT in Bloemfontein.
The other two matches will involve teams in the bottom half of the standings, with FNB NWU-Pukke looking to move into the top four with an away win against newcomers FNB CUT and three-times champions FNB Maties hoping to keep their play-off hopes alive when they host FNB NMMU.
The Stellenbosch side have only missed out on the semifinals once in 2011, and they will know that defeat to the seventh-placed Madibaz will take their fate out of their hands.
Maties showed good character to fight back and beat UJ for their first win of the season in Round Five, but they will face an NMMU side that will be desperate to salvage something from a disappointing campaign.
In Bloemfontein the CUT Ixias will want to be more competitive after suffering five heavy defeats so far, but have their work cut out for them against a hungry NWU-Pukke side, while across town UFS-Shimlas will be looking to extend their unbeaten streak against a confident Ikeys team coming off a big win in Potchefstroom.
The final match of the evening will be in Johannesburg where UJ will be out to prove their play-off credentials at home against a rampant UP-Tuks side that has their eye on a home semifinal.
In the Varsity Shield the top two teams will do battle when unbeaten FNB Wits host FNB UKZN in Johannesburg, while FNB UWC’s slim chances of catching them rest on their clash with FNB TUT in Bellville.
The winner in Johannesburg will go to the top of the standings, and the equation is simple for UWC who have to win their last three games to have any hope of sneaking into the final.
For in-depth previews for Monday night’s action, please visit the Varsity Cup website.
All of the Round Six match details:
FNB UFS-Shimlas v FNB UCT
(Shimla Park, Bloemfontein – Kick-off: 16.45 televised live on Supersport One)
FNB Maties v FNB NMMU
(Danie Craven Stadium, Stellenbosch – Kick-off: 18.30)
FNB CUT v FNB NWU-Pukke
(CUT Rugby Stadium, Bloemfontein – Kick-off: 18.30)
FNB UJ v FNB UP-Tuks
(UJ Stadium, Johannesburg – Kick-off: 19.00 televised live on Supersport One)
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