All eyes on Potchefstroom

The 2014 Varsity Cup title will be decided on Monday when Potchefstroom hosts its first-ever final.

Apart from the showdown between NWU-Pukke and UCT, the Koshuisrugby Championship final and the promotion/relegation battle between UJ and the UKZN Impi will also be decided at the Fanie du Toit Sports Grounds.

Coach Robert du Preez’s NWU-Pukke side will be hunting their first title when they take on the Ikey Tigers who lifted the trophy the last time they made the final back in 2011.

Both teams secured home semifinal victories, with NWU-Pukke edging the NMMU Madibaz in dramatic style and UCT taking care of old rivals Maties in the wind and rain on the Green Mile.

The hosts will have the psychological advantage of having beaten the Ikeys in Cape Town in the opening round, but coach Kevin Musikanth’s team are yet to lose away from home this year so they cannot be taken lightly.

Musikanth has made a major impact in his first season with UCT after two lean years since they won their only title in 2011, and his counterpart Du Preez has made a big impression as well, with NWU-Pukke topping the table for the first time.

The teams have had a two-week break since their semifinal victories, but Musikanth said that they have not changed much in terms of their preparation.

“As far as the result is concerned and the approach to the game we have prepared in the same manner as we have always prepared.

“Ultimately if we want to call ourselves Varsity Cup champions we need to have what it takes to go out to Potch and beat Pukke in their own backyard. Our team and coaching staff have tremendous work ethic and we are going all in,” he said.

The last available place in next year’s Varsity Cup will be decided in the promotion/relegation play-off between John Mitchell’s UKZN Impi and an embattled UJ outfit that finished down in seventh position this season.

The Impi went down to CUT in the Varsity Shield Final last week, with the Ixias securing their third title to finally move up to the Varsity Cup, but they will have another crack at promotion in the first game to be played at the Fanie du Toit Sports Ground.

They face a UJ side who find themselves fighting for survival after a disappointing campaign that went downhill after their promising draw with defending champions UP-Tuks in their opening game.

The Koshuisrugby Championship Final will feature two unbeaten teams as NWU-Pukke’s Patria host Heimat from UFS in the curtain-raiser to the Varsity Cup Final.

The visitors will be eager to keep the trophy in Bloemfontein by following in the footsteps of last year’s champions Vishuis, but they will have to be on top of their game against a well-drilled Patria outfit who will have the local crowd right behind them.

All the teams and match details:

NWU-Pukke v UCT

(Fanie du Toit Sports Grounds, Potchefstroom – Kick-off: 19.00 live on Supersport)

NWU-Pukke: 15 Sylvian Mahuza, 14 Edmar Marais, 13 Jaap Pienaar, 12 Johan Deysel, 11 Luther Obi, 10 Johnny Welthagen, 9, Tiaan Dorfling (captain), 8 Juan Language, 7 Henro-Pierre Swart, 6 Rhyk Welgemoed, 5 Francois Robbertse, 4 Peet van der Walt, 3 Nhlanhla Ngcamu, 2 Armand van der Merwe, 1 Mashudu Mafela.

Replacements: 16 Marius Fourie, 17 Johan Smith, 18 Daniel Jordaan, 19 Philip de Wet, 20 Dillon Smit, 21 Rhyno Smith, 22 Lucien Cupido, John-Roy Jenkinson.

UCT: 15 Ross Jones-Davies, 14 Richard Stewart, 13 Huw Jones, 12 Guy Schwikkard, 11 Lihleli Xoli, 10 Dean Grant, 9 Liam Slatem, 8 Michael Botha, 7 Vince Jobo, 6 Jason Klaasen, 5 James Kilroe, 4 Shaun McDonald, 3 Digby Webb, 2 Neil Rautenbach, 1 Joel Carew.

Replacements: 16 Chad Solomon, 17 Robin Murray, 18 Kyle Kriel, 19 Guy Alexander, 20 James Alexander, 21 Martin Sauls, 22 Nathan Nel, 23 David Maasch.

Referees: Marius van der Westhuizen, Cwengile Jadezweni

Assistant referees: Francois Pretorius, Jaco Kotze

TMO: Johan Greeff

Koshuisrugby Championship Final

Patria v Heimat

(Fanie du Toit Sports Grounds, Potchefstroom – Kick-off: 16.30 live on Supersport One)

Patria: 15 Louis Vorster, 14 Denver Murorua, 13 Koos du Plooy, 12 Jaco de Klerk, 11 OJ Labuschagne, 10 Duart Teessen, 9 Richard Webber, 8 Marnus Gerber, 7 Elandre Jansen van Rensburg, 6 Berto Kleynhans, 5 Corman Scheepers, 4 Ru-el de Wet, 3 Francois Taljaard, 2 Deon Stols, 1 Niël van Vuuren.

Replacements: 16 Emil Meyer, 17 Louis Wannenburg, 18 Siegfried Bosman, 19 Tienie van Wyk, 20 Bennie Genis, 21 Riaan Brummer, 22 Christian Serfontein, 23 Lourens Steytler.

Heimat: 15 Francois Crous, 14 Nakkie Naude, 13 Willie De Jager, 12 Vossie Van Straaten, 11 Johan Kotze, 10 Darren Baron, 9 Chapo Cilliers, 8 Egbert Ras, 7 Riaan Schoeman, 6 James Prinsloo, 5 Chris Du Randt, 4 Ramon Lillie, 3 CJ van Zyl, 2 Jacques Steyn, 1 BJ Koortzen.

Replacements: 16 Anthony Macdonald, 17 Jandre Jacobs, 18 Raymond Woest, 19 Benjamin Jansen van Vuuren, 20 Kobie Van der Walt, 21 Fouche Germishuys, 22 Marinus van der Merwe, 23 Darius Zeelie.

Referee: Francois Pretorius

Assistant referees: Jaco Kotze, Tahla Ntshakaza

TMO: Johan Greeff

Promotion/relegation play-off

UJ v UKZN

(Fanie du Toit Sports Grounds, Potchefstroom – Kick-off: 14.30 live on Supersport One)

UJ: 15 Juan Kotze, 14 PJ Walters, 13 Jacques Nel, 12 Harold Vorster, 11 Andries Oosthuizen, 10 Marais Schmidt, 9 Viaan van der Watt, 8 JP Swanepoel, 7 Victor Sekekete, 6 Kobus Porter, 5 David Antonites, 4 Shane Kirkwood, 3 Van Zyl Botha, 2 Jannes Snyman, 1 Devon Martinus.

Replacements: 16 Qinisile Siphatho, 17 Wiseman Kamanga, 18 Fabian Booysen, 19 Dylan Peterson, 20 Jacques Pretorius, 21 Jaco van der Walt, 22 Pieter Morton, 23 Hendrik Bredenkamp.

UKZN: 15 Hendrik Groenewald, 14 Shayne Makombe, 13 Brandon Bailing, 12 Kurt Mavrodaris, 11 Hendrik Lategan, 10 Duncan Campbell, 9 Cameron Wright, 8 Deon Carney, 7 Zwela Zondi, 6 Lwazi Ngcungama (captain), 5 Johan Wagenaar, 4 Adam Wessels, 3 Stefan van Schalkwyk, 2 Dean Muir, 1 Henri Boshoff.

Replacements: 16 Mikyle Webster, 17 Bartholomeus le Roux, 18 Gideon Koegelenberg, 19 Sanele Malwane, 20 Nelson Makhanye, 21 Gavin Nyawata, 22 Yandisa Mdolomba, 23 Sizwe Kuhbeka.

Referees: Jaco Kotze, Tahla Ntshakaza

Assistant referees: Marius van der Westhuizen, Cwengile Jadezweni

TMO: Johan Greeff