Stormers also in Maties' sights
Back-to-back Varsity Cup champions, FNB Maties, will be playing just one warm-up match ahead of the 2010 FNB Varsity Cup presented by Steinhoff International - against Super 14 side, the Stormers.
With the Ikey Tigers also set to face up to the selfsame Super 14 franchise (in Riebeek West) this weekend, Chean Roux's Maties will be playing against the Stormers in a pre-season clash on Saturday, January 23.
Head coach Roux explained the thinking behind Stellenbosch's pre-season schedule: "I guess in an ideal world I would've liked three pre-season games, but it wasn't to be.
"I had discussions with John Plumtree about, perhaps, playing a training match against the Sharks, but they're playing two games in that pre-Super 14 Tri-Series (against the Stormers and the Force), so we couldn't work anything out.
"My plan is to get the guys 'contact-fit' at training... there's no point shying away from contact during training, but I won't be going crazy either; it's all about being smart at training and breaking things up into small sessions."
Roux - whose Maties squad has been back at training since last Monday - is a firm believer of high intensity training sessions and he added: "It's a fine line, but you don't want to wrap your key players in cottonwool before the tournament and then they get injured early on and miss a few weeks.
"I always prefer high intensity at training and this way we will have that and, thereby, have the guys hitting the ground running when the tournament starts in February - whereas last year it took us a good few games to get into things."
The Maties coach - who is yet to lose a knockout match in two seasons of Varsity Cup rugby - is bracing himself for a huge onslaught from the other seven universities in 2010, but he would not want it any other way.
"The other teams will be gunning for us - and rightly so," he told varsitycup.co.za. "I've taken a good look at things, since last year, and although I won't be re-inventing the wheel, the intensity at training has been good so far and I'm happy with what I have at my disposal (in terms of the playing squad) after reducing the size of my squad early last week.
"We've obviously lost a whole lot of players to Griquas, the Sharks and Western Province, plus I will also be selecting a new captain, but that's the exciting thing about the Varsity Cup and part of the reason why it's so popular - there's always new talent and I think that's what really excites the rugby public."
The Maties will kick-off their 2010 Varsity Cup campaign against NMMU (kick-off 4.30pm) in Port Elizabeth in one of two matches at the university on Monday, February 1 - the other involving UCT and Shimlas (2.30pm).
The other opening day double header takes place at Tukkies' LC de Villiers Stadium; with TUT taking on UJ (kick-off 4.30pm) and Tuks hosting last year's beaten finalists, the Pukke at 6.30pm.