Dobson: 'Our best is yet to come'

Whilst pleased with the character shown by his charges in their crucial 30-23 Varsity Cup win over UJ on Monday, FNB UCT head coach John Dobson believes his side is capable of much more.

"I hope that one day we will play really well in this tournament," said the Ikeys head coach, "as I honestly believe that our best is yet to come."

Whilst the conditions at the UJ Stadium - in Johannesburg - suited UCT's running game; they managed to score just two tries, one in each half, as they remained in second place on the log and also retained their unbeaten record in the 2010 FNB Varsity Cup presented by Steinhoff International.

"It was our first still day (in terms of wind), so I think we were keen to move the ball about - but we made a call on the altitude factor and decided to try to conserve some energy for the last 15 minutes and so probably kicked a bit much in the end," explained Dobson.

"I must say that we are finding games recently very stop-start and I hope that between the players, coaches and referees we can get the 'Rugby that Rocks', that saw this tournament become so successful, back again."

Despite the stop-start game - and indeed the last-gasp nature of the win, thanks to Marcello Sampson's 73rd-minute try - Dobson found many positives in UCT's fourth victory of the season.

He told varsitycup.co.za: "I was pleased with lots of elements to our performance, not least of all our character in eeking out a win against a very good, all-round UJ side who I am sure will be there at the 'sharp-end' of the tournament.

"That said, I was a bit disappointed that at 17-3 we should have been more clinical in burying the game, but that may be an indication of the quality of UJ - as opposed to our shortcomings."

Next up for UCT are the mighty Maties - their Western Cape and old Intervarsity rivals, but also their great Varsity Cup foes, the Men from Stellenbosch having edged them to glory in the inaugural Varsity Cup Final in 2008.

"We had a goal that we wanted go to the Craven Stadium unbeaten," said Dobson, "we've achieved that... (and) Monday will be a helluva game!"

* Monday's match - at the Danie Craven Stadium - kicks-off at 8.30pm. The game will be televised live on SuperSport One.

By Howard Kahn