Sublime Shimlas too hot for NMMU

The FNB Shimlas continued their strong start to the 2010 FNB Varsity Cup presented by Steinhoff International competition; beating NMMU 54-5 at Shimla Park, Bloemfontein, on Monday night.

Last year the Bloemfontein students started the competition by beating the hapless NMMU Madibas, but then lost three matches on the trot. However, after last week's 30-30 draw against the Ikey Tigers in PE, they started their first home game in true Varsity Cup style by playing some true Rugby that truly Rocks.

Shimlas' first points came two minutes into the match, with Willie Britz (flanker) scoring the first try. The sublime Men from Bloemfontein played a clinical match and did not let up after Britz's early score, managing to keep the ball out of the Madibas' hands throughout the game.

Their ball-retention was one of their standout features and they spread the ball wide after almost every first phase, keeping contact at a minimum. With this in mind, scoring tries came easy for Shimlas crossing the try line eight times to one.

The Shimlas loose trio was superb on the night with Boom Prinsloo (the official Varsity Cup Man of the Match) taking most of the spoils and fellow 'loosie' Hanno Pieterse (pictured) also grabbing a five-pointer. Prinsloo, however, did not only have a hand in the second Shimla try - but also scored an incredible four tries of his own.

At the half-time break, Shimlas were leading 32-0 and a beating was on the cards for the students from Port Elizabeth.

After the break Shimlas carried on where they left off in the first half scoring four minutes into the second.

Shimlas' tight defence and good territorial kicking kept the Madibas' in their half. The Madibas, however, got a lifeline fifteen minutes before the end of the match when Divandré Strydom got yellow-carded.

Their captain and scrumhalf, Lusu Booi, finally got a break after he went over the line from a loose scrum five metres from the Shimla tryline.

Booi's try was well-deserved, having been his team's outstanding player on the night - despite their heavy loss in the end.

The scorers:

For FNB Shimlas:
Tries: Britz, Pieterse, Prinsloo 4, Ndwandwa 2
Cons: Whitehead 4
Pens: Whitehead 2

For FNB NMMU:
Try: Booi

The teams:

Shimlas: 15 George Whitehead, 14 Beast Ndwandwa, 13 Earl Snyman, 12 Wayne Stevens (captain), 11 Rashied Isaacs, 10 Reinhardt Erwee, 9 Marlin Ruiters, 8 Boom Prinsloo, 7 Willie Britz, 6 Hanno Pieterse, 5 Henjo van Niekerk, 4 Joubert Horn, 3 Vaatjie Koorsen, 2 PW van Vuuren, 1 Ian Potgieter.
Replacements: 16 Gert Erasmus, 17 André Schlechter, 18 Lebo Zietsman, 19 Pieter Labuschagné, 20 Jaco Colyn, 21 Divandré Strydom, 22 Johan van Schalkwyk, 23 James Hellawell.

NMMU: 15 Aluzant Munnik, 14 Oscar Mazaka, 13 William Heydenrych, 12 Wade Roos, 11 Darryl Turner, 10 Willem Laubscher, 9 Luso Booi (captain), 8 JP Kellerman, 7 Samuel Borsaah, 6 Ferdie Gerber, 5 Mathew Lutge, 4 Jannie Fourie, 3 Pierre Hammand, 2 Hugo Lampbrechts, 1 Chariel van Jaarsveld.
Replacements: 16 Werner Kapp, 17 Chris Dicks, 18 Kemsley Wesso, 19 Ferdinant Gerber, 20 Phiwe Lallendle, 21 Jade Barkhuizen, 22 Hugo van Heerden, 23 Ivan Cowley.

Referee: Luke Burger