Teams leave nothing to chance - again
An even greater emphasis on pre-season training that saw teams train until December 18 and restart this year, will ensure the 2010 Varsity Cup will start off on February 1 at an even higher standard than last year.
The competition kicks-off with two double-headers involving all four teams - at Tukkies' LC de Villiers Stadium in Pretoria and the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) in Port Elizabeth.
Matches against two Russian sides on Wednesday, as well as a 'four-chukka' practice game against the Shimlas in Bloemfontein on Friday and then two matches next week against the SWD Eagles - last year's losing finalists in the Currie Cup First Division - will ensure Tukkies coach Freddie Grobler, will know exactly what his best combinations are come the first round.
"These warm-up matches will be followed by a week's training at home before we play NWU-Pukke," said Grobler, who has a few gains - but unavoidably also a number of losses - from last year's side that somehow just did not gel well enough to seriously challenge for honours, despite yet another semifinal place.
"It's imperative that we start better this year," Grobler stressed.
Tukkies, again, play the very strong NWU-Pukke in their first league match. This time, however, it will be in Pretoria - and Tukkies will at least be able to play their evening matches at home after their floodlights have been upgraded sufficiently for TV purposes.
Pukke, last year, lost a tough Varsity Cup Final at Coetzenburg against the Maties who retained the title they won in the first year of the competition in 2008, and also outscored Hamiltons by six tries to three when they went down in the National Club Championships Final.
The Potchefstroom-based side are a class act - but they have lost their inspirational No.8 and long-standing captain Willem van de Wal, who has moved to Johannesburg.
"Of course we'll miss him," said coach Rudy Joubert. "It's never easy when you lose you're captain. But I'm confident.
"We've had a good pre-season training period, and although there are a few niggles we have looked good in our training this year.
"There are a few gains, and we'll start getting closer to the final squad after our trials this weekend. We end of with a practice game against the Leopards on January 23."
The University of Johannesburg (UJ), meanwhile, have some exciting newcomers and also a nucleus of the side that never really fired last season - but put up some outstanding performances, at times.
"We've been working hard," said UJ head coach Hugo van As.
With UJ again fielding what Van As calls a semi-professional side, the Johannesburg outfit simply has to start off well. They will have a practice run against the Shimlas in Kroonstad to fine-tune.
UJ play Tshwane University for Technology (TUT) in the first round at the LC de Villiers Stadium and then return to Pretoria to play Tukkies the following week.
It will not be easy to win both encounters, but UJ desperately need to collect more than the two bonus points from last year with only TUT - who ended bottom of the log - having a worse record in this respect.
TUT, however, will not be the walkovers they were last year when they were winless in the competition, vows their coach Jimmy Watt.
"We were poor in the Varsity Cup but picked up some momentum thereafter and played some good rugby in the Carlton Cup," he said.
Good enough, he may have added, to make the semifinals of the Carlton Cup after a good run towards the end.
"Our preparation has been better. We've got some exciting new youngsters, from the Bulls and elsewhere, to bolster the existing squad and things are looking up.
"I'm confident the guys will build on our momentum towards the end of the last season."
Click HERE for the 2010 Varsity Cup fixtures!
SAPA