UJ win all-Varsity Cup battle
FNB UJ showed that they will be contenders at the 2010 Club Champs, after beating FNB Tuks in their first-round battle in Stellenbosch. There were also wins for fellow Varsity Cup sides, FNB Maties and FNB Pukke, but Shimlas joined Tuks as fellow first-round losers.
In other action on Saturday, defending champions, Hamilton's, and three-time Varsity Cup champions, Maties, moved one step closer to a heavyweight, all-Western Province semifinal clash when they romped to huge victories on the opening day of the 36th South African Club Championships at the Danie Craven Stadium.
In the curtain-raiser to the main match, 12-time club champions Maties - playing at their home ground - made light work of Griquas champs Kimberley Police in notching up 15 tries in a 99-12 romp.
However, a far tougher assignment awaits them on Monday, when they play last year's semifinalists, Springs.
The same can be said of Hammies, whose 83-25 win over Limpopo Blue Bulls champions Noordelike has set up a mouth-watering clash against Eastern Province champions Progress, who famously beat Maties at the same venue four years ago.
On a day of cricket scores there was also plenty of high drama in the form of dramatic, come-from-behind wins for Progress, as well as Boland's Roses United.
Both teams secured victory after the final hooter after conjuring up long-range, counter-attacking tries when it seemed they were destined to be eliminated.
College Rovers (KwaZulu-Natal), Springs (Falcons) and NWU-Pukke (Leopards) also won through to Monday's quarterfinals - after easy wins over Bethlehem Oud-Studente, Barbarians and Middelburg, respectively, whilst UJ (Golden Lions) came out tops in their all-student battle against Tuks to complete the last-eight line-up.
The Pretoria students became the second Varsity Cup side to be eliminated from the title race after Roses, playing in front of a boisterous crowd, overturned a 10-3 half-time deficit to run out 23-22 winners against Free State champions, Shimlas.
The Bloem students, who also lost in the first round of last year's tournament, looked to have the game sewn up.
However, they did not account for Roses' fighting spirit, which saw them put together a string of phases after the siren that ended with fullback Christopher Adams scooting over for his second try of the match.
In the tournament's opening game, Progress led East London Police 27-0 at half-time but an amazing turnaround saw the Border Bobbies grab a 38-37 lead deep in injury-time - only to watch as the Uitenhage side, displaying the skill and fearlessness that saw them upstage Maties, began a movement from behind their own goalline.
With the ball going through at least 10 pairs of hands, it was centre Marco Jacobs who dived over under the posts to seal the most dramatic of wins.
First-round results - Saturday, September 18:
(Half-time scores in brackets)
Springs 80 (40) Mossel Bay Barbarians 12 (7)
Progress 44 (27) SAPS East London 38 (0)
Roses United 23 (3) Shimlas 22 (10)
UJ 33 (20) Tuks 23 (10)
College Rovers 52 (26) Bethlehem Oud-Skoliere 24(10)
Pukke 83 (40) Middelburg 17 (17)
Maties 99 (38) Kimberley Police 12 (7)
Hamilton's 83 (34) Noordelike 25 (11)
Fixtures for Monday, September 20:
Plate quarterfinals:
F field: Noordelike v SAPS East London - 10am
G field: Middelburg v Shimlas - 10am
F field: Mossel Bay Barbarians v Kimberley Police - 11.45am
G field: Bethlehem Oud-Skoliere v Tuks - 1.30pm
Cup quarterfinals:
B field: Springs v Maties - 11.45am
B field: Puk v Roses United - 1.30pm
Danie Craven Stadium: Hamilton's v Progress - 3.15pm
Danie Craven Stadium: College Rovers v UJ - 5pm