Watt: 'Catch-up rugby impossible'

TUT Vikings assistant coach Jimmy Watt believes his team lost their 2010 Varsity Cup opener in the first 15 minutes when half-hearted defence directly led to two soft tries for FNB UJ.

UJ beat the FNB Vikings 28-14 on Monday at a packed Tuks Athletics Stadium in Pretoria. The Johannesburg-based students scored four tries to two.

"You cannot play catch-up rugby in the Varsity Cup," Watt told varsitycup.co.za.

"Our lack of concentration cost us dearly and in the end those two early tries made the difference. However, most frustrating about our lack-lustred performance in the opening 15 minutes was the fact that we were willing prey.

"We were not beaten by superior skills or running lines, but by our own poor defence," he added. "We were there to stop them, but just did not tackle well enough."

Watt cautioned that the Vikings' defence would have to be at its best next week already because they play the defending champion Maties on February 8 in Stellenbosch - a tough task at the best of times. (Maties, of course, demolished NMMU 68-20 in their opening game.)

As it is, TUT will be without their first choice hooker, Johan Pieterse, who injured his shoulder against UJ.

"Johan's injury early in the game came us a major setback to us and it seems that he will not play against Maties. He can hardly lift his arm and is still in some discomfort and feeling some pain," added Jimmy.

It is not, however, all doom and gloom for the Vikings.

Watt concluded: "I am heartened by the guts we showed. We fought back bravely and that says a lot for the character of the players."

By Morris Gilbert