Four Varsity Cup matches take place today, 28 February 2011. They are:

• UCT vs TUT – 17:00 (Live on TV and Live Game Thread here)
• Shimlas vs Tuks – 19:00 (Live on TV and Live Game Thread here)
• UJ vs Pukke – 19:00
• Maties vs NMMU – 19:00

Sport24

The men will soon start to be separated from the boys as the 2011 FNB Varsity Cup presented by Steinhoff International enters its fourth round of action on Monday.

The undoubted Game of the Week will be in Bloemfontein as the FNB Tuks travel to South Africa’s judicial capital to face up to the FNB Shimlas in one of the two televised matches in Round Four.

The Shimlas, of course, made history in Round Two when they beat the all-conquering FNB Maties by 21-15, but they have flattered to deceive in other matches – losing at home to FNB UCT in Round One and throwing away a seemingly unassailable 24-9 lead away to FNB UJ last Monday.

Still, the Kovsies have painted themselves into something of a corner now… they cannot afford to lose against a Tuks side that – despite their second-round slip-up to FNB TUT – are slowly, but surely developing into a useful outfit.

Some could argue that not much should be read into Tuks’ 35-10 hammering of FNB Pukke in Round Three – yes, the selfsame winless Pukke whose coach Rudy Joubert has now taken a two-week leave of absence – but they are a dangerous team who are still trying to make up for their shock home loss to the Vikings; meaning that a loss would not be a good thing for them either.

“I reckon that Tuks are one of the best three teams in the competition at the moment,” long-time Shimlas coach Jaco Swanepoel told varsitycup.co.za in the lead-up to Monday.

“For us, losing this last game against UJ which we were supposed to win makes it a little bit difficult for us because we basically have our backs to the wall this week.”

When asked if Monday was do or die, he added: “We have to produce now, this game now becomes more important to us and will determine where we are going in the rest of the season.

“I don’t want the players to be desperate, because as soon as that happens your structures and your rugby tend to go down as well.

“We will have to play the rugby to win the game, if we try to manipulate the scoreboard we are not going to make it,” stressed Swanepoel.

Those are wise words indeed from the Kovsies mentor – who, along with Maties coach Chean Roux, is the longest-serving Varsity Cup coach; both having coached in all tournaments to date.

Roux and his Men in Maroon, meanwhile, are finally back at home this week after two rounds away – in Bloem and Tshwane – and they will host the Madibaz at the Danie Craven Stadium.

The Madibaz, who have not picked up a Varsity Cup win since the 2009 tournament, would be hard-pressed to shock the Maties in Coetzenburg, whilst the same could be said elsewhere in the Western Cape when UCT entertain the TUT Vikings on the Green Mile (in the week’s other televised match).

Yes, TUT and NMMU have shown dramatic improvements this year, but it would be a bit too much to expect either to win on the road in Round Four.

UCT, of course, are protecting an unbeaten run this season and so, too, are UJ who will welcome Pukke to the University of Johannesburg on Monday.

UJ recorded one of the wins in the entire history of this dramatic tournament when they fought back from 24-9 down against Shimlas to win 28-24 – their home crowd providing some incredible support in the process.

Based on current standings (UJ are second on the log – Pukke are last, without a single log point) and results (UJ are unbeaten – Pukke have not won a game this year) one would expect the home side to win this at a canter, but caretaker Pukke coach Hannes Esterhuizen made some interesting points this week in an interview.

“We’re going through a tough time,” the Leopards Under-21 boss told varsitycup.co.za.

“The focus right now is to keep the team together… to raise their spirits and to make them believe that they can win,” he added. “Our opponents need to respect us again, but, most importantly, we need to earn their respect.”

Who will be left smiling… or who will be left crying? Make sure you don’t miss Monday’s fourth round in the 2011 Varsity Cup!

Meanwhile, another exciting round of Varsity Shield fixtures will also be taking place on Monday, February 28, as this all-new competition enters the reverse phase of its fixtures.

Teams will play each other again (at the opposite team’s venue to the previous time) over the next five weeks – starting with FNB Wits hosting FNB UFH in Johannesburg and FNB UKZN entertaining FNB UWC in Pietermaritzburg.

Both of Monday’s Shield fixtures will, once again, get underway at 19:00.

Varsity Cup fixtures and team line-ups for Monday, February 28:

FNB UCT v FNB TUT
UCT Rugby Fields (Cape Town)
Kick-off: 5pm (Live on SuperSport One)
Referee: Mlungiseli Mdashe
TMO: JC Fortuin

Teams:

UCT: 15 Ricky Rijs, 14 Pete Haw, 13 Therlow Pietersen, 12 Adrian Kritzinger, 11 Paul Cohen, 10 Demetri Catrakilis, 9 Ricky Schroeder, 8 Greg Mallett, 7 Nick Fenton-Wells (captain), 6 Nizaam Carr, 5 Levi Odendaal, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Shane Meier, 2 Matt Page, 1 Wes Chetty

Replacements: 16 Dayne Jans, 17 Francois van Wyk, 18 Brad Bosman, 19 Zandy Macdonald, 20 Nick Farrar, 21 Nick Holton, 22 Sabelo Siyakatshana, 23 Pete Olivier

TUT: 15 Justin van Staden, 14 Andisa Gqobo, 13 Hansie Graaff, 12 Lutho Nyeka, 11 Thom Seabela, 10 Ruan Boshoff, 9 Ettienne Greeff, 8 Wessel Cronjé, 7 Wikus Botes (captain), 6 Vince Gwavu, 5 JJ Breet, 4 Emile Verster, 3 Juan-Phillip Pike, 2 Johan Pieterse, 1 Jacques van Rooyen

Replacements: 16 Mbonambi Bongi, 17 Anton Krynauw, 18 Mare Ewald, 19 Julian Erasmus, 20 Manny Raposo, 21 Simphiwe Mtimkulu, 22 Ruan van Loo, 23 Dandré van der Westhuyzen

FNB Shimlas v FNB Tuks
Shimla Stadium (Bloemfontein)
Kick-off: 7pm (Live on SuperSport One)
Referee: Matt Kemp
TMO: Shaun Veldsman

Teams:

Shimlas: 15 Shaun Davids, 14 Jamba Ulengo, 13 Zandre de Bruin, 12 Charl Weideman, 11 Cameron Jacobs, 10 Jaco Colyn (captain), 9 Enrico Acker, 8 Etienne Terblanche, 7 Pieter Labuschagnè, 6 Hanno Pieterse, 5 Joubert Horn, 4 Wilken Heyns, 3 Ian Potgieter, 2 Hercu Liebenberg, 1 John-Henry Harris

Replacements: 16 JC van Wyk, 17 Johan van Niekerk, 18 Oupa Mohoje, 19 Erik le Roux, 20 George Whitehead, 21 Franna du Toit, 22 Divandre Strydom, 23 Henry van Niekerk

Tuks: 15 Jurgen Visser, 14 Andries Coetzee, 13 Arno van Zyl, 12 Wesley Dunlop (captain), 11 Hayden Groepes, 10 Marnitz Boshoff, 9 Danie Faasen, 8 Arno Botha, 7 Jono Ross, 6 Warwick Tecklenberg, 5 Nqubeko Zulu, 4 MB Lusaseni, 3 Grant Kemp, 2 Robbie Coetzee, 1 Vincent Koch

Replacements: 16 Chris Crous, 17 Stephanus Pretorius, 18 Franco Mostert, 19 Jacques Verwey, 20 Clayton Stewart, 21 Dabeon Draghoender, 22 Deon Helberg, 23 Juan Schoeman

FNB UJ v FNB Pukke
UJ Stadium (Johannesburg)
Kick-off 7pm
Referee: Ben Crouse

Teams:

UJ: 15 Earl Lewis, 14 Aubrey McDonald, 13 Justin St. Jerry, 12 Luan Steenkamp, 11 Lolo Waka, 10 Theuns Kotze, 9 Jacques Pretorius, 8 Cameron Peverett, 7 Justin Wheeler (captain), 6 Johan van Deventer, 5 Marnus van Huyssteen, 4 Shane Kirkwood, 3 Anthony Gallacher, 2 Alfred Ries, 1 Caylib Oosthuizen

Replacements: 16 Francois du Toit, 17 Ollie Terblanche, 18 Jacobus Swanepoel, 19 Wendal Wehr, 20 Danny Botha, 21 André Smith, 22 Divan Zyl, 23 Ruan Dreyer

Pukke: 15 Willem Barnard, 14 Andrew van Wyk, 13 Kempie Rautenbach, 12 Wouter Watermeyer, 11 Johannes Seerane, 10 Cecil Dumond, 9 Johann Laker, 8 Cornell du Preez, 7 Siya Mdaka, 6 Philip de Wet, 5 Victor Kruger, 4 Ligtoring Landman (captain), 3 Marthinus Dreyer, 2 Johan Oberholzer, 1 Henri Scharneck

Replacements: 16 Christiaan Schoonraad, 17 Dewald Coetzee, 18 Thabo Mamojele, 19 Johannes Pretorius, 20 Janis Terblanche, 21 John Welthagen, 22 Tershwin Raubenheimer, 23 John Jenkinson

FNB Maties v FNB NMMU
Danie Craven Stadium (Stellenbosch)
Kick-off: 7pm
Referee: Dilbert November

Teams:

Maties: 15 Ruan Combrinck, 14 Ryan Nell, 13 Stokkies Hanekom, 12 Louis Jordaan, 11 Tythan Adams, 10 André Kemp, 9 Donald Stevens, 8 Meyer Swanepoel, 7 Reuben Johannes, 6 Helmut Lehman, 5 Hugo Kloppers, 4 Chris van Zyl, 3 Os Hamman, 2 Callie Visagie (captain), 1 Alistair Vermaak

Replacements: 16 Gareth Light, 17 Suan Havenga, 18 Andrew Prior, 19 Tertius Daniller, 20 Gideon Strydom, 21 Jody Rose, 22 Jarryd Buys, 23 Buhle Mxunyelwa

NMMU: 15 Vuyolwethu Mazaka, 14 Juan du Preez, 13 Wade Roos, 12 Hlangoluhle Nodongwe, 11 Makholokoe Ramashala, 10 Bradley Kretzmann, 9 Marlin Ruiters, 8 Jaco Swanepoel (captain), 7 Philip Hanekom, 6 Ferdinand Gerber, 5 André Goosen, 4 Louis Fourie, 3 Gareth Hartley, 2 Martin Ferreira, 1 Andile Mrwebi

Replacements: 16 Lumka Mbane, 17 Dexter Seanancy, 18 Maurice Rudman, 19 Benjamin Bruckman, 20 Shannon Rick, 21 Marius Muller, 22 Jeffrey Taljaard, 23 Musa Tukela