Shimlas bounced back from their home defeat last week, to record a 21-15 Varsity Cup win over the defending champion FNB Maties on Monday night – an evening which saw FNB UCT, FNB TUT and FNB UJ all claim valuable away wins on Valentine’s Day.

Tuks vs TUT

Whilst all the talk will be about Maties losing their first match at this level since going down 23-25 to Tuks in March 2009; TUT and Tuks produced an 80-point thriller in Pretoria as the visitors fought back from 7-24 down to record a first-ever win (46-34) over their neighbours.

Tuks were leading 24-7 after the first 30 minutes but after receiving a red card for foul play, struggled in defence and lost the firm grip they had on proceedings.

The hosts had earlier scored their bonus point try in the first half when they looked like making mincemeat of their neighbours. Experienced men like wing Hayden Groepes, eighthman Jono Ross and flyhalf Marnitz Boshoff all played at a level most TUT players were not accustomed to.

TUT nerves settled as soon as they had the one-man advantage and apart from the great work their tight-five were doing, it was the example skipper Wikus Botes set that changed their fortunes.

The Vikings turned a massive deficit into a 10-point lead within a period of 20 minutes to silence the previously jubilant students at the LC de Villiers Sport Grounds.

Botes scored a crucial try, but the moment of the match belonged to centre Hansie Graaff who in the final three minutes when Tuks could still stage a comeback intercepted to seal the deal.

Pukke vs Ikeys

In other action, meanwhile UCT smashed NWU-Pukke in Potchefstroom – fighting back from 0-8 down to win 36-8, the Men from Cape Town also claiming a four-try bonus point at the same time.

UCT’s tries were scored by Tiger Bax, Therlow Pietersen, Nizaam Carr and Paul Cohen; Carr walking off with the Man of the Match honours in his first-ever Varsity Cup start.

Pukke raced into an 8-0 lead when scrumhalf Johann Laker booted an early penalty, and fullback Willem Barnard ran in a try soon after, but the home side had no answer once UCT found their rhythm.

The Ikeys – who have never won in Potchefstroom – ran in three first-half tries to lead 19-8, before Cohen’s try sealed the bonus-point victory.

UJ vs NMMU

FNB UJ, too, earned a win on the road – beating a brave, but ultimately outclassed FNB NMMU team by 21-16 in Port Elizabeth in Monday’s first game.

The Madibaz, who have not won a Varsity Cup match since the 2009 season, were on the attack up until the final whistle, but they will be ruing their poor start to the match as they went 0-8 down after nine minutes and 18-7 down just after halftime.

Shimlas vs Maties

Of course, the big news in Round Two was the Maties losing on the road to Shimlas – their first loss to the Men from Bloemfontein in the Varsity Cup.

Ex-Matie Charl Weideman scored the Shimlas’ first try as they led 10-0, with Stellenbosch flyhalf André Kemp keeping his team in the match with his boot.

Scrumhalf Donald Stevens – an old Grey College boy – also chipped in with three penalties, but a Jamba Ulengo try shortly after the 60-minute mark allowed the home side to record a famous victory; that after going down 10-26 to the Ikey Tigers in Bloemfontein last Monday.

This defeat is by no means the end of the world for the three times champions, but it does prove – along with Tuks’ loss to TUT – that the 2011 Varsity Cup presented by Steinhoff International is wide, wide open.

Varsity Shield

Meanwhile, in Varsity Shield action on Monday night, FNB CUT earned a top-of-the-table 42-36 win over FNB Wits – leaving the former as the only unbeaten side in this brand-new competition.

In other action, FNB UKZN recorded their first win of the season when they beat FNB Fort Hare 22-16 in Pietermaritzburg. Fort Hare remain winless this year.