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Scotland’s coaching staff and players remain upbeat, despite having a growing injury list heading into their final Six Nations match of the season.
Scotland, without a win and stuck at the bottom of the standings, host title-chasing Ireland in Edinburgh on Saturday.
Matt Scott (thigh), Jim Hamilton (back spasm), Tommy Seymour (elbow), Blair Cowan (calf) and Alasdair Dickinson (leg) all suffered injuries in the 13 / 25 loss to England Twickenham this past weekend – setbacks that put them on the doubtful list for the final match of the season.
Mark Bennett insisted Scottish team morale is not at rock-bottom, despite a fourth consecutive Six Nations defeat in the Calcutta Cup clash at the weekend.
The television broadcast rights for the English (Aviva) Premiership over the next 6 years have been snapped up by current broadcaster BT Sport.
The new deal means that Aviva Premiership Rugby will be broadcast live on BT Sport until at least the end of the 2020 / 2021 campaign.
Mark McCafferty, the chief executive of Premiership Rugby, said,”BT Sport has been a fantastic partner for English club rugby so we are delighted that we have been able to extend our relationship with them for a further 4 years. This is the longest TV agreement in the history of Premiership Rugby.
“In the 18 months we have been on-air with them our live TV audiences have grown by 50% so it is clear that the partnership is going from strength to strength.
The pressure will be on in the penultimate round (Round 6) before the FNB Varsity Cup play-offs the following Monday.
With 6 teams still in the hunt for a place in the semi-finals, Round 6 could have a major influence on the final Log positions and play-off venues this year.
Log-leaders FNB UP-Tuks face 4th-placed FNB UJ in a high-stakes Gauteng derby in Johannesburg, while the other big game will see the unbeaten FNB UFS-Shimlas host defending champions FNB UCT in Bloemfontein.
The other 2 matches will involve teams in the bottom half of the standings, with FNB NWU-Pukke looking to move into the Top 4 with an away win against newcomers FNB CUT and 3-times champions FNB Maties hoping to keep their play-off hopes alive when they host FNB NMMU.
The Stellenbosch side have only missed out on the semi-finals once in 2011, and they will know that defeat to the 7th-placed Madibaz will take their fate out of their hands.
Maties showed good character to fight back and beat UJ for their 1st win of the season in Round 5, but they will face an NMMU side that will be desperate to salvage something from a disappointing campaign.
In Bloemfontein the CUT Ixias will want to be more competitive after suffering 5 heavy defeats so far, but have their work cut out for them against a hungry NWU-Pukke side, while across town UFS-Shimlas will be looking to extend their unbeaten streak against a confident Ikeys team coming off a big win in Potchefstroom.
The final match of the evening will be in Johannesburg where UJ will be out to prove their play-off credentials at home against a rampant UP-Tuks side that has their eye on a home semi-final.
The Cell C Sharks scored an impressive bonus point victory in Bloemfontein as the 3 other South African Vodacom Super Rugby sides in action in Round 5 faltered.
The Emirates Lions could not emulate their win from last weekend as they came up against a Crusaders side hitting their straps in Christchurch on Saturday morning, with the Cantabrians running out comfortable winners (34 / 6).
On a sunny Cape Town afternoon, the DHL Stormers’ impressive 4-match winning run came to a sudden end as they were beaten by 28 / 19 by the Chiefs, who outscored their hosts by 3 tries to 1. The home team dropped from 1st to 3rd on the Combined Log.
In the final match of the weekend, the Cell C Sharks ended a mini-slump with a 27 / 10 victory over the Toyota Cheetahs in Bloemfontein, which saw the team from Durban move into the Top 6 on the Combined Log.
It was the Durbanites’ 1st try-scoring bonus point away from home in a local derby in almost 3 years.
The Vodacom Bulls had a BYE this weekend while there were yet again more away victories (4r) than home wins (3).
The Cell C Sharks picked up their second victory of the Super Rugby campaign as they saw off the Toyota Cheetahs 27 / 10 in Bloemfontein on Saturday.
An improved performance was always on the cards following the defeat the men from Durban suffered against Stormers in their previous outing and the revival particularly at scrum-time will be encouraging for both the Super Rugby team and the Springbok coaching set-up.
The experience Tendai Mtawarira and brothers Bismarck and Jannie du Plessis brought to the game was crucial on the day, but the real winner for the Sharks was their defence against a Cheetahs outfit that was predictably full of running.
The Chiefs inflicted the DHL Stormers’ first defeat of the Super Rugby season, winning 28 / 19 in Cape Town on Saturday.
In a pulsating encounter, the former champions outscored their hosts 3 tries to 1, with flyhalf Aaron Cruden chipping in with 18 points, scoring a try and setting up another along the way.
The result moves the Chiefs level with the Hurricanes at the top of the New Zealand conference, 2 points behind the tournament-leading Brumbies in the overall standings. The Stormers are 2 points further adrift.
In front of a crowd of over 42 000, the Stormers led 16 / 13 at the interval.
The Steval Pumas, Xerox Golden Lions and Vodacom Blue Bulls all recorded good victories in Round 2 of the Vodacom Cup this weekend.
These 3 teams from the North Section are tied on 10 Log points at the top of the standings, with the Steval Pumas in 1st position because of a better points’ difference.
There were only 3 matches in this Round. The action in the South Section will kick off next weekend.
Italy (0) 0 / 29 (9) France (Final Score)
Italy and France did battle in the RBS 6 Nations at
Stadio Olimpico, Rome at 17:00 SA Time (16:00 Italian & French Time, 15:00 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 on TV in SA.
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A resilient Wales side withstood a 2nd half battering to blow the RBS 6 Nations wide open and end holders Ireland’s grand slam hopes with a 23 / 16 victory on Saturday.
After an opening home defeat by England, Wales have hit back with 3 successive wins and by defeating previously undefeated Ireland they have a shot at the title, heading into the final round next week.
Despite losing both props to injury in the 1st half, Wales wobbled but did not wilt in the face of fierce Irish pressure and even a late Penalty Try, which set up a grandstand finale proved insufficient.
“An absolutely unbelievable effort,” Sam Warburton, captaining Wales for a record 34th time, said.
The Western Force has announced its 28-man travelling squad for the 2-match South African leg of Super Rugby.
Flanker Angus Cottrell (ankle), fullback Dane Haylett-Petty (foot) and winger Luke Morahan (hamstring) are set to make their returns from injury and will travel to ‘the Republic’ with the 23 players involved in Friday night’s match against the Melbourne Rebels.
Lock Wilhelm Steenkamp, who started off the bench in last Friday’s match against the Brumbies, has been selected in the Force squad, as has Greater Sydney Rams prop Guy Millar, who will provide additional coverage in the front row, following Francois van Wyk’s season-ending pectoral injury suffered against the Reds a fortnight ago.
Liam Gill of the Reds has been cited for alleged foul play during a Super Rugby match at the weekend.
Gill is alleged to have contravened 10.4 (j) Lifting Tackle, in an incident which occurred in the 47th minute of the Super Rugby match between the Reds and Brumbies at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane on 14 March 2015.
The referee for the match, Andrew Lees, referred the incident to the television match official and issued a yellow card. Upon further review of the match footage, the Citing Commissioner deemed in his opinion the incident had met the red card threshold for foul play.
James Broadhurst
James Broadhurst of the Hurricanes has been cited for alleged foul play during a Super Rugby match at the weekend.
Broadhurst is alleged to have contravened 10.4 (a) Punching or striking, in an incident which occurred in the 61st minute of the Super Rugby match between the Hurricanes and Blues at FMG Stadium in Palmerston North on 13 March 2015.
Upon further review of the match footage, the Citing Commissioner deemed in his opinion the incident had met the Red Card threshold for foul play.
Gurthrö Steenkamp
Springbok prop Gurthrö Steenkamp has announced his retirement from international rugby, stating his wish to focus his career at Toulouse.
Steenkamp, many would feel, was still heavily in contention to make the Springbok World Cup squad after featuring through 2014. His retirement may well cause Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer some headaches.
The 33-year-old loosehead prop began his career at the Cheetahs in 2002 and then the Cats in 2004 before moving to the Bulls where he played the bulk of his rugby from 2005 – 2011.
Steenkamp was also selected for the Springboks from 2004 and made 53 appearances, scoring 6 tries.
The burley prop has been a part of the Toulouse setup since 2011 and has made 76 appearances for the French Giants.
England (10) 25 / 13 (13) Scotland (Final Score)
England and Scotland did battle in the RBS 6 Nations at
Twickenham, London at 19:00 SA Time (17:00 BST & GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 6 on TV in SA.
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Cheetahs (3) 10 / 27 (22) Sharks (Final Score)
The Toyota Cheetahs and Cell C Sharks did battle in Super Rugby at
Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein at 17:05 SA Time (15:05 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 & M-Net on TV in SA.
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Stormers (16) 19 / 28 (13) Chiefs (Final Score)
The DHL Stormers and Chiefs did battle in Super Rugby at
Newlands, Cape Town at 15:00 SA Time (13:00 GMT, Sunday 02:00 NZ Time).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 & M-Net on TV in SA.
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Reds (0) 0 / 29 (10) Brumbies (Final Score)
The Reds and Brumbies did battle in Super Rugby at
Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane at 10:40 SA Time (18:40 Brisbane Time, 19:40 AEDT, 08:40 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 on TV in SA.
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Highlanders (14) 26 / 19 (12) Waratahs (Final Score)
The Highlanders and Waratahs did battle in Super Rugby at
Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin at 08:35 SA Time (19:35 NZ Time, 17:35 AEDT, 06:35 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 on TV in SA.
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Crusaders (13) 34 / 6 (3) Lions (Final Score)
The Crusaders and Emirates Lions did battle in Super Rugby at
AMI Stadium, Christchurch at 05:30 SA Time (16:30 NZ Time, 03:30 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 & M-Net on TV in SA.
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It is Round 5 of Super Rugby 2015 this weekend.
There are 2 games on Friday 13 March and 5 games on Saturday 14 March.
The Vodacom Bulls have a BYE weekend.
The first 4 Rounds were very unpredictable and the local South African derbies in Round 4 had some stunning results.
2 Undefeated teams remain in 2015, all of whom are in action this weekend. Will these undefeated teams simply kick on and retain their unbeaten status, or will they be pegged back this weekend.
In the South African derby this weekend, between the Toyota Cheetahs against the Cell C Sharks, once again picking a winer is a difficult task… The game between the DHL Stormers and the Chiefs in Cape Town will also be a biggie!
Round 5 promises so much!
The Friday games are: Hurricanes vs Blues in Palmerston North and Western Force vs Melbourne Rebels in Perth. On Saturday the action starts at sparrow fart, SA Time, with the Crusaders hosting the Emirates Lions at 05:30 SA Time in Christchurch, whereafter the Highlanders take on the Waratahs in Dunedin and then it’s the Reds hosting the Brumbies in Brisbane, before the Action shifts to South Africa. thew DHL Stormers take on the Chiefs in an earlier than normal time, at 15:00 SA Time in Cape Town, after which the Weekend’s Super Rugby concludes with the derby between the Toyota Cheetahs and Cell C Sharks in Bloemfontein.
The earlier than usual Super Rugby starts in SA gives us the opportunity to also do a Live Game Article for some SIX Nations action on Saturday, when England and Scotland play in the Clacutta Cup game at 19:00 SA Time and then on Sunday we will also feature the Italy vs France game at 16:00 SA Time.
Force (7) 17 / 21 (15) Rebels (Final Score)
The Western Force and Melbourne Rebels did battle in Super Rugby at
nib Stadium, Perth at 13:00 SA Time (19:00 AWST, 22:00 AEDT, 11:00 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 & CSN on TV in SA.
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SANZAR has announced the Match Official appointments for Round 5 of the 2015 Super Rugby season, including Shaun Veldsman’s return to the TMO box in Cape Town after recovering from a recent knife attack.
The Action is started off by Glen Jackson in the match between the Hurricanes vs Blues and followed on Friday with Rohan Hoffmann officiating in the game between the Western Force vs Melbourne Rebels.
On Saturday, Nick Briant takes care of the Crusaders vs Emirates Lions clash, followed by Craig Joubert in the Highlanders vs Waratahs clash, followed by Andrew Lees in the Reds vs Brumbies clash. Later on Saturday Jaco Peyper is the Referee in the DHL Stormers vs Chiefs clash and the weekend is concluded with Chris Pollock officiating in the Toyota Cheetahs vs Cell C Sharks clash.
Hopefully we see some correct and cosistent officiating in Round 5 and no matches are adversely affected by dubious decisions by the officialdom.
There has been some seriously contentious decision-making by Referees, Assistant Referees and maybe even more worryingly so by the TMO’s in Super Rugby, the Varsity Cup and even the SIX Nations in 2015. Something will have to be done to bring more consistency between interpretations of match officials and to get fair results, failing which the game of Rugby Union will continue to suffer and lose part of it’s supporter base. Just this week I have spoken to 2 individuals who have indicated that they have lost all interest in rugby due to the nature of officiating!
Hurricanes (18) 30 / 23 (17) Blues (Final Score)
The Hurricanes and Blues did battle in Super Rugby at
FMG Stadium, Palmerston North at 08:35 SA Time (19:35 NZ Time, 06:35 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 on TV in SA.
*******************
A convincing 63 / 8 victory over FNB CUT in Pretoria saw FNB UP-Tuks move past the unbeaten FNB UFS-Shimlas to the top of the FNB Varsity Cup standings.
The Free State side claimed a last-gasp 23 / 21 victory over FNB NMMU in Port Elizabeth, but that was not enough to keep their place at the top of the Log as the rampant UP-Tuks moved past them on points difference.
There were also wins for the 2 Cape sides as 3-time champions FNB Maties notched their first win of the season by edging FNB UJ 16 / 15 in Stellenbosch, while FNB UCT beat FNB NWU-Pukke 40 / 21 in a replay of last year’s final in Potchefstroom.
UP-Tuks were ruthless in their demolition of CUT, running in 9 tries to pile more pain on the newcomers who have suffered heavy defeats in every game of their debut season thus far.
After conceding 3 early tries, the NMMU Madibaz fought back bravely at home against UFS-Shimlas, only to have their hearts broken by a late penalty which leaves them languishing in 7th place with just 1 win.
Maties were also made to work hard for their victory, having gone 15 / 0 behind against UJ at one stage in Stellenbosch, but 2nd-half tries from Beyers de Villiers and Jacobus van der Merwe were just enough to secure a narrow victory for the home side.
Flank Jason Klaasen grabbed a hat-trick in Potchefstroom as defending champions UCT moved up to 3rd place on the standings with a convincing win over NWU-Pukke who drop down to 5th position with just 2 rounds left before the play-offs.
Arno Botha
The Vodacom Bulls are enjoying a BYE during this weekend’s Vodacom Super Rugby action and this will help the squad to get rid of little niggles, aches and pains. Chomping at the bit will be flanker Arno Botha, who is now fit again, having played off the bench for the Vodacom Blue Bulls in the Vodacom Cup this weekend and playing in a starting position in the Vodacom Cup side on the weekend.
The rest will also result in a break for Callie Visagie (ribs), Lappies Labuschagne (SC joint) and Jacques-Louis Potgieter (hamstring), who will all again train next Monday.
Cheslin Kolbe
There’s a lot of fuss being made in the Cape about where Cheslin Kolbe should be deployed in the DHL Stormers team following Nick Mallett’s comments from the Supersport studio that he should perhaps play scrumhalf because of his size.
There has also been some hysterical overreaction to the attention paid to Kolbe by Cell C Sharks centre Frans Steyn in the coastal derby last weekend.
However, when it comes to the player himself, and the management who decide where he plays, it is a case of all calm on the western front. Kolbe knows he is playing a physical sport where the gladiatorial attitude prevails, and that opposition targeting you just comes with the territory in rugby and can actually be seen as a compliment.
As for the coaches, they don’t agree with critics who, because they believe Kolbe is not featuring as much on the counter-attack as he did during last year’s Currie Cup, feel that he is not himself at present.
Eben Etzebeth
The Stormers are sweating over the availability of Eben Etzebeth after the Springbok lock injured his shoulder in their 29 / 13 Super Rugby win over the Sharks at Newlands last weekend.
“Lock Eben Etzebeth took a bang on his shoulder against the Sharks which has affected his previous (chest) injury a bit, which is normal for 2 injuries in such close proximity. He is a bit uncomfortable and a call will be made on his participation later this week,” read a statement on the Stormers’ official website.
Etzebeth missed the entire 2014 Super Rugby season with an ankle injury, and was sidelined for the first 3 games on this year’s campaign following a chest injury sustained in pre-season.
Jannie du Plessis may not have been involved in the weekend’s scrumming massacre at the hands of the Stormers, but he has examined the evidence and given his diagnosis on what went wrong.
The Sharks efforts against the Stormers at Newlands on Saturday steadily disintegrated as the game went on.
Their set piece meltdown culminated in three tightheads over a period of 15 minutes.
Du Plessis might not have had a front-row seat on Saturday’s proceeding, but he did manage to get his hands on a video which he scrutinized at length.
“I was certainly not expecting it (conceding three tightheads in 15 minutes),” the Springbok tighthead said.
“We had prepared really well, but there are a few technical things that went wrong.
Wales will field an unchanged starting lineup for the Six Nations showdown with Ireland in Cardiff on Saturday.
Coach Warren Gatland was pleased with his side’s 20 / 13 win over France in Paris which kept alive their hopes of winning the tournament and had no problem giving the same 15 men a vote of confidence.
Flanker Sam Warburton, who went off after taking a blow to his knee during the French clash, has regained his fitness and will be able to break Ryan Jones’ record when he captains Wales for the 34th time at the Millennium Stadium.
The only 2 changes to the Paris lineup are due to injuries and come on the bench.
Lock Courtney Lawes and fullback Mike Brown have been recalled for England’s Six Nations clash with Scotland on Saturday, after recovering from injury, head coach Stuart Lancaster announced on Wednesday.
Northampton forward Lawes has returned to fitness after an ankle problem and is in line to make his first international appearance since England’s 26 / 17 victory over Australia last November.
Harlequins No 15 Brown sat out England’s 9 / 19 defeat by Ireland last time out, after suffering concussion in the 47 / 17 win over Italy, with Alex Goode having taken his place.
Goode drops to the bench, where tighthead prop Kieran Brookes, second row forward Geoff Parling and flank Tom Wood have all been drafted into the matchday squad.
BJ Botha
Munster on Wednesday revealed that BJ Botha, Niall Scannell and Kevin O’Byrne have all signed contract extensions with the province.
The Springbok prop, Botha, signed a 6-month contract extension.
Scannell advanced to a 2-year full contract and O’Byrne signed a 1-year development contract.
The South African prop, Botha, has been with the province since the start of the 2011 / 2012 season, making 93 appearances.
It’s PUB NIGHT again… I have finally shaken off my lazy bones… for tonight!
The heading suggests we talk about Match Officials, Guide Dogs for the blind… and how inept decisions are ruining our beautiful game, but keep it tidy boys or yerrrr might be “Fetching” some Yellow Cards… from this TMO… hahahaha!
Yesterday, during Round 5 of the Varsity Cup, I was absolutely flabbergasted and quite frankly livid about the inept handling of the 1st game between Maties and UJ. Clearly TMO Shaun Veldsman’s recent unfortunate incident where he was attacked and knived somewhere on the N2 (under some strange circumstances, it would appear) has not cleared up his bad eyesight and in fact it might have worsened his case of “selective viewing syndrome”, because he awarded a try to Maties after the scrorer… wait I HAVE TO put that in inverted commas… “SCORER” had fallen short, stretched out, planted the ball way short of the tryline and then proceeded to roll the ball at least half a full revolution forward to get to the line! How THAT could have been construed as a try, is beyond me!
Not even an all-seeing Guide Dog for the blind will save old Veldtie from his fate…
It’s also not as if Maties needed the Match official intervention and they were bound to score a try anyway, with the rugby they were dishing up at the time!
The things is, although this was only Varsity Cup rugby, it was being officiated by seasoned referees and match officials, not you local brand of “Affie-plaas 1-eyed, brandy-guzzling biased numbnuts”.
Officiating like this gets my goat, it mars the game we love and it turns a fair contest into a circus!
It is time to play fair in the PUB tonight, the FIRST PUB NIGHT of March 2015.
Let’s focus on the PUB tonight…. the idea with PUB NIGHT is to lighten up our dull Tuesday evenings with music, comedy and fun.
Rugby takes a backseat tonight as the clan and fellow rugby nutters gather and wheel in their old friends…
Read the rules below carefully, or you WILL get burnt!
Just for clarity sake, when someone does not adhere to the Rules of the PUB, EVERYBODY jumps on them and pummels them, right… understood?
Here’s how it works:
Pukke (21) 21 / 40 (24) UCT (Final Score)
FNB NWU-Pukke (North West University) and FNB UCT (University of Cape Town) did
battle in the Varsity Cup at Fanie du Toit Stadium, Potchefstroom at 19:00 SA Time (17:00 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 & CSN on TV in SA.
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Maties (0) 16 / 15 (10) UJ (Final Score)
FNB Maties (University of Stellenbosch) and FNB UJ (University of Johannesburg) did
battle in the Varsity Cup at Danie Craven Stadium, Stellenbosch at 16:45 SA Time (14:45 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 & CSN on TV in SA.
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Round 5 of the FNB Varsity Cup will see a replay of last year’s epic final between FNB NWU-Pukke and FNB UCT in Potchefstroom on Monday.
The hosts will be looking to avenge their dramatic defeat, which saw the Ikey Tigers score 3 tries in the last 5 minutes to clinch the title, and keep their place in the Top 4, heading into the 2nd half of the current season.
In the other fixtures embattled 3-time champions FNB Maties will be looking for their 1st win this year when they host FNB UJ in Stellenbosch, while FNB UP-Tuks take on FNB CUT in Pretoria and log-leaders FNB UFS-Shimlas travel down to Port Elizabeth to face the FNB NMMU Madibaz.
Despite the inevitable hype that will come with the showdown in Potchefstroom, which will be televised live on Supersport 1 at 19:00 SA Time, NWU-Pukke coach Robert du Preez insists that it will not be about revenge but staying in the hunt this season with the play-offs fast approaching.
“We are not thinking about revenge, it will be stupid to go into a match with a revenge mind set, we just want to take things one game at a time.
“There is a lot riding on the game, with Ikeys being just 1 point behind us. We take things one game at a time and we want to take this opportunity to consolidate our standings and move up in the rankings. They are probably one of the most difficult sides to beat and it’s always tough to play against them no matter what the occasion,” said Du Preez.
Maties have only ever missed out on the play-offs once, and they will have to win the rest of their games convincingly to avoid that fate again, starting against a confident UJ side at the Danie Craven Stadium in Stellenbosch.
The CUT Ixias have suffered heavy defeats in every game of their debut season so far, and will certainly have their work cut out for them again against a UP-Tuks side determined to bounce back from their first defeat of the season last week.
Pace-setters UFS-Shimlas are the only team in the competition that is yet to lose this season, and they face another test in Port Elizabeth against an NMMU side that has to win if they are to keep their hopes of sneaking into the play-offs alive.