There are some cracking Varsity Cup games in store for rugby fans on Monday the 18th of February, including a clash between third-placed NWU and second-placed Tuks.
With only three sets of round-robin phase fixtures remaining, the battle to make the tournament’s semi-finals is really starting to heat up with eight teams still in with a mathematical chance of claiming one of the four berths.
The amount of teams in with a shout of making the semis is likely to be dramatically reduced this Monday with Tuks and UJ needing wins to remain in the hunt. Both sides have struggled for form in recent weeks and will need massive need to up their games as they both face tricky ties.
Wits v Ikeys
Wits Rugby Stadium
16:45
To Win (80 Mins)
Wits
Draw
Ikeys
Handicap
Wits
Ikeys
We kick Monday’s action off with a make or break clash for last year’s semi-finalist Wits, who will play host to an Ikeys side that are four points better off than the Witsies on the log standings.
Both teams head into this one off the back of defeats with Wits going down 39-16 to fellow strugglers UJ back in Round 5 while Ikeys went down 32-17 to NWU during last week’s Round 6 fixtures.
When the two sides met in 2018, it was Wits who ran out victors by 26-30 out in Cape Town.
Verdict: Wits
Yes, the Witsies have been on a horror run but I’m expecting them to up their game with their semi-final hopes dangling by a thread. It should be a very tight fixture but one I can see Wits just edging.
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UWC v UJ
UWC Sports Grounds
18:30
To Win (80 Mins)
UWC
Draw
UJ
Handicap
UWC
UJ
Next up is a clash between last-placed UWC and seventh-placed UJ. Like Wits, the visitors are still in with a slight chance of making the semi-finals but will need to win today’s fixture to keep that dream alive. They are more than capable of doing this, however, as UWC have been extremely poor this season with the recently promoted side having failed to record a win in the five games they have played thus far.
Both teams head into Monday’s fixture off the back of round 6 defeats with UWC going down 21-38 to CUT and UJ putting in a credible display during their 24-13 loss to log-leaders Maties down in Stellenbosch.
Verdict: UJ
The men from Johannesburg have upped their game in recent weeks beating Tuks in Round 5 and then giving Maties a real run for their money in Round 6. I can see them continuing their upturn in form here by bagging a win in excess on 15 points over the tournament’s whipping boys.
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CUT v Shimlas
CUT Rugby Stadium
18:30
To Win (80 Mins)
CUT
Draw
Shimlas
Handicap
CUT
Shimlas
CUT will be looking to get themselves right back in the running for a semi-final berth when they take on the fourth-placed Shimlas. The hosts currently find themselves sitting in sixth place on the log standings – some six points behind today’s opponents.
These two sides experienced contrasting fortunes during Round 6 with CUT beating UWC 21-38 and the Shimlas going down 14-27 to Tuks.
Last year’s fixture between the duo saw Shimlas register a handsome 69-33 win at Shimla Park. The scoreline is likely to be a lot tighter this time around with CUT having improved a lot over the past 12 months.
Verdict: Shimlas
The boys from the Free State should be able to take this one by more than 10 points. They’ve got a handy side who will be well up for this one.
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NWU v Tuks
Fanie du Toit Sports Stadium
19:00
To Win (80 Mins)
NWU
Draw
Tuks
Handicap
NWU
Tuks
We close out the Round 7 action with a blockbuster between NWU and Tuks. Both sides are well on track for claiming a semi-final berth but the victor will be in the driver’s seat for taking the second home semi-final position.
The two sides have enjoyed solid campaigns thus far with Tuks winning five of their six games and NWU winning four of their five. Both teams sole defeats in 2019 have come at the hands of the high-flying Maties.
In terms of recent results, Tuks head into this one off the back of a well-deserved 14-27 away victory over the Shimlas while NWU registered a 32-17 victory over Ikeys.
Verdict: Tuks
This should be a cracking game of rugby with both sides having a huge amount to play for here. I can see Tuks claiming a narrow victory here.
