FNB Maties could not capitalise on their seven-point half-time lead and suffered a 44-27 defeat at the hands of arch-rivals FNB UCT Ikeys in an historic match at the Green Mile in Cape Town on Monday evening (28 March).
Suleiman Hartzenberg, who was named the FNB Player That Rocks, scored two late tries for the Ikeys in the thrilling victory in the 500th FNB Varsity Cup match. The big Cape derby lived up to the hype as both sides, in spite of cold and windy conditions, played the game at a lively tempo and dotted down for a point-of-origin try within the first 10 minutes.
From there, the Maties forwards began to impose themselves at the gainline. The hosts battled to cope with the physicality of the Maroon Machine and conceded penalty after penalty. UCT scrumhalf William Rose was shown a yellow card for poor discipline in the 13th minute. Maties’ tight-head prop Vernon Matongo showed terrific skill and determination to finish a try shortly before half-time. A conversion and a subsequent penalty by full-back Nevaldo Fleurs ensured that the visitors went to the break with a 10-17 lead.
True to form, the Ikey Tigers came out firing in the second stanza. Tries by replacements Imad Khan and Mika Schubert kept them in the contest, as did the boot of full-back Duran Koervort.
Just when it appeared as if Maties might regain control, Hartzenberg received the ball in space and raced more than 50 m to score a point-of-origin try. Koevort’s conversion propelled the hosts into an eight-point lead with eight minutes remaining.
The visitors struggled to control possession in the dying stages. When UCT received one final opportunity to attack, Hartzenberg accelerated past the exhausted Maties defenders to score his second try and seal the result.
Other round 7 results: FNB UWC 44-38 FNB CUT Ixias; FNB UP-Tuks 39-24 FNB Wits; FNB NWU Eagles 61-26 FNB Madibaz; and FNB UJ 26-37 FNB UFS Shimlas. The eighth round of fixtures of the FNB Varsity Cup is scheduled for next Monday (4 April), with all three Cape sides in action. Maties will host the Madibaz at Danie Craven Stadium at 19:00, while UWC will host UJ at UWC Stadium at 17:00 and UCT Ikeys travel to Johannesburg to face Wits at the Wits Rugby Stadium at 19:00.
