February 28 - UJ are under pressure to repeat last week's excellent 23-22 win over the NWU-Pukke when they play the Ikey Tigers in an FNB Varsity Cup match at the UJ Stadium on Monday night.
With two rounds after this match - against NMMU (at home) and Shimlas (away) - they are well-poised to make the semi-finals, but a win is vital with six of the eight teams still in contention for a play-off spot.
Kick-off is at 6.30pm
While Ikeys have been weakened by call-ups to the Western Province Vodacom Cup squad and are a little concerned with their form after a rather hesitant show against TUT last week when they won only 25-19, UJ will be brimming with confidence.
And rightly so. UJ have one of the best packs in the competition, as well as a backline that is underestimated with their back three of Earl Lewis and wingers Bernardo Botha and Lolo Waqa spelling danger for any opposition side.
The Ikey Tigers, on the other hand, know that another away win could just ease the pressure for them ahead of two tough remaining battles against Maties (away) and Tukkies (at home).
The unbeaten Ikeys - they’ve drawn once - are expecting a very tough clash. "We are underdogs against a good all-round side in Johannesburg," said Ikeys’ coach John Dobson, "but we are so keen to play our first game with no wind - and, hopefully, for the first time this season we can play our style of rugby without the wind."
Ikeys come off a narrow and unimpressive 25-19 win against lowly TUT and could have a confidence problem against UJ.
It will be the good forward pack of the local students and the boot of flyhalf Ryno Luus against a side that prefers a running game - and who are keen to use the Highveld conditions to their own advantage.
But don’t underestimate the UJ backline, either. There could be a few surprises for Ikeys if they do.
** It’s a double North versus South clash on Monday night with Maties playing Tukkies in Stellenbosch Maties have been supreme in their four wins, with the last one - against Shimlas - perhaps not quite up to their own high standards.
They are weary of Tukkies, even at Stellenbosch, where the Pretoria students won last year’s league match before losing to Maties the following week in the semifinal.
Maties coach Chean Roux is expecting a dog-fight against a team that cannot really afford to lose as semifinal qualification nears.
"Tuks will be like a cornered animal... and they will play accordingly and above themselves," said Roux. "It's not quite the business-end of the Varsity Cup (yet), but it's getting there and we cannot afford to slip up now."
** The NMMU Madibas and the TUT Vikings will be in search of log points when they play Pukke and Shimlas respectively. These two sides have propped up the Varsity Cup table since 2008 - with NMMU ending last in 2008 and TUT taking away the wooden spoon last year - but the former, in particular, are pushing hard for a first victory since March 2008, having come very close last week in Cape Town against the Ikeys.
"You make your own luck and the lack of it is what has put us short of a win every time," said TUT assistant coach Jimmy Watt after a second successive close loss, having gone down 30-42 to Tuks the week before.
"We gained a lot of self-confidence from our last two performances, but need to take it further now. And a win will do us the world of good."
** NWU-Pukke lost at home to UJ last week and Shimlas are on a two-game losing streak - both having, at one stage, set the pace near the top of the log. Now positioned at fifth (Pukke) and sixth (Shimlas) place on the Varsity Cup standings, further losses could see their semifinal hopes slip away - despite two rounds of action still remaining.
Monday night’s fixtures (home teams first): Maties v Tukkies, 4.30pm (TV); UJ v UCT, 6.30pm (TV); Shimlas v TUT, 6.30pm; NMMU v NWU-Pukke, 6.30pm.
