Both FNB UP Tuks And FNB Wits will be looking to secure a semi-final berth when they meet tonight @ 19h00 at the LC de Villiers Stadium in Pretoria.
Both TUKS and Wits have twenty log points with only the points difference giving Tuks the edge, Tuks are currently fourth and Wits fifth on the Varsity Cup log with Tuks having a forty-two better points difference than Wits.
Tuks is still not the Tuks that won Varsity Cup in 2021, however, they thrashed the Ixias (61-12) in Pretoria a week ago. Wits are picking up steam during the latter part of the Varsity Cup competition and had a good win against UWC (51-12) at home a week ago.
Tuks made four changes to their starting line-up. At the back, Clyde Lewis is moved from flyhalf to fullback with Walter Visser coming in at flyhalf. Kabelo Mokoena moves from fullback to the wing in another positional change. Chad-Lee Valentine replaces Bernard vd Linde at scrumhalf to form a new halfback pairing with Walter Visser. Divan Venter comes in on the side of the scrum together with Louis Meiring who replaces Tiaan de Klerk at lock.
Wits only made two changes up front. Mark Snyman returns to the side of the scrum while Dameon Venter returns from Currie Cup duty to give much-needed grunt as the hooker.
FNB UP-Tuks – 15 Clyde Lewis, 14 Kabelo Mokoena, 13 Zander Reynders, 12 Lincoln Daniels (c), 11 Tharquinn Manuel, 10 Walter Visser, 9 Bernard van der Linde, 8 Orateng Koikanyang, 7 Divan Venter, 6 Stephan Smit, 5 Louis Meiring, 4 Mihlali Stamper, 3 Francois Klopper, 2 Allister Williams, 1 Ethan Burger. Replacements: 16 Werner Fourie, 17 André van der Merwe, 18 Daniël Wessels, 19 Marco Venter, 20 Hardus Rothmann, 21 Chad-Lee Valentine, 22 Keane Galant, 23 Ambesa Zenzile.
FNB Wits – 15 Setshaba Mokoena, 14 Wian de Lange, 13 Luhle Matyolweni, 12 Tiaan Schutte, 11 Azi Afrika, 10 Chris Humphries, 9 Hlumelo Ndudula, 8 Lindo Ncusane, 7 Ziyanda Msipha, 6 Phillip Krause, 5 Edward White, 4 Cal Smid, 3 Ebot Buma (c), 2 Dameon Venter, 1 Jason Cloete. Replacements: 16 Dagan Meuwese, 17 Prince Mulea, 18 Franco Groenewald, 19 Kyle Van Eyssen, 20 Alexander Skudder, 21 Wernich Aucamp, 22 Keagan Lailvaux, 23 Siyabonga Xulu.