FNB UCT Ikeys will need to pick themselves up following their derby day defeat to FNB Maties in round five. It was just the second time they tasted defeat this season meaning they’re still firmly in the running for a semi-final spot.
The men from Cape Town still sit in third on the log after five matches and they’ll want to bounce back on a winning note when they host FNB UFS-Shimlas. That match could very well prove to be their final match at the Green Mile, but they’ll be hoping to secure a home semi-final in their remaining two fixtures.
It’s not the first time this season that UCT will have the chance to bounce back in front of their fans after a defeat on the road. They will also want to make sure they maintain their 100 per cent home record which would take them one step closer to securing a place in the final four.
Their Western Cape derby defeat in the dying minutes will be a bitter pill to swallow but that result may just give them an extra bit of motivation to go all the way.
Ikeys prop, Zachary Porthen, believes his side possesses all the qualities to get the job
done in 2025, having come close in the past two seasons. “We have a strong, well-rounded team with a lot of experience,” said Porthen.
FNB UCT may have come up short against their old foe but they’re confident in their structure and gameplan. “I think with our approach being player-driven, we know where we went wrong in our defeats. So, we know where we need to be better in the last couple of games” said the UCT front rower.
The last time UCT were defeated on their travels, they went on to win their next two games in convincing fashion. Should they repeat that feat this time around, they’ll book themselves a spot in the semi-final, with the possibility of hosting one at the Green Mile.
