FNB Wits hosted Varsity Cup leaders and unbeaten FNB UFS Shimlas in a Round four game in Johannesburg last night. Everybody expected the visitors to run away with the game, however, the host had other ideas and bagged a full-house of five log points in a brilliant win with 52-31.
Wits scored the first try of the game within the first five minutes of the match after which the visitors replied almost immediately to level the scores at five points each after eight minutes in the game. Thereafter it was one-way traffic with a brilliant try by Mark Snyman just before the break which stretched Wits' lead to 37-10.
The inclusion of Philip Krause and Jason Cloete while Cal Smid was moved to lock showed the clear intent from the Witsies to speed up the game and run at the unbeaten visitors worked wonders as these three gentlemen together with Mark Snyman were the heroes, especially in the first forty minutes of the game.
The visitors scored three unanswered tries in the third quarter to narrow the gap on the scoreboard to 40-24. A try by Cloete and two penalties by flyhalf Chris Humphries in the fourth quarter was enough to see the host win 53-31 and sent their stunned visitors back to Bloemfontein with only one log point for their efforts.
FNB Wits: Tries: Wian de Lange (2), Hlumelo Ndudula (1x7), Mark Snyman, Jason Cloete. Conversions: Chris Humphries (4); Penalties: Chris Humphries (6)
FNB UFS Shimla: Tries: Blaine Golden, Lohan Potgieter, Ruwald van der Merwe, Jooste Nel, Asanda Kunene; Conversions: Litha Nkula (3)
FNB Player That Rocks: Tiaan Schutte (FNB Wits)
Teams:
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 Phillip Krause, 7 Lindokuhle Ncusane, 6 Mark Snyman, 5 Edward White, 4 Cal Smid, 3 Ebot Buma (c), 2 Prince Mulea, 1 Jason Cloete. Replacements: 16 Dagan Meuwese, 17 Mikhaya Sonqishe, 18 Franco Groenewald, 19 Franz Gerber, 20 Ziyanda Msipha, 21 Wernich Aucamp, 22 Keagan Lailvaux, 23 Yanga Hlalu.
FNB UFS Shimlas – 15 Litha Nkula, 14 Cham Zondeki, 13 Janco van Heyningen, 12 Jooste Nel, 11 Asanda Kunene, 10 JD Strydom, 9 Chadd Adams, 8 Ruwald van der Merwe, 7 Lohan Potgieter, 6 Lourens Oosthuizen, 5 Thabang Mahlasi (c), 4 Reinier Viljoen, 3 Blaine Golden, 2 William Moffat, 1 Melusi Mthabela. Replacements: 16 Carl Wijburg, 17 Loyiso Peteni, 18 Jan Meades, 19 Pierre Uys, 20 Bongco Avumile, 21 Jandré Nel, 22 Zane Bester, 23 Luyanda Mkhize.