FNB Wits staged an epic comeback, down 0-30 at half-time, to defeat Johannesburg rival FNB UJ 35-33 in front of a packed Wits Rugby stadium.
UJ was far the better side in the first half, racing to a 30-0 lead at the break, with their first try inside the first 10 minutes when Philip Apea-Adu went over. The Orange Army continued to dominate the proceedings, with Wits pegged back by a high penalty count their opponents took advantage of, running in a further 3 tries.
The second half saw a rejuvenated Wits team, who upped the intensity, putting UJ under pressure. The hard work eventually paid off for the Witsies, who registered their first try courtesy of eight-man ZiyandaMasipha. Wits started to dominate proceedings with UJ often looking a little shell-shocked, making mistakes at crucial times.
Two more tries by Wits reduced the deficit to only seven points. Trailing by three points in the dying minutes of the game, George Devenish then picked up a ball out wide to dash past the UJ defenders and score the winning try.
Scorers:
FNB Wits 35 (0) - Tries: Ziyanda Masipa (2), Kyle van Eyssen, George Devenish. Conversions: Christian Humphries (4).
FNB UJ 33 (30) - Tries: Philip Apea-Adu, Prince Nkabinde, Rowan Malgas, Likhaya Tengimgene. Conversions: Jonathan Viljoen (1). Penalties: Jonathan Viljoen (1).
FNB Player That Rocks: Ziyanda Msipha (FNB Wits)