The Madibaz came within a whisker of returning to the FNB Varsity Cup competition next year after pushing the University of Johannesburg all the way in a thrilling promotion-relegation clash in Pretoria on Monday.
A pick-and-go by Orange Army utility forward Josh du Toit in the 74th minute ultimately proved to be the difference between the sides as the men from the City of Gold regained the lead for the last time to seal a 24-21 victory.
It was heartbreaking stuff for the Mandela University students, who rallied back from a 12-0 deficit to go into the half-time break two points ahead.
Tries by wing Jaden Witbooi and centre Lwande Davane in the final 10 minutes of the first stanza gave them just the momentum they needed on a blisteringly hot day on the Highveld.
Fullback Layron Milborrow was on song all morning, converting each of his side’s three-pointers.
The lead changed hands repeatedly in the second half, a sure indication that the match was going to go down to the wire.
A penalty-try in the 54th minute, resulting from immense forward pressure by UJ could easily have put Madibaz on the back foot, but the Gqeberha students hit back almost immediately.
Madibaz skipper Leon van der Merwe, playing his last season of Varsity Rugby, crossed the whitewash following some muscle-flexing of their own in the UJ red zone.
That put them 21-19 ahead with just over 10 minutes to play.
They managed to withstand the UJ assault until Du Toit got on the back of a rolling maul to give his side the win that kept them in the Varsity Cup.
While Madibaz will be disappointed that they won’t be returning to student rugby’s premier competition next year, they have enjoyed an excellent season.
They reached the Shield final, where they gave a powerful Varsity College unit a real run for their money and have now gone toe-to-toe with an experienced Cup team.
This, despite losing 10 senior players at the end of last year.
Van der Merwe said it was a tough game for his charges.
“UJ really brought it to us. But I am still very proud of the boys.
“It was a great fight out there. It was a long, hard season, and to finish it off like that makes me really proud of everyone.”