Photo Credit - Varsity Sport
FNB Maties survived a second-half comeback by FNB UP-Tuks to record a vital win (31-24) at Loftus Versfeld. Maties the deserved winners as TUKS scrummaging and line-outs were again not up to standard which cost them a lot of momentum on the attack.
The North-South clash is characterised by a no-inch-given attitude and this meeting between the two most successful teams in the competition was no different as the heavyweights sussed each other out.
Initially, penalty goals ruled the day as FNB UP-Tuks fullback Zander du Plessis slotted one either side of his opposite number Christopher Schreuder.
It would take 33 minutes for the first try to be scored as the Maroon Machine were awarded a penalty try after a dominant scrum before wing Munier Hartzenberg snatched a perfectly-timed cross-kick to flop over the chalk.
Hartzenberg's try was a textbook example of why it's important to play until the whistle as Schreuder's penalty attempt had struck the upright before being collected by FNB Maties and recycled for Schreuder to set up the kick that led to the five-pointer.
The second half started off rather scrappily as both teams had their efforts thwarted by unforced errors and had to settle for a penalty apiece.
FNB Maties scrumhalf Bobby Alexander then ran a fantastic support line to collect Hartzenberg's final pass en route to scoring a scintillating point-of-origin try.
The Stripe Generation finally managed to score their opening try in the 58th minute as flank Hanru Sirgel was on hand to collect a stolen ball before replacement scrumhalf Johan Mulder picked and dived for his five-pointer seven minutes later.
Considering the intensity of the clash, it's no surprise that the final points were delivered by the boots of Du Plessis and Schreuder respectively as FNB Maties snuck home with the four-point win.
FNB Player That Rocks: Simon Miller (FNB Maties)
FNB UP-Tuks – Tries: Hanru Sirgel, Johan Mulder. Conversion: Zander du Plessis. Penalties: Du Plessis (4).
FNB Maties – Tries: Penalty try, Munier Hartzenberg, Bobby Alexander (1x7). Penalties: Schreuder (4).
FNB UP-Tuks – 15 Zander du Plessis, 14 Stephan Coetzee, 13 Sango Xamlashe (c), 12 Louritz van der Schyff, 11 Enrique Oranje, 10 David Coetzer, 9 Clyde Lewis, 8 Jaco Bezuidenhout, 7 Hanru Sirgel, 6 Lindo Luthuli, 5 Thomas Meyer, 4 Mihlali Stamper, 3 Etienne Janeke, 2 Llewellyn Classen, 1 Cebolenkosi Dlamini. Replacements: 16 Werner Fourie, 17 Dewald Donald, 18 Damian Swartz, 19 Stephan Smit, 20 Orateng Koikanyang, 21 Johan Mulder, 22 Wian van Niekerk, 23 Ambesa Zenzile.
FNB Maties – 15 Adriaan van der Bank, 14 Munier Hartzenberg, 13 David Brits (c), 12 Waqar Solaan, 11 Sibabalwe Xamlashe, 10 Christopher Schreuder, 9 Dylan Alexander, 8 Ben-Jason Dixon, 7 Matthys Kitshoff, 6 Mitchell Carstens, 5 Albert Liebenberg, 4 Simon Miller, 3 Matimu Manganyi, 2 André-Hugo Venter, 1 Leon Lyons. Replacements: 16 HJ Luus, 17 Dian Bleuler, 18 James Combrinck, 19 Dylan de Leeuw, 20 Gift Dlamini, 21 Lian du Toit, 22 George Lourens, 23 Nevaldo Fleurs.