Photo by Poppie Terblanche/Speedshots.co.za
The only question that needs to be answered during the 2020 Varsity Cup is not who will be crowned champions, again, but rather who will be relegated and who not.
With Maties having a bye this week, the wannabees will have their time in the limelight.
Last year's FNB Varsity Cup newcomers, UWC could not get the better of a more disciplined FNB Wits side who, despite the visitors' handling errors in tricky conditions at UWC's Bellville headquarters, were full value for their 40-10 victory. It means that the Cape side has lost ground to their most likely automatic relegation 'rivals', UJ - who also lost. Though both remain on 7 points on the cumulative 2019-2020 log (which will be used to determine who gets relegated automatically and who has to face a play-off against the FNB Varsity Shield 2020 runners-up), UWC's points difference is now 142 worse off than UJ's.
Results of 03/02/2020
UWC 10-40 Wits
Maties 67-16 Shimlas
Tuks 42-40 Pukke
UJ 16-25 Ikeys
Fixtures 10/02/2020
Wits vs UJ
Wits will host UJ, hoping to record their first win after six matches in the Varsity Cup competition. Wits (40-10) should be confident after their win against UWC in Bellville last week. However, one must remember that UWC is the favourite to lose their place in the Varsity Cup competition at the end of the 2020 competition.
UJ, who is likely to also be in the relegation zone, did lose against 16-25 the Ikeys at home but has always saved their best for Wits.
It could be an exciting game, but I do think that Wits could just make it 1 from 6.
Ikeys vs NWU
This could be the game of the week as both teams are still unbeaten in 2020. However, NWU has shown against Tuks that they will, again be one of the front-runners in 2020 and only that make them the favourites to win.
CUT vs TUKS
TUKS claimed an "exciting" win against NWU last Monday in the last seconds of the game. However, if it was not for their flyhalf, Theo Boshoff's cool head they did not deserve the win.
CUT had a bye last weekend and according to their coach Pieter Bergh, they are blessed with really dangerous backs, and as defence is a major worry at Tuks they could just maybe sneak in a few tries.
Unfortunately, I do not think they will have enough in the tank to beat TUKS.
Shimlas vs UWC
Both teams deservedly got big hidings last weekend but Shimlas at home should not have any problems to send UWC home as favourites to be relegated at the end of this season.