It was a fitting finale to two months of “Rugby that Rocks”, and the Maties, who were undeniably the best team in the competition from start to finish, were fitting winners. It was easier this time than last year’s final minute win over UCT, but nonetheless the Pukke proved doughty opponents before going down 11-6.

The match was played in front of a massive crowd, even bigger than in 2008, when the decider was a local derby, and this gave credibility to organiser Francois Pienaar’s claim that this year’s competition was “bigger and better” than the inaugural one, and is destined to get better still.

Although it was a low scoring game, and there seemed to be a greater element of finals type rugby this year, the final did show a marked improvement in the standard of rugby dished up — as has been the case for most of the competition. There was plenty of running from both sides, but the defences were well organised, and the forward exchanges were quite ferocious.

Pukke had been known for their conservative rugby in the league stages, but they brought an element of surprise to their approach in the early stages, with impressive No 8 and captain bursting through to put his team on the attack as the Pukke sought to use the width of the field.

That pressure resulted in a penalty which was kicked by flyhalf Cecil Dumond, but it was a lead that was not to last long. The Maties got their intensity up, they began to settle, and after playing themselves into the left corner, they spun the ball quickly down the line, long passes doing the work, from a set scrum to put wing Morne Jooste over in the corner.

For a while it looked as though the Maties might take control, for they were scrumming impressively, and their work at the breakdowns was impressive, with skipper Wesley Wilkins leading the way. With Maties also enjoying territorial advantage, and swarming all over their opponents, it looked only a matter of time before the hosts would take control on the scoreboard too.

But full marks to Pukke for the way they hung on in the bedlam, most of it in the form of support for Maties, that engulfed the stadium, and in the second half of the first half they looked to be coming back into it.

Indeed, the Potchefstroom students would have been kicking themselves at half-time for not being in the lead, for they had a couple of opportunities just before the break to take the psychological advantage of scoring just before the turn-around.

But they fluffed those chances, most notably fullback Willem Barnard, who knocked a ball on with the line in front of his open and just two minutes to go to the half-time whistle. Then came a Dumond penalty attempt that was missed.

Pukke did take the lead nine minutes into the second half through a Dumond penalty, and for a while it looked like the underdogs might prevail. That thought did not last too long, however, for the Maties retained their composure, continued to apply pressure, and it eventually paid off through a Johan Sadie drop-goal.

Relinquishing the lead had a big effect on the Pukke, who momentarily lost composure, trying too hard to speed the game up when it was not really necessary to do so, and this led to the penalty near their own posts which enabled Donald Stevens to stretch the Maties lead to six points.

At that stage there was still almost a quarter of the game remaining, but it was quite obvious that the Pukke were tiring, and this contributed to the mistakes that prevented them from being able to challenge the Maties when the game was still in the balance.

The statistics of the game, with Maties enjoying the major share of both possession and territory, showed that the right team won the game — but the Pukke played a full part, they had their opportunities, and contributed fully to an occasion that promises to become one of the really big events on the South African rugby calendar in years to come.

Scores

Maties 11 – Try: Morne Jooste; Drop-Goal: Johan Sadie; Penalty: Donald Stevens.

Pukke 6 – Penalties: Cecil Dumond 2.

Source: sarugby.co.za

Waiting till deep into injury time before scoring the bonus-point try, the defending champions in the FNB Varsity Cup presented by Steinhoff International remained on course for home ground advantage in the play-offs next month.

The visitors tried bravely, but their were never able to keep up with the blistering pace set by the Maties and also did not control their possession well enough to build up any pressure on the home team.

However, as Pukke captain Willem van der Wal said, if the Potchefstroom outfit win all their remaining games, they can also still make the play-offs.

However, this time the day belonged to an impressive Maties outfit, who showed a willingness to play an exciting, expansive brand of rugby from the outset – obviously aiming to avoid getting involved in an arm-wrestle with a Pukke team short on genuine pace and skill.

Pukke did launch a few impressive attacks, but those simply did not have the same venom as their opponents’ efforts.

The Maties scrum was also too strong and Pukke did not get enough quality ball to play with.

The home team got off to a flying start when flyhalf Coenie Van Wyk scored the first try inside 50 seconds – coming after a dropped pass inside the Maties half gave the Stellenbosch students a chance to counter. Good hands and a neat touch with the boot set up the try for Van Wyk try. Donald Stevens added the conversion for a 7-0 lead.

Pukke bounced right back and had the home team under pressure – with a penalty following a scrum infringement and Teuns Kotzé slotted the kick to narrow the  gap to 3-7.

But the helter-skelter nature of the game continued and the Stellenbosch team was soon back on the attack. Another neat grubber and some great pressure saw Van Wyk go over in the corner for his second try – with Stevens adding a second conversion to make it 14-3 after nine minutes.

From the restart Stellenbosch conceded another penalty, but this time the shot by Teuns Kotzé was wide of the mark.

In the 22nd minute Paul Bosch came close to scoring the Maties’ third try, but the TMO ruled that Pukke got a hand to the ball first.

The relentless waves of maroon attacks continued and only a handling error stopped the Stellenbosch students from yet another score.

The try didn’t come, but with five minutes to go to the half the home team was rewarded when flyhalf Coenie van Wyk slotted a well-time drop-goal to make it 17-3.

They have a chance to go further ahead right on half-time, but Stevens’s penalty shot drifted wide and the Stellenbosch students took a 14-point lead into the break.

It was much the same just after the restart for the second half, as a penalty shot at goal by Stevens hit the upright and bounced back into play.

While the Pukke tried to give the ball more air in an attempt to close the gap, they clearly lacked the outright pace of the Maties team and more errors crept into the game of the visitors.

It was indeed the Maties that scored first after the break, when – from a line-out – the ball went wide and right wing Morné Jooste bust through a very ordinary attempt at a tackle to score his team’s third try. Stevens added the conversion to make it 24-3 after 51 minutes.

The Maties opened the back door for the visitors ever so slightly when No.8 Morné Hanekom was yellow carded in the 54th minute for a late shoulder charge.

And almost immediately Pukke made their numerical advantage count as they scored their first try when flyhalf Dewan Eckard burst over from close range. Kotzé added the conversion to narrow the gap to 24-10.

Despite the initial burst, Maties quickly settled down and held off a number of Pukke raids as they awaited the return of Hanekom.

Maties kept on attacking, in search of that fourth try for a bonus point, and it did eventually come – almost two minutes into injury time – as lock Jaco Nepgen went over after numerous phases and a couple of penalties. To add insult to injury Stevens added the conversion for a 31-10 win.

The scorers:

For FNB Maties:
Tries: Van Wyk 2, Jooste, Nepgen
Cons: Stevens 4
DG: Van Wyk

For FNB Pukke:
Try: Eckard
Con: Kotzé
Pen: Kotzé

Yellow card: Morné Hanekom (Maties, 54 – foul play, late shoulder charge)

Teams:

FNB Maties: 15 Adnaan Osman, 14 Morné Jooste, 13 Morgan Newman, 12 Paul Bosch, 11 Hayden Groepes, 10 Coenie Van Wyk, 9 Donald Stevens, 8 Morné Hanekom, 7 JP Mostert, 6 Wesley Wilkens (captain), 5 Jaco Nepgen, 4 Marinus Pretorius, 3 Lourens Adriaanse, 2 JP Koster, 1 Johan Roets.
Replacements: 16 Matthew Dobson, 17 Andrew Crausaz, 18 Jéan Rossouw, 19 Erich Laubscher , 20 Jonathan Andendorf, 21 Koos Eksteen, 22 Jéan Stemmet.

FNB NWU-Pukke: 15 Willem Barnard, 14 Randall April, 13 Jacques de Kock, 12 Wouter Watermeyer, 11 Lola Waka, 10 Dewan Eckard, 9 Teuns Kotzé, 8 Willem van der Wal (captain), 7 Thabo Molete, 6 Savvas Nel, 5 Markus Fourie, 4 Grant le Roux, 3 Stephan Bezuidenhout, 2 Stoffel Duvenhage, 1 Jaco Koch.
Replacements: 16 Lourens Botes, 17 BG Uys, 18 Victor Kruger, 19 Jaco Lotter, 20 Andries Mahoney, 21 Wenstley Scott, 22 Andrew van Wyk.

Source: varsitycup.co.za