The University of Cape Town beat the University of the Free State 59-5 in the fourth round of the Varsity Cup at Loftus Versfeld stadium in Pretoria. The Ikey Tigers remain unbeaten after four matches, they ran eight tries past Shimlas today. It’s an uplifting win for UCT, after their campus was destroyed by fire earlier this week.
The University of the Free State made a text book start to their match against the University of the Cape Town. Centre Johannes Klinck broke the defence, and made a sublime offload pass to Fullback Cham Zondeki for the opening score.
However, when the blue and white hoops got going they were hard to stop. Lock forward, Connor Evans was the first to crash over for the Ikeys. UCT were at their creative best on the highveld, Evardi Boshoff sent the ball wide to Rethabile Louw for the Tigers’ second score.
Louw had his second and the Ikeys’ third try of the match only minutes later and in almost identical fashion to his first try. With a lynchpin like Boshoff dishing out the offloads, the UCT back three were in business, Fullback Athi Gazi was the next tiger across the Loftus tryline. At halftime, UCT was leading 31 points to 5.
UCT’s counter-attacking abilities were just as good as their front foot play, replacement David Hayes punished a speculative Shimlas clearance by taking the ball back into their half and unleashing Gazi for his second score of the match. And after his top class service to his team mates, it was time for Boshoff to shine, as he broke a few tackles to get a try of his own, and a special effort at that.
It was then time for the other playmaker in the UCT ranks to get his try, as Hayes evaded the defenders to score. A seventh try for the men from the Cape.
Following in their rich tradition of running rugby, the forwards had to get in on the try-fest, eighthman Christian Stehlik could not be stopped on his way to the corner for the eighth five pointer for UCT. UCT won 59-5 to make it four wins out of four played.
