UCT take on Tuks in Cup final

The Low Peterson and Peter Haw scored three tries apiece as UCT hammered the University of Free State (Shimlas) 57-20 in the first semifinal of the Varsity Cup played in Cape Town on Monday night.

The game was over as a contest in the first half when UCT ran in six tries to take a commanding 45-3 lead to halftime.

Shimlas were not in the game from the moment Peterson opened the scoring within three minutes.

By the sixth minute, Peter Haw made it 14-0 after capitalising on a Shimlas handling error in their own 22.

A flood of tries followed, first by fullback Ricky Rijs, then a charge down by Levi Odendaal allowed substitute Marcel Brache to ghost through untouched to the try line.

UCT, finishing second on the log, closed down the space for the Shimlas attackers, forcing turnovers and pouncing on those mistakes to gather yet two more tries before the halftime interval.

Due to inadequate floodlight facilities in Cape Town, UCT have to play the final at Tuks, who upset UJ at home, on April 11.

Tuks booked a fortuitous home final when they ran in three tries to one in a game lacking fluidity and full of handling errors to beat University of Johannesburg 25-11. Two tries by man of the match Andries Coetzee secured a well-deserved victory for the men from Pretoria.

UJ, who squandered a chance of a home final after topping the group stages, never got going, with handling errors and poor goal kicking.

Tuks coach Nollis Marais couldn't hide his delight at his team's performance. "I told the boys to stick together and they did that," he said. "UCT have been to two finals before. They are very experienced, but we won't change anything in our game plan."

Central University of Technology will play Wits in the Varsity Shield final to decide who will meet the Tshwane University of Technology in the play-off for a spot in next year's Varsity Cup.