Central University of Technology (CUT) became the first team to lift the Varsity Shield when they overcame Wits 25-18 in a tense final in Johannesburg on Monday night.
The men from Bloemfontein struck the first blow when they created some space on the outside and right-wing Alec Mhlanga cantered over unopposed for a try after just three minutes.
Wits managed a try of their own after captain David Turnbull pounced on a handling error by his opposite number Inus Kritzinger. The scrumhalf made the break and off-loaded to his flyhalf Greg Blom who sent it wide to lock Charles Baggott who got over in the corner.
Turnbull, however, turned from hero to villain when he threw an intercept pass on his tryline just before half-time and CUT outside centre Jaco Oosthuizen could hardly believe his luck as he dotted down for the try.
Wits came out after the break and played with real purpose, spending some quality time in the CUT 22 but they could not convert the pressure into points as the rain began to fall.
They were finally rewarded when left-wing Riaan Arends fielded a loose clearance kick and went on a great jinking run, turning on the pace and scoring in the right corner. When Lizamore converted from the touchline it was anyone’s game at 20-18 to CUT.
Man-of-the-match Mhlanga gave the visitors some breathing space when he scored his second try after some good handling from his teammates which made it 25-18.
CUT managed to hold on in a tense last ten minutes to lift the Shield and set up a promotion/relegation play-off match with the TUT Vikings next Monday as one of two curtain-raisers to the Varsity Cup Final between Tuks and UCT in Pretoria.