The Champions: Pukke celebrate with the Varsity Cup trophy after defeating Maties 7-6 in last night's final. The Champions: Pukke celebrate with the Varsity Cup trophy after defeating Maties 7-6 in last night's final.
Maties (0) 6
Pukke (0) 7
John Goliath
ARM WRESTLES are never pretty, especially in the Varsity Cup, which is a tournament full of innovations that promote running rugby.
But sometimes an arm wrestle can make for gripping viewing, especially in a final.
Last night’s ninth final of the Varsity Cup will not be remembered as a classic encounter. Instead, people will talk about the drama that unfolded at the Danie Craven Stadium.
And there was plenty of drama, as Pukke snatched an unlikely victory almost 10 minutes after the hooter had gone. With Maties leading 6-0 in the final minute, Pukke were awarded scrum penalty after scrum penalty.
And they would eventually break the home fans’ hearts when their blindside flank Marno Redelinghuys sneaked over the line to score a five-point try.
Fullback Rhyno Smith then kicked the conversion to win the match.
The intensity of the first half was unreal, unlike anything experienced in this competition this season. Both teams tackled and climbed into each other with venom.
But both teams kept it tight. It was surprising that neither team tried to kick for goal when they got a penalty in the opposition’s half.
Maties, though, finally converted a penalty in the second half when flyhalf Chris Smith, who had to start the match ahead of the injured Ernst Stapelberg, kicked a goal. Smith would add a second penalty later on, but missed a third one from almost right in front.
Maties also squandered a golden opportunity when star fullback Craig Barry knocked on with the tryline at his mercy. The home side then had a try disallowed just after the second-half strategy break.
After breaking out from their own half, the ball was kicked through, and the home side’s replacement wing Brandon Asher-Wood picked it up and sprinted for the corner. However, Asher-Wood lost the ball in the tackle as he dived for the line.
Pukke, who earlier this year were hammered 56-12 by Maties, then pulled together in a big way and started to attack the Maties.
They certainly made their scrum dominance felt, while Maties also ended the match with 13 players on the field after they were pinned for repeated infringements.
In the end, Pukke recorded their first Varsity Cup title, their first win over Maties since 2008 and their first ever win at the Danie Craven Stadium.
Earlier, in the promotion-relegation match, UCT Ikeys scored 23 points in 12 minutes to secure their place in next year’s Varsity Cup, when they beat the University of the Western Cape 40-5 at the same venue.
UCT found themselves in a bit of a pickle at the end of the league phase after losing all seven of their matches. But they were far too strong for UWC on the day.