Maties beat the NWU Eagles, while Tuks’ comeback win over Emeris took them back to the top of the Varsity Cup log on Monday night.
In a tense clash at the Danie Craven Stadium, Maties held off a spirited Eagles fightback to secure a 30-26 victory and strengthen their semi-final push.
The hosts had led by 15 points at half-time after a penalty try and hooker CJ Erasmus’ score.
But the Eagles roared back after the break, scoring twice in quick succession through lock Raniel Turner and a stunning point-of-origin score by centre Leejay Petersen to snatch a one-point lead.
The momentum continued to swing, with both sides trading tries in a frantic final quarter.
NUW led 26-23 with 12 minutes remaining, but with time running out, flank Louw du Toit came up with the decisive score to restore Maties’ lead. Flyhalf MC van Heerden slotted a difficult conversion in a gusting wind and Maties then held firm under late pressure to seal a statement win.
In Bloemfontein, Shimlas kept their semi-final hopes alive with a thrilling 40-33 bonus-point victory over defending champions UCT.
The hosts led narrowly at the break before opening up an 18-point advantage early in the second half.
UCT responded with two rapid point-of-origin tries to turn the contest on its head and briefly take the lead.
Kirwin du Preez turns on the afterburners
The Shimlas crowd loved this one
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— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) March 23, 2026
But Shimlas refused to buckle, with replacement flank Ferdi Vergottini crashing over late before replacement hooker Jaco Bezuidenhout’s second maul try on the hooter sealed a vital win in a pulsating encounter.
Tuks returned to the top of the log after staging a comeback to beat Emeris 27-24 in Pretoria.
The hosts overturned a 12-point deficit, with hooker Jean Fourie scoring twice before captain Divan du Toit sealed the win.
In Bloemfontein, UJ strengthened their own push for the playoffs with a hard-fought 29-13 win over CUT in wet conditions. The visitors pulled away late with a flurry of tries to secure a bonus point.
There is one more round of fixtures before the semi-finals.
Varsity Cup Round 6 results
Tuks 27 Emeris 24
Maties 30 NWU 26
Shimlas 40 UCT 33
CUT 13 UJ 29
Photo: Luigi Bennett/Varsity Sports
The post Varsity Cup: Maties edge Eagles, Tuks go top appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Maties beat the NWU Eagles, while Tuks’ comeback win over Emeris took them back to the top of the Varsity Cup log on Monday night.
The post Varsity Cup: Maties edge Eagles, Tuks go top appeared first on SA Rugby magazine. Read More
