With all their tough games done and dusted UP-Tuks’s only goal for the rest of the Varsity Tournament is to challenge the scoreboard, it is definitely a case of more being better.
Theoretically, something drastic would have to wrong for UP-Tuks to lose one of their three last remaining games. However, Tshina Mdau (UP-Tuks captain), is quite wary of her team being overconfident.
UP-Tuks will be playing UJ on Sunday in Stellenbosch and VUT on Monday. The two teams are respectively currently 7th and 8th in the Varsity standings. UP-Tuks who lost their first two games is 5th.
“Playing against supposedly weaker teams is sometimes mentally more challenging. We need to stick to our game plan for the entire game. If we don’t, there is a real chance that we could start losing intensity, and that is the last thing we can afford as apart from making sure we win we are chasing bonus points. It means we need to score more than 50 goals in each game. We are hoping to make up for one loss with some extra bonus points.”
According to Jenny van Dyk (UP-Tuks head coach), there is still all to play for in the Varsity Tournament especially with the Protea squad flying out this afternoon to play the Netball Quad-series (15-23 September) in New Zealand.
Due to her obligation to play for the Proteas Ine-Marí Venter (goal attack) won’t be available for the next few games but she is the only player UP-Tuks is losing. Venetia Grobler is replacing Venter. Northwest will have to replace three key-players and Kovsies two.
Van Dyk is of the opinion this could impact on the outcome of the tournament. If the Madibaz manages to beat both the Kovsies as well as Northwest over the weekend it will add extra pressure to the UP-Tuks campaign in qualifying for the semi-finals.
“We could end up with a scenario where we got three teams with the same points. Then it is going to boil down to bonus points and goal difference to decide who go through to the playoffs. That is why it is so important to score as many goals as possible in our remaining three games.”
Next weekend the South African Student Team is flying out to defend their title at the World Students Tournament in Uganda. Jenny van Dyk (Tuks) is the team’s coach. Due to this, the Varsity Tournament will only resume on 24 September.
Marlize de Bruin, Chantelle Swart, Chanté Louw, Tshina Madau, Lungile Mthembu and Jasmine Ziegelmeier will be playing for the Student team.
Shadine van der Merwe, Madau and Renske Swart have been selected to play for the Proteas Fast5-team.
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