In the starting line-up only Warwick Tecklenburg (flanker), Franco (Sous) Mostert (lock) and Chris Crous (hooker) played for Tuks in the 2010 Varsity Cup Competition. On the bench Robbie Coetzee (hooker), Corne Fourie (prop) and Marnitz Boshoff (fly half) are the only players who have represented Tuks in FNB Varsity Cup rugby before.

The new caps all have impressive track records.

GD Kotzee (right wing) and Andries (Boeboes) Coetzee (replacement fullback/wing) both represented Tuks in their 2010 Carlton Cup final win against Police as well as at the 2010 National Club Championships in Stellenbosch. Coetzee also played for the Blue Bulls in the national u.21 final in Durban. Two of his team mates in that final were Mostert and (Robbie) Coetzee.

Most of the other new Tuks 1 caps are ‘imported products’, with the majority having played provincial rugby for inter alia Western Province, the Sharks and Boland.

Tuks 1 will place a lot of hope and faith in the former College Rovers combination of Neil de Bruin (scrumhalf) and Wesley Dunlop (fly half) as they were instrumental in the KZN’s club champions’ fine win against Maties in the 2010 National Club Championships Final. Dunlop has the further responsibility of captaining the side.

The Tuks 1 team is:

15 Jurgen Visser; 14 GD Kotzee, 13 Jean du Plessis, 12 Arno van Zyl; Hayden Groepes; 10 Wesley Dunlop (c), 9 Neil de Bruin; 8 Jono Ross, 7 Nqubeko Zulu, 6 Warwick Tecklenburg, 5 Franco Mostert, 4 MB Lusaseni, Grant Kemp, Chris Crous, Vincent Koch. REPLACEMENTS: 16 Robbie Coetzee, 17 Corne Fourie, 18 Stairs Mlongo, 19 Wesley Kotze, 20 Clayton Stewart, 21 Marnitz Boshoff, 22 Boeboes Coetzee; 23 Jean Rossouw.

♦ Tuks ended its run-up to the 2011 competition on Saturday (29 January). Tuks' second stringers beat Springs 42-19, whilst Tuks 1 had to work hard to take honours against the Valke's Vodacom Cup side (18-17).