Outsiders might get the idea that the two flankers, Stephan Smit and Hanru Sirgel, are the inseparable “twins” of the UP-Tuks rugby team.

When on tour they share a room, away from rugby their rooms are 20 metres apart, on Friday afternoon’s they might decide to braai together having lank discussions as to where the best place to live supposedly is. Platteland or the sea. In spite of hours and hours of talking they are no closer to coming to an agreement.

However, all of this is irrelevant. It is on the field wearing the coveted “Striped-jersey” that the real impact of their friendship comes to the fore. Often it has painful consequences for opposition players as the two flankers are hell-bent on preventing anyone from scoring against them in the Varsity Cup games. Putting their bodies on the line going for that big tackle is a true calling to them.

The statistics will prove that they, actually the whole team, is doing something right as UP-Tuks has possibly got one of the best defensive records in the Varsity Cup.

Friendship does not mean there is no rivalry. Sirgel makes no secret that during every game his goals is to try and put in more tackles than Smit.

“Not that I am always succeeding. Stephan can be a “monster” when it comes to putting in the ‘killer’ tackles," said Sirgel who so far has got two "Man of the Match awards" to his name.

Those who saw Smit play is in awe of his work rate. ‘Karools’, as he is nicknamed, would often execute three successive tackles in mere seconds. The moment he brings an opponent down he is able to be back on his feet searching for his next ‘victim’. What makes him so useful is that he has got a real sense for the game. It is as if he can anticipate what is going to happen next.

Gaining metres with the ball in hand during Varsity Cup games is something else they got a rivalry going. Sirgel apparently has got a slight upper hand in this aspect.

After every Varsity Cup game, the players are given their individual statistics. For the two flankers, it is a highlight because one of them will have the bragging rights to officially being the best. However, there can never be any relenting for them as there is always another game to play and the one that slacks down is going to lose out.

The former All Blacks captain, Richie McCaw, is a role model to Smit.

“I admired the way he always was prepared to put in the hard work for whichever team he was playing. That is something I am also striving to do.”

Sirgel admits to being a big fan of the way Marcel Coetzee plays.

The debate as to where the best place to live originates with Sirgel being from East London while Smith is from Lichtenburg.

“I try and get Stephan to understand that there is nothing that comes to being close to the sea, while he is trying to convince me of the beauty of the bushveld."