It is was not a performance that will go down in the history books as exemplary, but still, one that was good enough to make sure that UP-Tuks 1 goes into weekend three of 2019 inter-provincial Volcano Cup competition as one the only three unbeaten competitors.
UP-Tuks’ second bonus-point win was against Northam Rhinos on Saturday, 4 May. UP-Tuks, fresh from a 90-0 dream start against Impala on 27 January, won comfortably enough (47-12).
The scoreboard was however not a true reflection of how hard UP-Tuks had to work to get the better of the home team. Northam actually drew blood first by taking the lead in the 4th minute with a try that came after a schoolboy error from the visitors.
A half-time (19-12 for Tuks) it was still any one’s game before UP-Tuks took charge in the second half with more clinical and constructive rugby.
“It was, by far, not a performance that did justice to our preparation, planning, talent, skills and individual brilliance. In the first half, we were not switched on and really made basic errors that kept them in the game. All they did in the first 40 minutes was to make us pay for the indifference we showed in critical components of our game plan. We, fortunately, played better in the second half to dash any hopes they had to pull off a shock win against the defending champions,” said Nico Luus, UP-Tuks 1 Head Coach.
He referred to his team’s overall performance as one that “was not up to the high standards we set for ourselves and subsequently simply not good enough. We will have a hard look at why we were at half pace in the first 40 minutes of the game. A repeat of this against Quins-Bobbies (on 11 May) will be most costly.”
UP-Tuks had serious team issues in the latter part of the second half when they had to do with 12 players after one got red-carded and another two sin-binned.
Fezelas won 32-12 and the Tuks 3rd team 53-17.
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