Four years. That is the last time Tuks got the better of Maties in a Varsity Cup encounter. 

It is a statistic that the "Striped Team" will undoubtedly hope to rectify ahead of the upcoming ‘biggest match of the day’ at Loftus when the two teams clash for the 21st time in the tournament. 

So far, Maties have been victorious on 12 occasions and Tuks on seven. They played once to a draw. It used to be one of the tightest Derbies of the Varsity Cup. From 2008 to 2017, Maties won on eight occasions and Tuks on seven. But that has changed. Maties won the last four games. 

Maties have scored 537 points, and Tuks 473. From a statistics perspective, it means Maties wins on average 27-24. Tuks's biggest victory was in 2015 when they ran amok, winning 53-8. Maties won 64-17 in 2010.

There is, however, one statistic where Tuks has the better of Maties. It is playing finals. Of the four times the teams clashed in the Varsity Cup-final, Tuks won three. 

The one player from Tuks who will undoubtedly have a "big" impact on the day is Etienne Janeke – a tighthead prop. Being 1.94 metres tall and easily tipping the scales at 125kg, he is definitely one of the biggest players in the Varsity Cup Tournament. 

Janeke is aptly nicknamed "Lion". With his long red-blondish locks and beard, there is a certain resemblance to Panther Leo. The Tuks tighthead prop takes pride in the comparison. 

Anyone would know it is thoughtless to pull a lion's mane. There is bound to be consequences and there nearly was in Tuks's first game against Wits. Apparently, the opposition forwards could not resist grabbing Janeke by the hair. It got to a stage where the big man had enough, so he talked to the referee. 

"I told the "Ref" I know the players are fascinated by my hair, and they might think I enjoy it when it is pulled, but I don't. Please get them to stop. If it was not that I am pretty even-tempered, I might have resorted to retaliating. But 'experience' taught me that you don't really want to get involved in petty squabbles. It takes the focus away from what should be done." 

Janeke used to play loosehead prop. Now he enjoys the responsibility that comes with playing tighthead. He is the first to admit he is still learning the tricks of his new trade. Janeke considers the tighthead as the cornerstone of the scrum. It boils down to being one of the strong men on the field. Every scrum is a "mini-war". It is never only about brawn. 

"There are so many things you got to take into consideration when you pack down to scrum. If you get caught napping, things tend to go awry." 

Janeke admits that his legs are often "dead" after a scrum. For a second or so afterwards, he battles to breathe properly and get his heart rate down. But it is really only for a second or two. One thing that is impressive about the "Big Man" his work rate. He is continuously amid the action-tackling or carrying the ball, getting his team closer to the try line. 

"I love playing rugby. That is why I try and be involved in every facet of play." 

When not playing rugby or studying for his BCom Marketing degree, Janeke loves playing basketball. But he laughs at the suggestion that he should take it up professionally in the USA with his size.

Kick-off is at 19:00 on 22 April 2021