UJ secured a 42-8 victory over the UKZN Impi in their promotion/relegation play-off in Potchefstroom to end the KZN team’s hopes of playing in the Varsity Cup next season.
The men in orange outscored the Impi by six tries to one to ensure that they will be playing Varsity Cup rugby again next year after finishing seventh on the standings this season.
UJ took the game to the Impi, but they were turned over early on and it was the Varsity Shield side that struck first when skipper Lwazi Ngcungama got over for the opening try after a great break from centre Brandon Bailing.
Flyhalf Duncan Campbell added the conversion to put them 8-0 up, but those were to be their last points of the match and it was not long before the Johannesburg side had hit back as wing Andries Oosthuizen ran in an easy try after a driving maul.
UJ were looking to keep things direct as they charged at the Impi’s defence and even got the ball over the tryline after a tighthead, but the try was disallowed after the TMO spotted loosehead Devon Martinus throw a punch at the scrum.
The prop was shown a yellow card that sent his team into the first strategy break trailing 8-5 with a man down.
Things opened up when play got back under way with opportunities at both ends, and it was UJ’s right wing PJ Walters who was able to stroll over next to the poles after another attacking lineout.
The conversion from flyhalf Marais Schmidt gave UJ the lead for the first time in the game at 13-8 despite being down to 14 men.
UKZN made a determined start to the second half, but their defensive workload before half time had clearly taken its toll and UJ were able to soak up the pressure fairly easily before striking through fullback Juan Kotze.
It was a familiar formula as the ball was sent wide to Kotze after a driving maul, and he simply had too much pace as he glided through to extend the lead to 21-8.
To their credit UKZN fought hard until the final whistle, but UJ had the final say as tries from Oosthuizen, replacements Dylan Peterson and Wiseman Kamanga sealed the win.
SCORERS
UJ - 42: Tries: Oosthuizen 2, Walters, Kotze, Peterson, Kamanga; Conversions: Schmidt (4)
UKZN - 8: Try: Ngcungama; Conversion: Campbell.
