UCT class wins the day

After spending long stretches on the UCT Ikey Tigers' scoreline, Tshwane University of Technology's Vikings will rightly feel that the 16-45 scoreline didn't reflect fairly on their efforts in the two sides' Varsity Cup tie on 28 February.

Master blaster: Pallo Manuel gets all excited by the prospect of touching down for UCT.	Nowhere to go: UCT's Richard Rijs looks for support as he's tackled by TUT's Justin van Staden

UCT, on the other hand, will be mightily impressed by the victory. Down to 14 men early in the second half after flanker Nizaam Carr received his second yellow card for the match, the Tigers had to tackle like, well, Tigers, to keep the TUT Vikings at bay.

As in the previous week, UCT looked uncomfortable playing with the wind at the backs. Only two late tries in the first half gave them a comfortable lead of 26-7 going into the break.

TUT would start the second half the more attacking of the two, and started to chip away at the UCT lead. Two penalties reduced the deficit to 13 (13-26), which is when TUT began to launch wave after wave of attacks.

But there would be no marauding and pillaging for the Vikings. Instead, UCT's brand of running rugby - sometimes initiating attacks from just clear of their own goal line - won the day, and the Tigers touched down three more times late in the second half to record yet another bonus point win.

"We didn't start off flying, and the guys will know that we can't afford to do that next week [for UCT's game at Stellenbosch University]," said captain, Nick Fenton-Wells, after the match.

Therlow Pietersen, Richard Rijs and substitutes Francois van Wyk, Pallo Manuel and Nicholas Holton scored tries. Flyhalf Demetri Catrakilis booted over four penalties and four conversions for a personal contribution of 20. That takes his Varsity Cup tally to 71, 21 clear of his closest rival.

The victory also steers UCT, on 19, two league points clear of the University of Johannesburg , and three ahead of Stellenbosch University. See full log.

The Tigers play Maties in a televised game at UCT on 7 March, starting at 17h00.