Well, isn’t that a pretty picture? The North-West University (NWU) Eagles are sitting on top of the Varsity Cup log after beating CUT Ixias 53-46 in Bloemfontein.

In what was perhaps a case of complacency, the Eagles allowed a generous half-time lead of 37-12 to be systematically etched away by the home side, especially in the last 10 minutes when the Ixias scored three converted tries.

It was a late, impressive blitzkrieg by the underdogs, but the Eagles’ opening salvos proved effective enough to secure the win.

For the Eagles, Arnold Vlok, Matome Manyama, Naiden Jaarts, Luan Van der Walt, Tian van Zyl (2) and Calvin Clack all scored tries, with the magic boot of Zinedine Robinson slotting all seven conversions.

When the final whistle blew, the Eagles claimed the bragging rights as Varsity Cup’s form team, with five wins from six outings. 

The Eagles now have 25 log points, followed by Ikeys (23), Maties (23) and Shimlas (23) in the top four. They next face Ikeys at the Fanie du Toit Sports Grounds on Monday, 8 April. The two sides previously squared off in the final of last year’s competition at the same venue, and Ikeys will surely be looking for revenge.

It is a mouthwatering prospect.