This win meant the world. Not only did the NWU Eagles beat former champions and perennial finalists UP-Tuks 17–8 during their Varsity Cup clash in Potchefstroom on Monday, 7 March, they also got their 2022 campaign back on track.
A red card did Tuks no favours, but the Eagles did well to capitalise on this and refused to let the visitors’ resolve get the better of them. Here the forwards were something special. Applause all around for the big men, then.
Eighth man André Fouché was – again and probably not for the last time – a revelation. He was named the FNB Player that Rocks. He also scored one of the Eagles’ three tries, with Gustav Erlank and Naiden Jaarts accounting for the others. Nivan Petersen slotted a conversion.
The Eagles have now won two of their four encounters and occupy the seventh position on the overall log.
Coach André Pretorius’s men next travel to Bloemfontein to face the Shimlas, who have played some spectacular rugby this season. Log-leaders Shimlas will be out for revenge after suffering a humiliating 53–31 loss to Wits. That one was a bit of a surprise, but it also shows you the level of competition in this tournament.
The NWU Eagles’ Nivan Petersen goes for the posts as Tuks’ Bernard van der Linde tries to stop him. Photo: Barco Greeff
Bertie Jacobs
