FNB Wits looking to finish the Varsity Cup campaign strong
- By S’fiso Nyawo
"...when the moment comes, you’ve got to come with a player that’s available."
FNB Wits has seen a seesaw season in the Varsity Cup, starting the season well but being hampered by injuries in crucial positions that now sees the team languishing in 5th spot on the log standings, ahead of the final round of fixtures against FNB Shimlas.
Once again, the team was led by head coach Hugo van As with Ngia Selengbe captaining the side for the 2024 campaign. Selengbe was one of the first causalities to injury, which saw Cal Smid taking the reigns before he was also sidelined, seeing the team seeking other leadership.
The loss of players in key positions led to a few young players getting an opportunity to don the blue strip, making it a tough season without some of the more experienced campaigners but a great building block for the future.
The team got their season underway in fine style, defeating FNB UWC 66-10 at the UWC Sports Stadium in round one, producing an outstanding display. It set the team off well for the second round, where the Witsies played in front of a packed Wits Rugby stadium against FNB CUT, which proved a tough encounter that the boys in Blue saw off with a 34-17 victory. The third fixture saw a tricky trip to the Danie Craven stadium, where the Wits team took on a strong FNB Maties side under tough wet and windy conditions. The game saw an end-to-end battle, with Maties in the end squeezing through to clinch a hard fought 23-12 triumph.
The fourth round saw our boys going down 51-22 against a formidable FNB NWU Eagles outfit at the Fanie Du Toit Ground, where the Witsies let things slip late on in the fixture, seeing the hosts’ off to an emphatic victory. In the fifth round, our Blues welcomed FNB UCT, in one of the most exciting games of the season, where our boys clawed their way to a last gasp 33-all draw. It was certainly a game that could’ve been won but the mere fightback from the Witsies was incredible to witness. The much-anticipated Joburg Derby then beckoned as we made the short trip down the road in the sixth round, where we met a highly motivated FNB UJ team that ran rampant, securing a 49-26 victory over our Witsies.
FNB Wits head coach, Hugo van As, felt that lack of experience in the team was not the only factor for the turn in fortune for the Witsies but losing players in key positions made life difficult for the boys to keep the momentum, but they are turning a sour situation into something for the future.
“I don’t want to really use lack of experience as an excuse because our motto and what we stand for is when the moment comes, you’ve got to come with a player that’s available and so I must be honest. However losing players in key positions like 2, 9, 10, and 12 isn’t great, including our 4 and 5 locks with one or two loose forwards. That is however an opportunity for us to invest in the future and an opportunity for the next player to make use of the chance.”
FNB Wits will have one last chance to give it their all and possibly cement a 5th place finish with a win against the FNB Shimlas, who are now just playing for a home semifinal.
“The team will now want to finish strong in the last round and it’s a home game in front of our own crowd and I think it’s important for us to finish strong, because in our game against UJ, we were not on song and they were just on top of their game, so there will be a desire from the team to finish strong and see where we finish on the log.” - Wits head coach Hugo van As concluded.