Jaco - 'UCT still a difficult side'
FNB Shimlas coach Jaco Swanepoel still believes that defending Varsity Cup champions FNB UCT are a top-notch team - despite his team's 38-10 victory in Cape Town.
Shimlas scored four tries to two as they beat the Capetonians in the opening match of the 2012 tournament on Monday, but the Shimlas boss said: "The Ikeys are still a difficult side to play.
"Things just went wrong for them. They will still be a force to reckon with in this competition, especially next week when they face UJ in the UJ Stadium."
Before the match against UCT, Swanepoel told varsitycup.co.za that accuracy at the breakdown points would be crucial.
He was clearly right and he admitted: "I am happy with the way we played at the breakdown points. (But) I do think that we can improve with the third and fourth phase of the breakdowns."
Varsity Cup coaches who want to see more tries in this year's competition should be happy with the Shimlas' four-try effort against the Men from Cape Town - especially with the new 'eight-point' tries on offer.
"We scored four tries and bonus points are always welcome. But not just last night, also throughout the rest of the competition tries are - and will be - very important.
"There were some stages on Monday that I would have preferred to have gone for another try, but the guys on the field opted for the kick at goal, probably because those were points on the board for sure."
Former SA U20 - and Cheetahs Currie Cup - winger Nico Scheepers did not disappoint at all on Monday and his kicking helped the Shimlas a lot.
He might move into fullback for the next match since there is some uncertainty over whether Shaun Davids will play against NMMU in Round Two - after taking a knock to his ankle against the Ikeys.
In other injury news, experienced back Cameron Jacobs had to come off the field with a 'hip-pointer', after taking a direct knock into his side.
"We will only know what happens later this week," said Swanepoel about his injury concerns.
Meanwhile, Shimlas captain Lappies Labuschagnè said that revenge - after last year's semifinal drubbing at the hands of UCT - had nothing to do with Monday's game; although the provincial loose forward was elated with the victory - their first-ever over UCT in the Varsity Cup.
"We went out to play the best we could. We approach each match in the Varsity Cup as a new match... Sure, it felt good to win against UCT (at their home ground)... but it's over now," Labuschagnè said.
Labuschagnè, the Player that Rocked the Green Mile on Monday night, added that Shimlas' victory was a solid team effort, but that there were still a few things they could have done differently.
"There are some little things that came out of the UCT match that we will work on this week," said the Cheetahs ball-hunter.
"Near the end of the first half for example we had a lapse of concentration and we did not play the balls we won over effectively."
By Stefan Lotter
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