Hanekom's nervous moments
FNB CUT boss Theuns Hanekom was understandably elated with his team's triumph in Monday evening's Varsity Shield Final against FNB Wits, but it was a tense affair for the Men from Bloemfontein... and their coach!
Hosts Wits were more than worthy final opponents and Hanekom revealed that there were times in the match when he doubted whether his charges would be bringing the silverware back to the Central University of Technology.
"It was quite tough and we made it a bit tougher for ourselves. But Wits are a good side," he told varsitycup.co.za on Tuesday afternoon.
"I was a little bit worried," he admitted, "especially after we let them back in the game with that try that their left-wing scored."
That amazing individual effort by flying Wits winger Riaan Arends made the score 20-18 to CUT with just over 20 minutes left... and it was still anyone's game, and competition, to win.
However, Hanekom saw the opening twenty minutes as the crucial period in the match when his side should have stamped their authority on their hesitant opposition.
A relieved CUT boss explained: "Within the first twenty minutes we threw away two tries. If we could have scored then (when we should have) it would have made it a lot easier for ourselves.
"And then that soft try [by Arends], although it was a brilliant try on their behalf, it was weak defence from our guys."
But CUT did manage to hold on and made the game safe with a second try to wing - and eventual Man of the Match - Alec Mhlanga (pictured), but Hanekom was also very satisfied with the improvement in his team's defensive game after their shock loss to UKZN the week before.
"Our defence was a lot better than the previous week so I was quite satisfied with that," he added.
The focus for CUT has always been to win the inaugural Varsity Shield and Hanekom - after months of planning to achieve this - will not suddenly be putting too much pressure on his players in their promotion/relegation play-off with the TUT Vikings on Monday. (Kick-off 3pm.)
"That was our main goal - to win the Shield.
"Anything else now [in terms of the promotion/relegation game] is a bonus," he said.
By Michael de Vries
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