Discipline key for FNB UJ ahead of crunch semi-final with Tuks

FNB UJ captain, Kamo Molefe, believes staying disciplined and winning the small battles will be key for his side in their FNB Varsity Cup semifinal against FNB UP-Tuks on Monday. The Orange Army will make the trip to Pretoria to battle their provincial rivals for a spot in this year’s final.

Reaching the last four is a massive achievement for the UJ, considering how they escaped relegation 12 months ago.

“This means a lot to us, it’s something we’ve been looking forward to, and it was one of our goals heading into the season.

“It feels like a dream come true after the seasons we’ve had. We’ve worked hard, we feel great and blessed ahead of the match.”

The side from Johannesburg looked completely different in this year’s campaign.

They’ve played an entertaining brand of rugby and caused problems for the so-called “traditional powerhouses.”

Molefe says there’s a renewed sense of belief in the team.

“Belief is one of the things we preached a lot about during pre-season, not just from the players but the coaching staff,” he added.

“We wanted to show that we belong in the competition and we’re not here by fluke or anything. We had a change in mindset and started believing that we can compete.”

UJ went down to Tuks 51-22 in their final round-robin match last Monday.

The semifinal meeting will present them with an opportunity to correct some wrongs. The skipper says preparations have gone smoothly.

“During this week, we’ve focused on ourselves and what we need to fix. We saw our mistakes in the previous game, and what we need to improve. We can’t give them easy entries or be ill-disciplined. We are training to come with intensity and focus. It is a semifinal, so we only have one shot, and we know what they will bring. Discipline in all areas of the game from our side needs to be sharp.”

The clash will kick off at 17:00 at the Tuks Rugby Stadium.

By: Avuyile Sawula