Ikeys fully focused ahead of Cape Derby against Maroon Machine on the Green Mile

Round five of the FNB Varsity Cup sees the highly anticipated Cape Town derby between FNB UCT Ikeys and FNB Maties at the Green Mile. Last season’s champions will battle for more than just bragging rights as we enter the business end of the competition.

The Ikey Tigers are four-points clear and sit two places above their old foes heading into a season-defining clash in Cape Town. Crucial log points, bragging rights and momentum will be there for the taking in the early Round 5 kick off. Robbie Fleck’s side will be looking for their third win in a row as they target a finish in the top two.

Another success under the Monday night lights could very well depend on the form of scrumhalf, Monray Daars. The energetic number nine played a pivotal role in UCT’s 59-point win over FNB UJ. He covered virtually every blade of grass against the Orange Army and ran in two tries – earning him the Player that Rocks award.

Daars was delighted to pick up the award after being forced to sit out in Round 3.

"I was out with an injury the previous week and all I could think about was making it through that game staying healthy, it really was a surreal moment. I feel like it could've gone either way within our team as we had a lot of great individual performances on Monday”.

The Ikeys halfback expects a big battle ahead of Monday’s meeting with Maties.

“We expect nothing less than a dog fight, both teams want to win! UCT vs Maties is always a tough game. Hopefully we can put up a great show for everyone that’s coming to watch and everyone that’s watching from home”.

The 21-year-old also revealed that there’s a big emphasis on staying present within the team setup.

“We are really focused on what we need to do, if we execute our plans well enough everything will fall into place, but for me I'm just trying to stay in the moment, not thinking too much about the past and what lies ahead.”

By: Kieryn Thompson.