Tuks made it four out of four on Friday by beating Varsity College 75-21 in the Varsity Shield Tournament at home.
When playing the numbers game with Tuks heroics in the Varsity Shield, four is not the only number that stands out. There are also 212, 75, 53, 29, 17 and four.
212 is how many points Tuks has notched up in total so far; 75 is the most scored in a game this season. On average, Tuks has been winning 53-12. In four games, Tuks scored 29 tries and only conceded six. Jean-Pierre Wentzel (flyhalf) has succeeded with 17 conversions. Ethan Burger (co-captain) is Tuks top try scorer, having dotted down on four occasions. The loosehead prop has the distinction of scoring in every game he played.
This did not just happen. Last week, Tuks’s fullback, Tharquin Manuel, stated that he and his teammates are process-driven.
“Everything we do, we do for the ‘Stripes’. It is about Tuks’s name being back on the highest platform. That is the Varsity Cup. Still, we are not taking anything for granted. As it is said in Afrikaans ‘haastige hond verbrand sy mond’. We still got to win the Varsity Shield Tournament. That is why we take it one game at a time.”
The aspiring teacher is one of the veterans in the Tuks team. In 2021 and 2022, he was part of the team that won the Varsity Cup. He did not get to play Varsity rugby last year due to an ankle injury.
As a fullback, Manuel tries to style how he plays to that of the Springboks Cheslin Kolbe and Willie le Roux.
“I can change my game a lot. I can either be a very physical fullback. It is one that comes on hard, or I can be a fullback who plays smart. If there is a chance to score, I will go for it. More importantly, I am a team player. I believe in creating opportunities for the players on the outside of me. I can use my pace to beat off defenders. In a nutshell, my role is to ensure the game is never predictable.”
Away from rugby and his studies, Manuel wants to make a difference in people’s lives.
“It is important to me to make a difference in people’s lives. To support them. Sometimes, it takes only a word or small action to change people’s perception of themselves and to help regain their passion for life.”
Tuks currently tops the Varsity Shield log with 20 points. The Madibaz is the only other unbeaten team. They have got 19 points. Varsity College is third with 15 points.
Tuks plays the University of KwaZulu Natal on Friday in Durban. Kickoff is at 16:00.
The Tuks scorers against Varsity College are:
SCORERS
Tuks 75 – Tries: Bayanda Ngubane, Marco Venter, Johannes Marè, Ethan Burger, Henry Till (2), Chad-Lee Valentine, Cayno February, Dillon Smith, Kamohelo Tlome, Jacobus Louw. Conversions: Jean-Pierre Wentzel (7) and Kyle Cyster (3).
FNB Player That Rocks: Jean-Pierre Wentzel (FNB UP-Tuks)