After a great start in Round One of the FNB Varsity Shield UKZN Impi have suddenly found themselves on the losing end in Rounds Two and Three. Perhaps the way the competition is being run this year with very little opportunity for a break between games has effected their fitness levels.
Certainly in Round Two they looked as they were going to get their second win against Walter Sisulu University leading 24-15 at the break. With a minute left on the clock and Impi up 31-25 flyhalf skipper Lwandile Mapuko crossed for the winning try for fullback and skipper Litha Nkula to convert giving the East London students a 32-31 victory.
In the other round two games TUT beat the University of Fort Hare 31-24 and CPUT beat Rhodes University 68-8.
Round Three wasn’t good for the two sides from KZN either with the Tshwane University of Technology beating Impi 22-3 and the debutants Durban University of Technology taking another pounding being thrashed 109-6 against the Cape Province University of Technology while Walter Sisulu University beat the University of Fort Hare 46-12.
After Round Four played on Tuesday afternoon and evening at Loftus the Cape Town university Technology remain the only unbeaten side in the competition adding the Tshwane University of Technology to their scalp with a convincing 54-20 win, which places them on top of the log. In the other games the University of Fort Hare beat Rhodes 68-14 and UKZN Impi accounted for Durban University of Technology beating their neighbors 73-7 outscoring them by 11 tries to one with No 8 Menzi Mabaso crossing for three leading the charge. Scrumhalf Jodian de Vos converted nine of the 11 tries while for DUT center Moyumhle Mkize scored their lone try with flyhalf Nelson Mhlongo successful with the conversion.