FNB Wits have fallen short of what they had envisioned for themselves in their 2024 FNB Varsity Cup campaign.
The Witsies currently sit in fifth spot on the log, ahead of their last round-robin match on Monday 8 April against FNB UFS Shimlas in Johannesburg.
Head coach Hugo van As has expressed his disappointment in the way the season has played out.
“Our season has not gone the way we were hoping and planning to be after round 6, especially the loss against UJ, which was a big blow to us and has now obviously put us out of semi-final contention. This is very disappointing, and the squad are also disappointed with where they now find themselves.”
Even though Van As says that the team’s chemistry has been good, other factors have been at play in where they currently find themselves.
“We picked up quite a few injuries, especially in key positions and personnel, which I believe has had an impact. This includes our initial captain Ngia Selengbe. We had 2 or 3 major injuries in key positions that had a real effect on the team.”
All is not lost though as Van As believes the youngsters coming through is a good opportunity to build for the future.
“I don’t want to use lack of experience as an excuse because our motto and what we stand for is when the moment comes, you’ve got to come with an available player. However losing players in key positions like 2, 9, 10, and 12 isn’t great, including our 4 and 5 locks with one or two loose forwards. That is however an opportunity for us to invest in the future and an opportunity for the next player to make use of the chance.”
Wits will have one last chance to give it their all and cement a fifth-place finish with a win over Shimlas, who are playing for a home semi-final.
“The team will want to finish strong in the last round and it’s a home game and I think it's important for us to finish strong,” says Van As.
by S’fiso Nyawo
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