FNB Varsity Cup
All you need to know ahead of Monday's FNB Varsity Cup semi-final in Cape Town (16:30 kick-off).
MATCH TRIVIA
– Despite FNB Maties and FNB UCT playing in a combined 18 FNB Varsity Cup semi-finals, this will be only the second time that they face each other in an FNB Varsity Cup semi-final.
– FNB UCT won the only previous FNB Varsity Cup semi-final between these two sides, a 20-8 victory at this venue in 2014.
– FNB UCT will be playing in their eighth FNB Varsity Cup semi-final, winning five of the previous seven.
– FNB UCT have won four of the previous five FNB Varsity Cup semi-finals at home. Their only defeat at home in an FNB Varsity Cup semi-final was a two-point loss against FNB NWU-Pukke (now the Eagles) in 2009.
– This will be the first FNB Varsity Cup semi-final at home for FNB UCT since 2014. All five of their previous Varsity Cup semi-finals at home came between 2008 and 2014.
– FNB UCT are on a two-game winning streak against FNB Maties in the FNB Varsity Cup.
– FNB UCT beat FNB Maties 44-27 in round seven this season, which was their first victory against them at this venue since 2014.
– FNB UCT are on a three-game winning streak in the FNB Varsity Cup.
– FNB UCT have a 57% winning record at home in the FNB Varsity Cup, which is the fifth-best home record in FNB Varsity Cup history.
– The 44 points that FNB UCT scored against FNB Maties in round nine was the most points that FNB UCT have ever scored against FNB Maties in an FNB Varsity Cup match.
– The 17-point victory for FNB UCT Ikeys against FNB Maties in round nine is tied for the biggest margin of victory for FNB UCT against FNB Maties in an FNB Varsity Cup match. They also won by 17 points in 2014.
– FNB Maties are playing in their 12th FNB Varsity Cup semi-final, which is the most by any team in FNB Varsity Cup history.
– FNB Maties will be playing in their 12th FNB Varsity Cup semi-final, winning nine of the previous 11.
– Both of FNB Maties’ previous FNB Varsity Cup semi-final defeats came away from home, against FNB UCT at this venue in 2014, and against FNB UP-Tuks at the Tuks Stadium last season.
– FNB Maties have not beaten FNB UCT in the FNB Varsity Cup since 2020.
– FNB Maties have won five of the previous eight FNB Varsity Cup matches against FNB UCT at this venue, with their only defeats coming in the 2014 semi-final, and in round seven this season. They drew in 2015.
– FNB Maties need 26 points to become the first team in FNB Varsity Cup history to score 4,500 points in the competition.
– FNB Maties are on a two-game winning streak in the FNB Varsity Cup.
– FNB Maties have a 67% winning record away from home in the FNB Varsity Cup, which is the best road record in FNB Varsity Cup history.
– FNB Maties have led at half-time in 70% of their FNB Varsity Cup matches, winning 89% of those games.
– FNB Maties have won 101 of their previous 130 FNB Varsity Cup matches, making them the only team in FNB Varsity Cup history to have won more than 100 matches. The next best team is FNB UP-Tuks with 77 victories.
– If FNB UCT win, they will reach their sixth FNB Varsity Cup final and their second successive final after also reaching the 2021 Varsity Cup final against FNB UP-Tuks.
– If FNB Maties win, they will reach their 10th Varsity Cup final and their first since 2019 when they beat FNB UP-Tuks. They would become the first team in FNB Varsity Cup history to play in 10 finals.
PLAYER TRIVIA
– FNB UCT fullback Duran Koevort has scored 74 points this season, which is the sixth-most points scored by an Ikey Tigers player in an FNB Varsity Cup season.
– There have only been two FNB Varsity Cup semi-final hat-tricks, with both being scored by FNB UCT players in the same match. Pete Haw and Therlow Pietersen both scored a hat-trick for the Ikey Tigers against FNB UFS-Shimlas in the 2011 Varsity Cup semi-final.
– Sibabalwe Xamlashe, who will start at fullback on Monday, scored two tries for FNB Maties in the 2021 Varsity Cup semi-final against FNB UP-Tuks.
– FNB Maties hooker Sean Swart has scored nine tries this season. He needs one more try to equal the record for most tries scored by an FNB Maties player in a Varsity Cup season (10 by Duncan Saal in 2018).
– Swart needs three more tries to equal the FNB Varsity Cup record for most tries by a player in a season (12 by FNB CUT Ixias hooker Janus Venter in 2021).
– FNB Maties fullback/flyhalf Nevaldo Fleurs has scored 81 points this season, which is the second-most in the FNB Varsity Cup this year. He needs three points to surpass Christian Humphries (FNB Wits) as the top point-scorer in the FNB Varsity Cup this season.
– FNB Maties flyhalf Jurie Mathee scored 27 points against the FNB Madibaz in round eight, which is tied with Henoe Stoffberg for the most points scored by an FNB Maties player in an FNB Varsity Cup match.
– Mathee's 27 points against the FNB Madibaz is tied for the eighth-most points scored by a player in an FNB Varsity Cup match.
– FNB Maties hooker Chris Rossouw is the son of 1995 World Cup-winning hooker Chris Rossouw.
– Sibabalwe Xamlashe is the younger brother of Griquas and former FNB UP-Tuks centre Sango Xamlashe.
– FNB Maties wing Anton du Toit is the younger brother of Springbok flank Pieter-Steph du Toit and Stormers flank Johan du Toit.
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