Ikey Tigers remain positive ahead of basement battle

The FNB Ikey Tigers are still in search of their first win of the season, but are positive that a victory is not far away. They will be hoping for an improved performance when they take on FNB NMMU in the fifth round of the FNB Varsity Cup presented by Steinhoff International.

Despite their poor run of form so far, Captain Guy Alexander is able to see the brighter side of things and points out the positives he’s seen from the boys in stripes so far this season. “The biggest positive is that the team hasn’t lost their self-belief,” Alexander said.

“We know that in order to get that much needed win, we just need a few small things to click,” Alexander added, almost echoing the words spoken by FNB UCT head coach Hanyani Shimange a few weeks ago when he noted the team’s need for an all-round performance.

The captain even had a few words of encouragement for the team’s fans, who will be eager to see them pick up a win. “The mood around the camp is still good. We know what we can do, it’s just time to stop talking about it and go out there and do it. The Ikey Tigers are known for bouncing back from tough situation, and this group will do the same,” Alexander said.

The coaches have shuffled and changed the back division compared to the last match, while the forward pack only has one starting change, with Prior in for the injured Klaasen. 

The Ikeys are currently at the unfamiliar bottom of the log following the high points margin loss to Maties, with only two bonus points to show after four outings. NMMU are also winless, with two bonus points and 7th with a slightly better points difference. The match is effectively a must win for UCT as the 8th placed team faces a relegation match this season. 

The FNB Ikey Tigers team to play FNB NMMU is:

15 Joel Smith, 14 Bradley Janse van Rensburg, 13 Justin Heunis, 12 Lihleli Xoli, 11 Nathan Nel, 10 Thomas Bednall, 9 Steven Wallace, 8 Guy Alexander (C), 7 Mark Prior, 6 Luke Stringer, 5 Gary Porter, 4 Jade Kriel, 3 David Maasch, 2 Brenton Greaves, 1 Joel Carew

Replacements: 

16 Keagan Timm, 17 Msizi Zondi, 18 Olwethu Hans, 19 Sean Paterson, 20 Dylan Tidbury, 21 Rob Anderson, 22 Suwi Chibale, 23 Samuel Theron.

The FNB Ikey Tigers will play FNB NMMU on Monday, the 21st of March at the FNB Stadium, Johannesburg at 12:45pm (TV).