Will it be third time lucky for the Madibaz?

Madibaz coach David Manuel’s mantra of leaving the jersey in a better place will be tested in their FNB Varsity Cup promotion-relegation match against UJ on Monday.

The Varsity Shield runners-up from Gqeberha will take on the side from the Highveld, who placed seventh in this year’s Cup competition, at a neutral venue in Pretoria.

While being billed as “neutral”, Manuel said the obvious advantage would be with the UJ side who are acclimatised to playing at altitude.

Nonetheless, he and his squad are ready to play the type of rugby called for by the occasion, not only for the Madibaz supporters but also to make a statement on behalf of varsity rugby in the Eastern Cape.

The Madibaz will hope that it is third time lucky after they were well-beaten in their previous two attempts at gaining promotion.

It will be no easy task against a team who have been exposed to the high intensity of Varsity Cup rugby all season long but Manuel and his assistants have left no stone unturned in preparing the squad for their big moment.

“We want to leave the Madibaz jersey in a better place once we move on. We speak about this all the time and this is our opportunity to get back into the Varsity Cup,” he said.

Apart from the obvious prize of top-tier rugby in 2026 for Mandela University, the coach also sees it as an opportunity to get a team from his province back into the Cup.

To do that, they will need to upstage UJ in terms of physicality, intensity and speed.

'THEY ARE BIG MEN'

“This is a Varsity Cup team; they are big men and strong in the set piece with a powerful maul. They are used to the intense pressure of the game at that level,” he said.

Manuel said the Joburg side also had several young players who thrived in the chaos produced by playing at pace.

“They don’t mind taking quick taps and taking on their opponents in broken play.”

The Madibaz lost to Varsity College in the Shield final on April 11 and have spent the intervening time on recovery and preparation.

While mildly disappointed with the result, Manuel stressed how proud he was of the squad’s growth this season following the departure of 10 senior players at the end of last year.

“That sort of contingent makes up the spine of the team, so t

hese young players had to stand up and fill those gaps,” the coach said. “They weren’t quite ready for the first game (which they also lost to Varsity College) but, as the season progressed, they grew immensely.”

Thorough preparation and each player understanding his job within the team are key to his coaching strategy.

“These guys latched on to those lessons and kept growing throughout the season, so I’m massively impressed.”

Seven wins from nine matches – including significant victories over powerhouse teams UWC (twice) and CPUT – speak volumes in this regard.

'MAN OF STEEL'

Manuel acknowledged the contribution from skipper and No. 8 Leon van der Merwe, who was named the Player that Rocks three times.

“He has been our man of steel and epitomises the type of player we want to produce through our elite rugby programme,” the coach said of their inspirational leader whose Varsity Shield career will, win or lose, draw to a close next week.

“Leon has been such a great leader. He doesn’t speak a lot but knows when to say something. His tenacity and consistency, whether we are up or down, has never faded.

“He has been such an example of how to balance semi-pro rugby with academics. I definitely believe he can go places.”

Kick-off is at 11am.