UJ search for elusive consistency
While the Varsity Cup season may not have ended with a play-off spot, Janse van Rensburg believes the campaign is all about the little moments and the result of one match could change the outcome of the entire competition.
"As far as Varsity Cup is concerned, consistency is crucial because the semi-final places are usually only determined during the last round, as that is the nature of the competition. You can speak about being consistent but you still have to take everything game by game.
"We started last season well and I feel as though the one point loss to Maties [in Round Five] stifled our campaign. Had we won that one, we would qualify for the semi-final. At this stage, we are all excited because the planning has gone well and we are happy with where we are but Monday is the real deal and you only know good your planning is once you start planning.
"We have achieved a nice balance in the squad. Other than three Varsity Cup debutants, the remainder of the squad has been involved in the tournament before. So I suppose if you could choose a balance beforehand, we would be close to it," Janse van Rensburg told rugby365.com.
The new bonus-point system, that rewards running rugby, may have the final say in close encounters but the UJ coach believes it will take a few rounds before teams are able to figure out how to make effective use of it.
"I think we will only know by about the third round of games what impact the bonus point system will have. There will obviously be more reward for the quality of the try but in saying that, we will take the opportunities available on the field. If we feel and see fit that an opportunity is there to be taken, we will do just that," he added.
UJ open their account against NMMU-Madibaz in Johannesburg on Monday, February 8 and Janse van Rensburg knows the task ahead is a lot harder than it seems.
"The thing that people fail to realise is that the Madibaz have made two consecutive finals before their 2015 campaign, which wasn't their best. So they will want to prove to everyone that they are a good side.
"I know the system down at the Kings at this stage leaves a lot of questions but I don't believe it will have an effect on them. They would be able to adapt to what their coach wants. They will be ready and raring to go because we have seen in the past that no team can be taken lightly at any stage," he stated.
By Tauriq Ebrahim
