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FNB NWU-Pukke bounced back from last week's loss to FNB Maties in style as they hammered a hapless FNB NMMU 52-16 in Port Elizabeth on Monday.
The Madibaz were never in the contest as they slumped to back-to-back home defeats and leaked seven tries in all. Two yellow cards allowed the hosts to score two late tries but it came as little consolation for NMMU, who were well and truly outclassed on the night.
NWU-Pukke dominated territory and possession and were ferocious when they were asked to defend, with the likes of left wing Luther Obi and inside centre Adriaan Engelbrecht making some big hits.
The visitors got off to a fast start thanks to captain Tiaan Dorfling, who sliced through with a sniping run around the fringe of a ruck and drew the final defender before putting hooker Armand van der Merwe in for a converted try in the opening five minutes of the game.
The Madibaz immediately launched a sustained attack on the NWU-Pukke line but the away side were able to weather the storm.
Van der Merwe almost scored his second when he tried to burrow his way over from close quarters. The hooker was adjudged to have come up just short of the line and a knock-on in the next phase saw NWU-Pukke go into the strategy break with an 8-0 lead.
Van der Merwe was once again in the thick of the action as he broke the line and quick, clean ball and good decision-making by scrumhalf Dorfling saw fullback Sylvain Mahuza dive over in the left-hand corner to extend the lead to 13.
NWU-Pukke flyhalf Johnny Welthagen kicked a rare drop-goal to keep the scoreboard ticking over before the pivot created the visitors’ third try - his deft crosskick bouncing perfectly for right wing Edmar Marais, who dotted down, with Engelbrecht kicking his second conversion.
Pinned deep in their half for most of the first half, the Madibaz finally returned to the attacking 22 towards the end of the half. Lacking patience and accuracy, the hosts were kept scoreless and NWU-Pukke held a commanding 23-0 half-time lead.
A clever kick into space by Dorfling had the NMMU scrambling defence at sixes and sevens shortly after the break and lock Francois Robbertse was the beneficiary as he strutted over for the bonus-point try in the 43rd minute.
Moments later, eighthman Juan Language powered over, the Madibaz notably despondent on defence.
Tighthead Lhlanhla Ngcamu was yellow carded for a professional foul in the 50th minute and while it halted NWU-Pukke’s momentum, the Madibaz were unable to score against 14 men.
A second yellow card, to No.13 Hoffman Maritz, finally saw the Madibaz open their account, with outside centre Michael Bernardt scoring two converted tries in the space of two minutes.
It was far too little too late, though, and 14-man NWU-Pukke had the final say as Mahuza grabbed his second before Obi scored a well-deserved try to complete a seven-try rout.
The scorers:
For FNB NMMU:
Tries: Bernardt 2
Cons: Hauptfleisch 2
For FNB NWU-Pukke:
Tries: Van der Merwe, Mahuza 2, Marais, Robbertse, Language, Obi
Cons: Engelbrecht 5
DG: Welthagen
