JOHANNESBURG – The Wits Blues’ victory over UFH, came with the subtlety of a sledgehammer. FNB Wits didn’t just beat FNB UFH, they obliterated them 51-0 in a ruthless display of forward dominance that left the visitors shell-shocked at Wits Stadium.
This wasn’t a contest. This was a massacre. Playing in front of their Johannesburg faithful for the first time this season, the hosts unleashed rolling mauls that left battered defenders in their wake.
Mayhem from the off
If FNB UFH harboured any ambitions of an upset, flanker Liam Santos crushed them within three minutes. The powerful loose-forward emerged from a rolling maul to dot down, setting the tone for an evening of unrelenting forward brutality.
Santos wasn’t done. Fifteen minutes later, he replicated the feat, another driving maul, another five-pointer. The blueprint was simple: set the platform, engage the drive, score the try. Rinse and repeat.
Between Santos’ brace, scrumhalf Bryce Samuel demonstrated the value of quick thinking around the breakdown. While defenders stood ball-watching, the diminutive number nine spotted the gap and exploited it ruthlessly. Then Hayden Munnery capitalised on a quick tap decision, stretching the defence before crossing the chalk.
First quarter carnage
By the time the first quarter had elapsed, Wits had already racked up 22 unanswered points. The visitors looked shell-shocked, their defensive line creaking under relentless pressure. The home pack sensed blood.
Jamaal Feldman bulldozed over in the 27th minute, the scoreboard clicking to 29-0. Five tries in the opening half, and UFH hadn’t registered a single point. The writing wasn’t just on the wall, it was illuminated in neon lettering.
Second-half procession
Whatever adjustments FNB UFH attempted during the interval proved futile. If anything, Wits emerged hungrier. Centre Lindani Dweba announced himself with a try that extended the advantage to 34 points, before backing up shortly after to make it 39-0 and seal his brace.
The electric centre showcased pace and finishing ability that had the home crowd purring. When your forwards provide that much front-foot ball, backs with Dweba’s skillset inevitably cash in.
Santos, meanwhile, wasn’t finished terrorising the visitors’ defensive line. Before the hour mark ticked over, the flanker completed his hat-trick with, you guessed it, another rolling maul try. Three scores, all from the same play. It was a specialist’s performance that will have coaches across the competition taking notes.
Skipper Latica Nela provided the finishing touches in the 66th minute, put through by Matthew Coetzee for a try that sealed the half-century. The captain’s score was fitting, a leader by example on a night when his forwards had completely dominated proceedings.
This victory was built on forward supremacy. The Wits pack bullied UFH at the set-piece, dominated the contact area, and turned the rolling maul into a devastating weapon. Five of the evening’s tries came from forward-oriented phase play.
For FNB UFH, this represents a sobering examination of where they currently sit. Failing to register a single point against an admittedly rampant Wits outfit will hurt. The visitors struggled to secure quality possession, couldn’t stem the defensive bleeding, and offered precious little attacking threat.
There’s no sugar-coating a 51-0 defeat. They were outmuscled upfront, outplayed in the backs, and ultimately outclassed across the park.
