Pretoria - The FNB Ikey Tigers will be hoping for a case of third time lucky when they travel to Pretoria to take on the FNB Tukkies in the 2011 Varsity Cup Final at the Tuks Rugby Stadium on Monday evening.
Having suffered narrow losses to the previously all-conquering FNB Maties in the 2008 and 2010 finals (and losing to FNB Pukke in the 2009 semifinals), the Ikeys have developed the unwanted tag of 'Varsity Cup bridesmaids' as they watched their provincial neighbours lift the title three times in a row.
Of course, with the Maties having bombed out before the semifinals this season - at the hands of FNB UJ, at home in Stellenbosch - UCT now have a chance to finally put that runners-up tag to bed, once and for all.
All that stands in their way now, however, is the not-so-small matter of beating the University of Pretoria in the 2011 final of the FNB Varsity Cup presented by Steinhoff International.
But not helping their cause is the small matter of having to travel to Pretoria - despite earning the right to host the home final - although Ikeys head coach Kevin Foote, in his first year in charge of the Ikeys, does not see that as a negative.
"We knew from the word go that we would not be able to host the final - no matter what," Foote told varsitycup.co.za. "We appreciate all the support we get, and all the people that have been behind us, but we have no fear traveling away to go and win the Varsity Cup."
Backing up Foote's statement of "no fear" is the fact that UCT have lost just one match up country during four seasons of Varsity Cup rugby - to Pukke in 2009 - whilst they also won their previous clash against Tuks, at the selfsame Tuks Rugby Stadium, some three weeks ago.
That win over Tuks, by 19-17, allowed UCT to snare a fourth successive home semifinal and they promptly went on to dispatch the Shimlas by 57-20 in their semifinal meeting in Cape Town a week later.
Both UCT and Tuks have had a week off since their respective semifinal victories - Tuks having beaten UJ 25-11 in Johannesburg - allowing the teams to rest a few niggles, which has helped the Men from Cape Town significantly.
Aside from resting fragile bodies, however, the Ikeys have also been boosted by the availability of Western Province Vodacom Cup players Nic Groom, Tim Whitehead and Marcel Brache - all of whom started against Tuks last time - and SA Under-20 lock Eben Etzebeth steps up from the bench after being rushed back for the semifinal from the SA U20 tour of Argentina.
"I'm stoked with the team that we will be putting out on the park come Monday night," said Foote.
"I'm bitterly disappointed for a guy like Adrian Kritzinger who is injured and will be missing the final, but, then again, we're very lucky to be able to call upon someone like Tim Whitehead in his absence.
