Wasteful Ikeys gift NWU Eagles Varsity Cup title in front of rocking Potch crowd

The North-West University Eagles needed the entirety of the second half to quell a spirited University of Cape Town Ikeys fightback to win 27-25 and claim their second Varsity Cup title on a chilly Monday evening. 

The hosts led 20-9 at half-time in front of their hostile and fervent home crowed and looked the stronger side, but were gradually reeled in by the visitors, who only had themselves to blame for one of the most profligate showings in a playoff game.

They botched at least five clear try-scoring chances in the second half that would have put distance between them and the Eagles, who made the most of their half-chance in the second half.

The Ikeys' inability to bury the game allowed the hosts to bury the ghosts of the 2014 final where they allowed the Ikeys to score three late tries to win 39-33.

They did win the 2015 title, with the captain on that night Jeandre Rudolph on hand to deliver the trophy after flying in with it on a helicopter, so they had no baggage.

They were certainly fraught in the face of a stirring reply from Tom Dawson-Squibb's team, but a pair of braces from Vernon Paulo and Tino Swanepoel did the trick.

The match-box nature of the Fanie du Toit Stadium complex makes for an intimidating venue and it proved to be so for the visitors, who simply couldn't live with the home team's physicality.

This was more than evident in the scrums where UCT captain and loose-head prop Luthando Woji was completely dominated by Eagles tighthead Ruan Swiegers, who also has Currie Cup first-division experience that came through.

Woji did earn one scrum penalty that he celebrated so vigorously, he was cuffed behind the ear by referee Christopher Allanson.

Swiegers took his sole discretion on the chin and proceeded to