THREE’S A CHARM FOR GRIQUAS
LAST week the Tafel Lager Griquas won their second Currie Cup Premier Division game in a row, and caused the seemingly unbeatable Free State Cheetahs to slip from the top of the log as they ground out a 25-30 win in Bloemfontein. Just three days earlier they had settled a long-standing score with Western Province with their 44-34 win here at home.
The Kimberley side are now slotted in at third place on the log, after a wobbly start to their campaign, when they lost the first three games on the trot.
Griquas are now determined to make it three wins in a row when they host the bottom of the log Steval Pumas at Tafel Lager Park on Sunday in a game kicking off at 2.30pm.
Tails up
As can be expected Griquas have their tails up and are brimming with confidence; and they seem keen to continue their upward momentum. In fact assistant and backline coach Pieter Bergh told the DFA that the players are looking to make a statement.
“We are looking forward to the Pumas match on Sunday as it is our last match before the players have a well-earned week off, so we would really like to get a win before the bye week. Training has gone really well this week and the guys are confident after our last two great performances. We worked hard in our scrums and line-outs this week as we struggled with our set pieces against the Cheetahs.”
Bergh added that the team needed no reminding that they cannot underestimate their visitors. “The Pumas can be a dangerous team with a very strong pack of forwards,” he said. “So it is important for us to pitch up and have the same physicality and attitude
P W D L Sharks XV 5 4 0 1 Cheetahs 4 3 0 1 Griquas 5 2 0 3 Blue Bulls 4 2 0 2 WP 4 2 0 2 Lions 4 1 0 3 Pumas 4 1 0 3 PF 157 147 165 159 130 137 96 PA PD Pts 101 56 20 93 54 16 199 -34 13 140 19 11 127 3 11 187 -50 9 144 -48 6
we had against the Cheetahs, especially on defence. We will be backing our game plan playing at home by keeping possession and we will look to put their defence under extreme pressure.”
The coach added that though the match is being televised a good crowd at the Stadium would boost the team’s confidence tremendously. “We really want the people of Kimberley to come and support the team on Sunday and help the players achieve an important victory,” he said.
Good news for Griquas is that there are not too many walking wounded, and that their squad is almost at full strength. Sadly though, prop Ewald van der Westhuizen who did his knee last weekend will be sidelined for between six to nine months. The injury to Clinton Swart will have no direct impact on Griquas as he has joined the Cheetahs.
Alshaun Bock will also be out of action for another two weeks with his injured bicep; here and there there are a few players nursing niggles, but those injuries are not too serious. More good news is that the two versatile backline players, Koch Marx and Kyle Steyn are back in action and could be up for selection for Sunday’s game. The final line-up for Sunday’s match will only be announced later today.
Entrance to the thrilling live action at the stadium on Sunday will set adults back R50, students will be entertained for R20 and scholars can get in for R10. Tickets to the game are available at the stadium or through computicket.
The match will be also broadcast live on SuperSport 1. GRIQUAS go into their sixth fixture in the Currie Cup on Sunday afternoon with the tantalising prospect of registering their third successive victory in the competition.
The energy sapping losses to the Blue Bulls (51-45), Lions (48-43) and the Sharks (41-3) would have demoralised many other teams, but Griquas went back to the drawing board and applied themselves, even though those losses gave the impression that Griquas were the whipping boys of the competition.
Even the unfancied Pumas had the best possible start to their campaign when they skinned the Lions 43-36 in Mbombela.
The Pumas campaign fell apart after that initial high when they were beaten 29-0 by the Sharks in Durban and then went down 34-45 in a bruising encounter against the visiting Cheetahs.
Griquas, meanwhile, in their win against Western Province in Kimberley in a midweek game rediscovered their confidence … hitherto the WP team had been invincible in nine previous encounters against Griquas.
Then, last week in the game in Bloemfontein, Griquas had ominously started out on the back foot and seemed destined to another defeat, especially since they couldn’t reel the hosts in during the first half. However, an inspired second-half performance saw the visitors prove to the rest of the teams in the competition that the Cheetahs are mortal after all.
Sunday’s encounter should end in favour of the hosts, with the Pumas lodged at the bottom of the log having only secured that single victory over the Lions, but Griquas cannot afford to be complacent even though they seem to be the team to beat, on paper. They will remember, however, what happened to the Cheetahs and remind themselves that anything can happen on the field of play. However, with home ground advantage and their supporters cheering them on, the home team have all its takes to stun the visiting Pumas.