GRIQUAS REARING TO GO
After a rather forgettable 2018 the Tafel Lager Griquas have set their sights on giving a much better account of themselves during the upcoming season.
Losing the final of the SuperSport Rugby Challenge to Western Province before being totally outclassed in the Currie Cup, where they only won four out of 12 matches, is simply not good enough for a team with the class and history of Griquas.
Granted, Griquas challenge was diluted, firstly by several injuries at critical times during the season, and then by a number of their players being called up to Super Rugby duty with their central region neighbours, when the Cheetahs were still competing in the southern hemisphere bash.
The Griqua lads have been working hard at practice as they prepare for imminent 2018 rugby season. Their first run to test their combinations and strategy is against Western Province, the team that pipped them in last year’s SuperSport Rugby Challenge final. The players have shown great motivation on the practice field, working at boosting their fitness so as to eliminate that other problem that dogged them last season where they ran out of steam during the final quarter of matches losing concentration and being unable to drive themselves to clinch games.
While the pre-season friendly against WP in Upington next Friday is the perfect opportunity to test themselves, it will also give the Kimberley team the opportunity to prove to their upcoming opponents this season that they are ready to compete at the highest level. Any way you look at it Griquas have a mountain of a season ahead of them.
The team will definitely be competing in the SuperSport Rugby Challenge and their participation in the premier division of the Currie Cup has been confirmed, but also looming on the horizon is the very real possibility of them competing in the northern hemisphere in the Anglo-Welsh Cup though at present nothing has yet been confirmed.
One further obstacle for Griquas is the disruption that they may be facing because of established players leaving and new players joining the team.
The list of players who have left Griquas for other provinces and franchises could leave a huge gap in the team with names like Devon Nash, Tiaan Dorfling, Tertius Kruger, Koch Marx, Stephan Vermeulen, Alvin Brandt, Marius Fourie, Jonathan Adendorf, Jason Fraser, RJ Liebenberg, Stephan Vlooi Kotze, Clinton Swart, Mzwandele Zito, Poerie van Rooyen and Alshaun Bock no longer running out for the Peacock Blues.
Because of this, trying out their combinations next Friday against WP will be key to Griquas’ season, seeing as there are 13 new faces PAST IS THE PAST: Griquas are looking forward to the new season. who have joined the Griqua ranks. Further good news is that two or three more players may join the squad by next week as the franchise works to boost their numbers and depth to guard against their injury woes that have consistently dogged the team.
The coaching staff, apart from the new forwards coach, are Peter Engeldow the head coach, Pieter Bergh backline coach and Neil Murphy the conditioning and fitness coach.