Still no bite from the Bulldogs
Woes mount as Griffons defeat Border with just three games left
THE Border Bulldogs crashed to their sixth consecutive defeat as the Down Touch Griffons claimed a good 31-16 win over the home team at a breezy Buffalo City Stadium on Friday night.
It seems a long time ago that the Bulldogs had made a strong start to the ABSA Currie Cup Premier Division Qualifiers, upsetting the favourites and claiming two wins in two, with whispers of a possible promotion push.
However, since beating Boland away just over two months ago, they have fallen away spectacularly and now find themselves firmly rooted to the bottom of the First Division table, six points adrift of their nearest competitor.
With just three games left in the season, two at home, Border will need a drastic improvement if they want to better their bottom place finish of last year.
First on their list will be to gain some consistency, as they showed flashes of impressive play against the Griffons, but whenever they looked as if they were in the game they let the Griffons get away again.
Another thing that needs working out is simple errors that end up costing the team dearly, as was evident when heading into the final 10 minutes of the match, trailing by only eight points and on attack in the Griffons half, when a knock-on led to a swift counter-attack and try that put the Griffons 13 points ahead and practically out of range.
Border also need to play for the full 80 minutes, regardless of the result as at the end of the match Border’s defence just went to sleep after the final hooter went, with them trailing by eight, allowing the Griffons to scythe through a massive gap in midfield for their fifth try and extend their lead to a scarcely deserved 15 points.
The match kicked off with an ugly crosswind that the Griffons battled to deal with as they missed three conversions and a penalty in the match and on numerous occasions went for the corner when awarded penalties in the 22m.
It was a slow start to the match, with the Griffons eventually taking control and after a sustained period of pressure, flank Vincent Maruping went over in the right hand corner for the opening points after 24 minutes but flyhalf Franna du Toit missed the conversion.
Eleven minutes later from a scrum on Border’s five-metre line, captain and eighthman Nicky Steyn picked the ball off the back of the scrum and dived over next to the right hand post for their second try, which Du Toit converted.
Border replied almost immediately as from the kick off they forced their way to the Griffons 22m, where they were awarded a penalty to the right of the posts, which flyhalf Masixole Banda slotted.
Du Toit then missed an easy penalty on the stroke of half-time, leaving the score 12-3 at the break.
Border began the second half with a bang as first fullback Logan Basson reduced the deficit with a penalty in the 44th minute and then the Bulldogs scored their first try four minutes later after storming back into the Griffons 22m. Hooker Mihlali Mpafi received quick ball off a ruck on the Griffons line to dive over in the left-hand corner.
The missed conversion left Border behind by only onr point and firmly in the match.
The Griffons, however, hit straight back in the 53rd minute after keeping the ball tight from a lineout, for hooker Marco Klopper to barge over. The very good conversion put them 19-11 up. The match then remained scoreless until the final frantic 10 minutes of play when the Griffons scored through left wing Enver Brandt against the run of play.
Border replied through outside centre Lundi Ralarala and then Griffons outside centre Vuyo Mbotho dotted down under the posts after the hooter had sounded with the match ending 31-16.