GRIQUAS WILL PROVE THEIR WORTH
WHILE the Cell C Sharks and
DHL Western Province prepare to do battle in tomorrow’s final, ending bottom of the Currie Cup Premier Division table has given the Tafel Lager Griquas a golden opportunity to have another run. This time Griquas get to pit their game plan against a skilled and wiley Down Touch Griffons team in a promotion/relegation match at 6.30pm at Tafel Lager Park today. The match will be broadcast live on SuperSport 1.
The last time these two teams clashed was in May, when the Kimberley side dominated the SuperSport Challenge match in Welkom, running in 10 tries and winning the match 66-22 after leading 26-15 at half-time.
The Griffons, meanwhile, will be no pushover in today’s match having recently run in eight tries to convincingly beat the Leopards 60-36 (half-time 25-12) in the Currie Cup First Division final at the HT Pelatona Projects Stadium in Welkom.
The bad news for the Griffons is that the Griqua boys have been hard at work at practice for the past two weeks, honing their skills and pushing their bodies to an even higher level of fitness.
Griquas know that they can leave nothing to chance if they hope to remain in the Currie Cup Premier Division next season. To this end, the team will do well to remember that a rugby match lasts 80 minutes and taking the foot off the gas or allowing the concentration to wander will cost them dearly as they experienced in quite a few matches during their Premier Division campaign this season.
The Griqua supporters are the lucky ones as they get another opportunity to see a hungry and drilled home team taking the game to their opponents; this is definitely not an occasion to be missed. Already Griquas have been mapping their way forward for next season and fans can come and see for themselves how Griquas’ plan to remain in the Premier Division is coming on.
More good news is that entrance to the once-off promotion/relegation game will be free, and though Griquas have one focus – to win and to win well – should the match end in a draw, then Griquas will remain in the Premier Division, according to Griqualand West Rugby Union president Jannie Louw.
Meanwhile, conditioning coach Neil Murphy told the DFA that the team is motivated for this clash. “With this promotion/relegation play-off final in mind there is a lot of excitement in the Griqua camp at present. The boys are focused on the task at hand and are looking forward to a strong Griffons team that will bring massive confidence from their recent First Division winning campaign.”
Murphy added that the Griffons have a strong set-piece together with backs that like to run with the ball; backs who are full of confidence at present. “So it is going to be an exciting, but tough game,” he added.
“The boys are just excited to play again and are determined to play our Griquas brand of rugby, and we want to make sure our final game for the year is to give Griquas’ fans something to be proud of.”
The coach said that the players who could not play were pretty disappointed. “Unfortunately we are without two of our top players, AJ le Roux, the only change from team that played against the Pumas, with an ankle and André Swart with a shoulder injury”, the coach said.
Another thing that should have the visitors quaking in their boots is the fact that four ex-Griffons players will be playing for Griquas this afternoon, the Kruger brothers, Tertius and De Wet, as well as George Whitehead and Enver Brandt.
AJ Coertzen (c), Ederies Arendse, Kyle Steyn, Tertius Kruger, Enver Brandt, George Whitehead, Renier Botha, De Wet Kruger, Sias Koen (v/c), Wendal Wehr, FP Pelser, Wandile Putuma, Stephan Kotze, Marius Fourie and Liam Hendricks. Wilmar Arnoldi (if available*), Louwrens Strydom, Sinyu Manjezi, Shaun McDonald, Tiaan Dorfling, Johnathan Franke and Eric Zana.
*Wilmar Arnoldi is currently writing exams, but the Griffons were apparently against Griquas bringing in a replacement hooker from outside, so should Arnoldi not be available, then the home team may only have 21 players for the match, according to Griqua president Jannie Louw. NO HOLDING BACK:
The intensity and focus at Griquas’ practice yesterday makes it clear that the Griffons are going to face an uphill battle in this afternoon’s promotion/relegation encounter.