Griquas hand Cheetahs first loss of season
GRIQUAS on Saturday claimed their second big scalp in a week as they handed defending Currie Cup champions Free State Cheetahs their first defeat of the season after toppling Western Province on Wednesday to ensure that no sides remained unbeaten after the fifth round.
In a thrilling day of Currie Cup rugby, Griquas ended the Free State Cheetahs’ three-match winning run as they registered a 30-25 victory in Bloemfontein, while a strong first half by DHL Western Province was enough to secure a 45-34 victory against the Blue Bulls in Cape Town, and a red card for the Golden Lions triggered a 47-31 defeat against the Cell C Sharks in Johannesburg.
A late try by Griquas replacement lock De Wet Kruger, who scored two of his team’s three tries, allowed the Kimberley side to topple the Toyota Free State Cheetahs.
The defending champions dominated the first half as they scored two tries and limited the visitors to two penalty goals for a 17-6 lead, but Griquas found their rhythm in the second half and scored three tries to match the hosts.
Their three penalty goals and three conversions, however, handed them the edge on the scoreboard.
Western Province, meanwhile, survived a determined fightback by the Blue Bulls to register a 45-34 victory at Newlands in Cape Town.
The home team ran riot on attack in the first half and scored six tries, supporting this with a solid defensive effort to limit the visitors to a converted try and two penalty goals for a 42-13 half-time lead.
The Blue Bulls dominated the second half with back-to-back tries by Kefentse Mahlo and another by Junior Springbok hooker Johan Grobbelaar, while they managed to reduce the hosts to scoring only a penalty goal in the second half.
A red card for Golden Lions hooker Robbie Coetzee in the 51st minute of their clash against the Sharks cost them heavily as they went down 47-31 in Johannesburg.
In a strong first-half showing, the hosts earned their bonus point try in the 29th minute for a 24-0 lead, while the Sharks snuck through on the stroke of half-time for their first points of the match.
The Golden Lions added another try shortly after the break, with the Sharks crossing the line for their second try minutes later, which concluded with Coetzee’s boot making contact with a player’s face.
With the hosts reduced to 14 men, the Sharks scored five unanswered tries to secure a 47-31 win.