Craven Week: Leopards bag first win

The Leopards bagged their first win of the 2015 Craven Week when they edged Griquas CD 18-17 in the first game of Day Four in Stellenbosch.

The early morning dew clearly played a factor at the beginning of the game with both teams losing the ball forward in the first 30 seconds. When the teams got accustomed to the conditions it was the Leopards who were on the board first when Lionel George found himself in space in the sixth minute after some wonderful backline play and sprinted in for a try after evading two defenders.

The North West team continued to the make best out of the ball they got and were nearly in for a second try, with decision making letting them down at crucial moments. Griquas CD were also lucky to still have 15 players on the field in the 11th minute after one of their players performed what looked like a tip and late tackle on a Leopards player.

The Leopards went two scores ahead in the 14th minute after flyhalf Andre Kock executed a drop goal from 30m out with ease. Griquas CD struggled to contain the playmaker, who was fantastic in keeping the Leopards pinned inside the Northern Cape team's half.

Griquas were handed a lifeline in the 23rd minute after Leopards fullback Francois Pelser was yellow carded for a tip tackle. However, Adri du Plessis could not put his team on the scoreboard from the kicking tee. 

The extra man advantage became a factor soon after when Denvill Joseph found himself in space on the touchline to sprint in for a try after a well worked move from his inside backs. Du Plessis converted, which put his team within a point of the Leopards. 

Discipline was a problem for both teams towards the end of the first half as there was a stop start affair in play with the referee penalising both teams for numerous offences. Griquas CD took advantage of one of those penalties when flyhalf Renier Fortuin put his team 10-8 in front just before the half-time break from the kicking tee.

Leopards started like a house on fire in the second half with Pelser almost redeeming himself with a scathing run through the Griquas CD defence that nearly resulted in the try of the week. His brother and inside centre Johannes Pelser also questioned the Griquas CD defence with his speed agility in the midfield. 

Griquas CD then took the game by the scruff of the neck after an offside incident in the Leopards in goal area gave them a penalty try. Leopards flank Rebono Kai was yellow carded for his role in the play. 

With 20 minutes to go it was the Northern Cape team looking the more dangerous, but the Leopards also had their moments at times with just their patience on attack letting them down. Both teams were then level at 14 players each after the Griquas CD had a player sent off. Leopards took advantage when hooker Ryno Visagie bulldozed his way over for a try, which was also converted to close the gap to just two points.

The Leopards then found themselves one point in front after a great drop goal by Kock near the Griquas CD 10m line. With ten minutes to go Griquas CD upped their game as they camped on the Leopards tryline, but could not make their final pass stick in their attempt to cross the whitewash.

Griquas CD had one last attack from deep inside their own half but a knock on ended their hopes of achieving a second consecutive win.

Man of the match: Edmund Rheeder

Scorers:

For Griquas CD:

Tries: Joseph, Penalty Try 

Cons: Du Plessis, Fortuin 

Pen: Fortuin

For Leopards:

Tries: George, Visagie

Drop Goals: Kock 2

Yellow cards: Francois Pelser (23 min – dangerous tackle), Rebono Kai (44 min – offside play)

Teams:

Griquas CD: 15 Mpho Molaolwa, 14 Denvill Joseph, 13 Jacques Page, 12 Adri du Plessis, 11 Xavier Cloete, 10 Renier Fortuin, 9 Etienne Le Roux, 8 Reinhard Hayes, 7 Cobus Wiese (captain), 6 Dian Dry, 5 Adriaan Burger, 4 Erik Jordaan, 3 Stefan Hanekom, 2 Talie Dick, 1 David Du Toit.

Replacements: 16 Dolf Zandberg, 17 Wynand Terblanche, 18 Heinrich Fourie, 19 Jason Pietersen, 20 Willa Delie, 21 Juniel Cloete, 22 Marcel Van der Westhuizen.

Leopards: 15 Francois Pelser, 14 Katleho Thabanchu, 13 Marthinus Vermeulen, 12 Johannes Pelser, 11 Lionel George, 10 Andre Kock, 9 Ethan Ballot, 8 Edmund Rheeder, 7 Johan Dettman, 6 Rebono Kai, 5 Jacobus Dreyer, 4 Christopher Kemm, 3 Kgololosego Magano, 2 Ryno Visagie, 1 Marthinus De Villiers.

Replacements: 16 Johannes Joubert, 17 Douglas Bruce-Smith, 18 Tshepo Ratshikana, 19 Gladwin Mabasa, 20 Christopher Coetzee, 21 Dane Booysen, 22    Yamkela Nyembe.

Referee: Renier Vermeulen

Assistant referees: Local, Sabastiaan Abrahams

TMO: Ricus van der Hoven