Griquas rout gnarly Griffons in basement battle

MATCH REPORT: Griquas recorded their second win of the season when they routed the Griffons 59-7 in their Currie Cup Round Seven encounter in Welkom on Sunday.

The nine tries to one win still left Griquas in second-from-last on the table, but opened a. 11-point gap over the bottom-placed Griffons.

In the first half, the Griffons had only 30 percent of the possession, compounded by the fact that the hosts conceded 10 turnovers.

After the break, with the home team’s heads dropping, the turnovers continued at an alarming rate.

It also did not help that the Griffons missed 40-odd tackles.

The Griffons did not lack endeavour, but their execution was less than desirable – on several occasions losing possession deep inside the visitors’ 22-metre area.

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Griquas got the game off to a perfect start – left wing Sako Makata scoring after just two minutes, with a try that had its origins from a turnover deep inside his half.

Dylan Maart, Griquas’ right wing, scored the second try – flyhalf Zinedine Robinson providing the scoring pass from a solid scrum. Robinson missed both conversions, but the visitors had a 10-0 lead after eight minutes.

The home team eventually settled down and took the ball through some phases and won a penalty to set up a line-out five metres out. The throw was over the top, but ever-alert prop Moango Ngundue collected the stray ball and flopped over for the try. Wing Qamani Kota added the conversion – 7-10 After 15 minutes.

The game now settled into the arm-wrestle it was expected to be, with a mélange of errors and penalties.

On the half-hour mark, flank Marco de Witt got an armchair ride over the line from a strong line-out maul. Robinson hit the upright and bounced over – 17-7.

Robinson, on the stroke of half-time, produced a sublime crossfield kick for Makata to get his second try. Robinson added the conversion to make it 24-7 at the break.

The second half started the same as the first – a period of enthusiasm from the home team, before Griquas stepped up the intensity and Dandre Delport barged over after some powerful phase play. Robinson added the conversion – 31-7.

That was followed quickly with fullback Connor Mahoney slicing the Griffons’ defence open and strolling over under the uprights. The Robinson conversion made it 38-7.

Tertius Kruger was the next to exploit the porous Griffons’ defence, before fullback Connor Mahoney was yellow carded for a cynical foul.

Both teams now cleared their benches, resulting in the game becoming more scrappy than it has already been.

The game was epitomised by Mahoney’s second try, five minutes from time. The Griffons had a line-out five metres from the Griquas line, turned over possession and the visitors went through the phases and worked the ball upfield till Mahoney found another hole in defence. Tyler Sefoor added the conversion as Griquas went past the half-century mark.

There was enough time for De Witt to get his second try, making the full-time score 59-7.

The scorers

For the Griffons
Try: Ngundue
Con: Kota

For Griquas
Tries: Makata 2, Maart, De Witt 2, Delport, Mahoney 2, Kruger
Cons: Robinson 5, Sefoor 2

Yellow card: Connor Mahoney (Griquas, 57 – cynical foul, playing an opponent off the ball)

Teams:

Griffons: 15 Gurshwin Wehr, 14 Keanu Vers, 13 Chris Hollis, 12 Jandre de Beer, 11 Qamani Kota, 10 Duan Pretorius, 9 Dewald Human, 8 Calla Pienaar, 7 Thomas Ongera, 6 Thato Mavundla, 5 Matthew Gray, 4 Rian Olivier, 3 Moango Ngundue, 2 Chadley Wenn, 1 Simon Westraadt.
Replacements: 16 Willem van den Hever, 17 Mthokozisi Gumede, 18 Buhle Nojekwa, 19 Curtly Thomas, 20 Jared Kruger, 21 David Bunduki, 22 Cheslin Arendse, 23 Kyle Cyster

Griquas: 15 Connor Mahoney, 14 Dylan Maart, 13 Sango Xamlashe (captain), 12 Tertius Kruger, 11 Sako Makata, 10 Zinedine Robinson, 9 Bobby Alexander, 8 Jac van der Walt, 7 Marco de Witt, 6 Thabo Ndimande, 5 Derik Pretorius, 4 Dylan Sjoblom, 3 Cebo Dlamini, 2 Dandre Delport, 1 Leon Lyons
Replacements: 16 Gustav du Rand, 17 Eddie Davids, 18 Janu Botha, 19 Albert Liebenberg, 20 Gustav Erlank, 21 Thomas Bursey, 22 Tyler Sefoor, 23 Marqiewn Titus

Referee: Morné Ferreira
TMO: Egon Seconds

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