Griquas scrum Sharks into submission
MATCH REPORT: Griquas went to the top of the Currie Cup standings, at least for 24 hours, after a gritty 26-17 win over the Sharks in Kimberley on Friday.
In their last home game of the league stages, Griquas outscored the Sharks by four tries to two, for their third bonus-point win of the season.
The Sharks conceded an alarming number of scrum penalties, with the home team dominating all aspects of the set pieces.
Griquas, playing into the strong wind in the first half and more acquainted with the local conditions, were tactically more astute.
However, they were not as clinical as the coach would have wanted in a match that also produced four yellow cards, three by the Sharks..
* To recap the drama, CLICK HERE!
* Article continues below …
Griquas had the better of the early exchanges, taking the ball through multiple phases. However, they were not as clinical as the coach would have wanted.
It required a sublime cover tackle from flyhalf George Whitehead to rectify an intercept pass he threw.
Fourteen minutes into the game flyhalf Vusi Moyo slotted a penalty to finally open the scoring.
A couple of penalties later and Sharks captain Nicholas Hatton was yellow-cared for a cynical foul on his line.
Griquas made their numerical advantage count and after several forward raids, scrumhalf Caleb Abrahams sniped over for the home team’s first try. George Whitehead added the conversion, 7-3.
On the half-hour mark, after an attempted clearance kick when horribly wrong for Griquas, Sharks scrumhalf Ceano Everson sniped over for the visitors’ first try. Moyo added the conversion, 10-7.
On the stroke of half-time, Griquas’ forwards launched another series of raids on the visitors’ line, but the ball was held up over the line, going into the break still three points down – 7-10.
Griquas continued to dominate possession and territory after the break, but their error rate increased alarmingly.
The Sharks were down to 14 men again when flank Matt Romao was yellow-carded for a cynical foul near his line.
From the line-out maul, replacement Lourens Oosthuizen barged over for the home team to reclaim the lead.
The Sharks responded with a Diego Apollis try and Lourens Oosthuizen was yellow-carded for repeat infringements, but Griquas again reclaimed the lead with a Dylan Maart five-pointer – 19-17 for the home team.
Griquas, despite camping in the Sharks’ 22, wasted numerous scoring chances – twice being held up over the line.
With just eight minutes remaining, the Sharks were again down to 14 men – replacement Jean Smith was yellow-carded for repeatedly going offside on defence.
This time the home team made their numerical advantage count, fullback Cameron Hufke finishing off an attack. Whitehead slotted the conversion for an nine-point (26-17) lead with five minutes remaining.
That is how it stayed to the end.
Man of the match: The Sharks’ Baby Bok Bathobele Hlekani enhanced his considerable reputation and Matt Romao made a match-high 21 tackles. Wings Dylan Maart and Gurshwin Wehr again racked up the carry metres, testing the visitors’ defence. Flank Carl Els and centre Mnombo Zwelendaba also did a truckload of carries in a tight game. My award goes to Griquas flyhalf George Whitehead for his calm and collected demeanour and great game management.
The scorers
For Griquas
Tries: Abrahams, Oosthuizen, Maart, Hufke
Cons: Whitehead 3
For the Sharks
Tries: Everson, Appollis
Cons: Moyo 2
Pen: Moyo
Yellow cards: Nicholas Hatton (Sharks, 18 – cynical foul, killing the ball on his line), Matt Romao (Sharks, 54 – cynical foul, offside near his line), Lourens Oosthuizen (Griquas, 58 – repeat infringements, offside), Jean Smith (Sharks, 73 – repeat infringements, offside)
Teams
Griquas: 15 Cameron Hufke, 14 Dylan Maart, 13 Zane Bester, 12 Mnombo Zwelendaba, 11 Gurshwin Wehr, 10 George Whitehead, 9 Caleb Abrahams, 8 Gustav Erlank, 7 Carel van der Merwe, 6 Carl Els, 5 Albert Liebenberg, 4 Derik Pretorius, 3 Cebo Dlamini (captain), 2 Janco Uys, 1 Eddie Davids.
Replacements: 16 Tiaan Lange, 17 Corne Lavagna, 18 Ig Prinsloo, 19 , 20 Marco de Wit, 21 Bobby Alexander, 22 Zinedine Robinson, 23 Tom Nel.
Connor Mahoney
Sharks: 15 Jaco Williams, 14 Christie Grobbelaar, 13 Diego Apollis, 12 Marnus Potgieter, 11 Paschal Ekeji, 10 Vusi Moyo, 9 Ceano Everson, 8 Nicholas Hatton (captain), 7 Bathobele Hlekani, 6 Matt Romao, 5 Deon Slabbert, 4 Gideon Koegelenberg, 3 Lee-Marvin Mazibuko, 2 Bryce Calvert, 1 Phatu Ganyane.
Replacements: 16 Willem van den Hever, 17 Simphiwe Ngobese, 18 Phiwayinkosi Kubheka, 19 Coetzee Le Roux, 20 Jannes Potgieter, 21 Tiaan Fourie, 22 Jean Smith, 23 Hakeem Kunene.
Referee: Griffin Colby
Assistant referees: Sean Muller, Daniel Canhenga
TMO: Cwengile Jadezweni
@king365ed
@rugby365com
