Griquas v Sharks - teams and prediction
PREVIEW: The Sharks’ title defence is hanging by a fraying thread, which could become alarmingly thin on Friday.
Round Four of the Currie Cup gets underway in Kimberley on Friday, where a tricky Griquas outfit will be eager to stay in the hunt for a top-two finish and home ground advantage in the play-offs.
However, they will face an increasingly desperate Sharks team.
While the defending champions from KwaZulu-Natal have won three of their last five meetings against Griquas, they’ve had a tough start to the season, losing all three of their games.
However, Griquas Pieter Bergh cautioned against expecting an effortless cruise to the top of the standings.
He said the Sharks pups, a team loaded with Under-20 graduates and Baby Boks, showed that they are improving.
“There was a lot more fight and energy, and you could see a different attitude from them,” Bergh said about a Sharks team that shows minimal changes.
The most significant selection is South African Under-20 heavyweight Bathobele Hlekani getting his first start this season.
The 20-year-old will be playing in his familiar role at flank, although he made his debut for the Sharks last year, also in week four, but selected at lock.
Other changes see Bryce Calvert returning at hooker for Jacques Marais, Deon Slabbert in for Corne Rahl at lock, and Matt Romao shifting into Tino Mavesere’s position on the flank.
Bergh said ‘attitude’ is the key.
“We’ve got a wonderful opportunity to go top of the standings before the other teams play, and that’s our mindset,” the coach said.
Given the congested nature of the standings and play-off race – with the Pumas, Cheetahs and Cavaliers all on 11 points, followed by the Bulls, Lions and Griquas a point further back – even the Sharks and Western Province are not out of the running yet.
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“This is our last home game,” the coach said, adding: “From the top six teams, the Bulls are playing the Boland, the Lions playing the Pumas.
“There will be a gap opening up there.
“Next week, the Cheetahs play the Lions, we play the Bulls, and Boland play the Pumas.
“A lot is going to happen in the next three, four weeks, which is wonderful for the competition.”
Griquas are top of the tournament’s totem pole in several aspects of attack – points scored, tries scored, most line-breaks, and most defenders beaten.
However, it is at the breakdown where they have been most impressive, winning 20 turnovers in three matches.
“However, we’re also kicking a lot,” Bergh said, adding: “We had 30 kicks against Western Province [last week].
“We’re finding that balance of when to play and when to kick, playing in the right areas of the field.
“That’s what we’re getting right now.”
Playing in Kimberley, the team’s tactics won’t change much, and the Sharks can expect plenty of counterattacking from the home team.
“The biggest positive for me is that we have improved every week.”
For the visitors, breaking their duck in the victory column is a premium.
Another loss will leave them relying on other results to go their way to stay in the play-off race and keep their title defence alive.
Griquas’ main advantage is cohesion and plenty of game time, from the SA Cup through into the Currie Cup.
The home team also have a host of seasoned senior provincial players ready to run the young upstarts ragged.
“When the game is tight they can rely on those connections and cohesion they have been building on,” Sharks coach JP Pietersen told @rugby365com.
However, he believes the Sharks are also making progress and something they can continue going into the Kimberley face-off.
Sharks captain Nicholas Hatton said their performance against the Cheetahs last week, despite losing 5-7, was a step in the right direction.
“We were put under pressure in training this week and we want to build on that [Cheetahs] performance,” he told @rugby365com.
Despite the desperate need to get a win, Hatton said they are still focused on the ‘process’ to ensure they are moving in the right direction.
Prediction
@rugby365com: Griquas by nine points
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 Malembe Mpofu, 3 Cebo Dlamini (captain), 2 Janco Uys, 1 Eddie Davids.
Replacements: 16 Tiaan Lange, 17 Corne Lavagna, 18 Ig Prinsloo, 19 Derik Pretorius, 20 Marco de Wit, 21 Bobby Alexander, 22 Zinedine Robinson, 23 Tom Nel.
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.
Date: Friday, August 15
Venue: Griqua Park, Kimberley
Kick-off: 15.00 (13.00)
Referee: Griffin Colby
Assistant referees: Sean Muller, Daniel Canhenga
TMO: Cwengile Jadezweni
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