CC Qualifiers: Griquas increase lead

Griquas consolidated their position at the top of the Currie Cup qualifying competition standings with a seven-try 47-20 win over the Griffons at Griquas Park in Kimberley at the weekend.

They now have a six-point cushion over the Leopards (10 points), who had a bye this weekend.

Griquas scored six tries in the second half to easily overcome the visitors and increase their log points to 16 after four games in the race for promotion to the Currie Cup Premier Division.

In the other two matches played at the weekend, the Falcons caused an upset when they scraped to a 13-12 win over the Border Bulldogs, down to 13 men at one stage, to hand the East London side their first defeat of the campaign.

At Outeniqua Park in George the Boland Cavaliers kicked a last minute penalty to force a 28-all draw against SWD Eagles.

Despite collecting two points, the Eagles remain anchored at the foot of the table and are winless after four games.

The weekend's matches!

Griquas 47 (7) Griffons 20 (6)

It was the Griquas' third-bonus point win from four matches, but throughout the first 35 minutes they were pinned back by an enthusiastic Griffons team who were prepared to run the ball and showed some neat handling skills.

The Griquas defence was severely tested by the waves of attacks, and were lucky to be just six points down from two Franna du Toit penalties after 30 minutes.

Whenever the hosts did get the ball from broken play, their handling let them down. That was until Griquas No.10 Francois Brummer changed the game with a superb chip over the defence for centre Jonathan Francke to gather and score under the posts.

The Griffons were firmly in the game at half-time, but they had no answer to the onslaught that followed. Four minutes after the resumption, No.8 Carel Greeff peeled away from a maul and then the nippy No.9 Tian Meyer surged through the backline after quick handling by flank RJ Liebenberg. With Prinsloo converting both tries, Griquas suddenly had a healthy 15 points lead at 21-6.

No matter how hard they fought, the Griffons could not release the relentless pressure and four more tries followed. Wing Ntabeni Dukisa shrugged off a series of weak tackles and then Brummer was at the end of a great break by Greeff. Hugo Kloppers was put through by Prinsloo and Martin Bezuidenhout was given the scoring pass by Kloppers from a line-out five metres out.

The scoreline was eventually given some respectability by two break-out tries in the last five minutes by wings Vuyo Mbotho and Norman Nelson, converted by Wynand Pienaar.

Scorers:

Griquas:

Tries Francke, Greeff, Dukisa, Meyer, Brummer, Kloppers, Bezuidenhout

Cons: Prinsloo 6

Griffons:

Tries: Mbotho, Nelson

Cons: Pienaar 2

Pens: Du Toit 2

Teams:

Griquas: 15 Gouws Prinsloo, 14 Riaan Viljoen, 13 Jonathan Francke, 12 Clinton Swart, 11 Ntabeni Dukisa, 10 Francois Brummer, 9 Tian Meyer (captain), 8 Carel Greeff, 7 Nardus van der Walt, 6 RJ Liebenberg, 5 Jaco Nepgen, 4 Stephan Greeff, 3 Stephan Kotze, 2 AJ Le Roux, 1 Danie Mienie.

Replacements: 16 Martin Bezuidenhout, 17 Ewald van der Westhuizen, 18 Hugo Kloppers, 19 Jono Janse van Rensburg, 20 Rudi van Rooyen, 21 Michael van der Spuy, 22 AJ Coertzen.

Griffons: 15 Tertius Maarman, 14 Alvin Brandt, 13 Vuyo Mbotho, 12 Japie Nel, 11 Norman Nelson, 10 Franna du Toit, 9 Boela Abrahams, 8 Nicky Steyn (captain), 7 Marco Kruger, 6 Freddy Ngoza, 5 Johan van der Hoogt, 4 Willem Serfontein, 3 Rudi Britz, 2 Elandre Huggett, 1 Gerard Baard.

Replacements: 16 Khwezi Mkhafu, 17 Daniel van der Merwe, 18 Erik le Roux, 19 Martin Sithole, 20 Oshwill Nortjé, 21 Louis Strydom, 22 Wynand Pienaar.

Referee: Lourens van der Merwe

Border Bulldogs 12 (6) Falcons 13 (3)

The difference between the two teams at the Buffalo Stadium was the penalty try awarded to the Falcons after the Border captain, Blake Kyd, was sent off the field for obstruction halfway through the second half.

The incident occurred just two minutes after Border lock Wandile Putuma was yellow carded, thus handing the visitors a two-man advantage.

Otherwise, it was a game of penalty kicks, with the promising former Dale College fullback Logan Basson, a 32 minutes injury replacement for the influential Masixole Banda, kicking three penalties.

Border more than held their own with some bone-crunching tackling but they were unable to breach the defensive line. The result is a bitter blow for Border, who had won their two previous ties against Griquas and Boland and were expected to win in front of a vociferous home crowd.

Scorers:

Border:

Pens: Banda, Basson 3

Falcons:

Try: Penalty try

Con: Kotze

Pens: Kotze 2

Teams:

Border: 15 Masixole Banda, 14 Sipho Nofemele, 13 Makazole Mapimpi, 12 Lukhanyo Am, 11 Michael Makase, 10 Thembani Mkokeli, 9 Ntando Kebe, 8 Onke Dubase, 7 Nkosi Nofuma, 6 Lukhanyo Nomzanga, 5 Wandile Putuma, 4 Lindokuhle Welemu, 3 Buhle Mxunyelwa, 2 Mihlali Mpafi, 1 Blake Kyd (captain).

Replacements: 16 Ludwe Booi, 17 Yanga Xakalashe, 18 Johannes Jonker, 19 Ayabonga Nomboyo, 20 Oliver Zono, 21 Lundi Ralarala, 22 Logan Basson.

Falcons: 15 Jaun Kotze, 14 Coert Cronje, 13 Christopher Bosch, 12 Willie Odendaal, 11 Etienne Taljaard, 10 Jaco Oosthuizen, 9 Anrich Richter, 8 Friedle Olivier, 7 Ernst Ladendorf, 6 JP Mostert (captain), 5 Marlyn Williams, 4 Shane Kirkwood, 3 Thulani Ngidi, 2 Dean Muir, 1 Andries Schutte.

Replacements: 16 Stephan Hartman, 17 Nico Pretorius, 18 Jacques Verwey, 19 Andrew van Tonder, 20 Johan Pretorius, 21 Andries Truter, 22 Riaan Arends.

Referee: AJ Jacobs

SWD Eagles 28 (22) Boland Cavaliers 28 (11)

The Boland Cavaliers fought back from an 11-point deficit to snatch a last gasp 28-all draw against the Eagles at Outeniqua Park in George.

Replacement flyhalf Adriaan Carelse kicked the last minute penalty to draw the scores level.

The Eagles must have thought that they had done enough when fullback Elric van Vuuren slotted a penalty to open up a three-point lead with two minutes remaining.

Van Vuuren kicked 23 points via seven penalties and a conversion, while wing Denwal Demas ran in a brace of tries for the visitors. Van Vuuren slotted four penalties in the first stanza and he also converted the try of No.9 Johannes Steyn, who dotted down six minutes before the break.

However, Boland were kept in the match by Demas' first try while fullback Eric Zana landed two penalties as SWD led 22-11 at half-time.

The visitors were more competitive after the restart, with Demas going over for his second try and Van Vuuren adding another penalty to cut the deficit to 25-18.

They levelled matters three minutes later through a try by Yves Bashiya (flank). In a thrilling finish, Van Vuuren and Carelse traded penalties to lock the entertaining match at 28-all.

Scorers:

SWD Eagles:

Try: Steyn

Con: Van Vuuren

Pens: Van Vuuren 7

Boland Cavaliers:

Tries: Demas 2, Bashiya

Cons: Zana 2

Pens: Zana 2, Carelse

Teams:

SWD Eagles: 15 Elric van Vuuren, 14 Carlo Radebe, 13 Kirsten Heyns, 12 Luzuko Vulindlu, 11 Daniel Roberts, 10 Gerrit Smith, 9 Johan Steyn, 8 Lyndon Hartnick, 7 Davon Raubenheimer (captain), 6 Christo Du Plessis, 5 Mzwanele Zito, 4 Schalk Oelofse, 3 Dean Hopp, 2 Marius Fourie, 1 Juandre Digue.

Replacements: 16 Wayne Khan, 17 Pieter Stemmet, 18 Alwyn Bester, 19 Buran Parks, 20 Leighton Eksteen, 21 Martin du Toit, 22 Clinton Wagman.

Boland Cavalires: 15 Eric Zana, 14 Arno Fortuin, 13 Wilneth Engelbrecht, 12 Edwin Sass, 11 Danwel Demas, 10 Christian Rust, 9 Marnus Hugo, 8 Wayne Wilschut, 7 Yves Bashiya, 6 Chaney Willemse, 5 Gavin Annandale (captain), 4 Hanno Kitshoff, 3 Keenan Abrahams, 2 Clemen Lewis, 1 SP Wessels.

Replacements: 16 Chadley Wenn, 17 Herman Bailey, 18 Theuns Botha, 19 Nicolai Lubbe, 20 Jovelian de Koker, 21 Adriaan Carelse, 22 Ryno Conradie.

Referee: Stephan Geldenhuys

Standings (under headings matches played, won and points): Griquas 4 3 16; Leopards 3 2 10; Border 3 2 9; Boland 4 1 8; Falcons 3 2 8; Griffons 3 1 4; SWD Eagles 4 0 4.

Source: SARU