Griquas run riot in Kimberley
CURRIE CUP REPORT: Griquas scored their first win of the season, when they came from behind to run riot over the Free State Cheetahs in Kimberley on Saturday.
The Cheetahs remain winless after five rounds of the competition.
The Cheetahs held a deserved 24-14 lead at half-time, but after the break Griquas scored 38 unanswered points.
Griquas scored seven tries to three, five of their tries coming in that manic second half.
The provincial neighbours had both endured a torrid start to the season with not a win to brag about between them in seven combined matches.
The Cheetahs were last on the log with no wins from four matches and Griquas second-from-bottom and winless in three encounters.
The Bloemfontein side opened the scoring in the fifth minute when right wing Ali Mgijima took the final pass to round off a good attack in the corner. Flyhalf Ernst Stapelberg made no mistake with conversion.
But Griquas bounced straight back as right wing Ederies Arendse burst through the Free State defence untouched to score the easiest of tries. George Whitehead levelled matters again with the conversion.
The visitors went ahead again thanks to centre Carel-Jan Coetzee, who displayed good composure to score in the 15th minute for Stapelberg to convert.
Only minutes later, Coetzee was in the thick of it again when he scored a runaway try on the counter-attack and Stapelberg was again on target with the kick.
He also landed a long-distance penalty on the half hour.
The Free State defence held firm until it finally snapped on the half-time hooter – as replacement FP Pelser forced his way over for his team’s second try and Whitehead converted.
It took 11 minutes for the first points of the second half to be scored and again it was Pelser who rounded off some good Griquas pressure before left wing Enver Brandt intercepted soon afterwards to score the bonus-point try. Whitehead kicked both conversions for Griquas to take the lead for the first time at 28-24 after 54 minutes.
It was all Griquas from there as they dominated their visitors and stretched them in defence.
Replacement hooker AJ le Roux was the next home team player to score. Whitehead slotted his fifth conversion and then added a penalty after 70 minutes for Griquas to lead 38-24.
Centre Kyle Steyn and replacement scrumhalf Zak Burger then put the finishing touches on the win scoring their team’s sixth and seventh tries in the final five minutes. Whitehead converted both to complete a perfect day with the boot.
Man of the match: Ali Mgijima and Carel-Jan Coetzee terrorised the Griquas defences in the first half. After the break the Griquas’ experience showed – none more so than powerful centre Andre Swarts and flyhalf George Whitehead, who kept his team on the front foot and inside Cheetahs territory with astute decision-making. Whitehead even won a crucial turnover at the breakdown and wins our award.
The scorers:
For Griquas:
Tries: Arendse, Pelser 2, Brandt, Le Roux, Steyn, Burger
Cons: Whitehead 7
Pens: Whitehead
For the Free State Cheetahs:
Tries: Mgijima, Coetzee 2
Cons: Stapelberg 3
Pen: Stapelberg
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Teams:
Griquas: 15 AJ Coertzen, 14 Ederies Arendse, 13 Kyle Steyn (captain), 12 Andre Swarts, 11 Enver Brandt, 10 George Whitehead, 9 Christiaan Meyer, 8 Jonathan Janse van Rensburg, 7 Sias Koen, 6 Eital Bredenkamp, 5 Pieter Jansen van Vuren, 4 Wandile Putuma, 3 Ewald van de Westhuizen, 2 Wilmar Arnoldi, 1 Liam Hendricks.
Replacements: 16 AJ le Roux, 17 Nicolaas Oosthuizen, 18 FP Pelser, 19 Wendal Wehr, 20 Zak Burger, 21 Stephan Janse van Rensburg, 22 Christopher Bosch.
Free State Cheetahs: 15 Adriaan Carelse, 14 Ali Mgijima, 13 Carel-Jan Coetzee, 12 Tertius Kruger, 11 Vuyani Maqina, 10 Ernst Stapelberg, 9 Rudy Paige (Captain), 8 Stephan Malan, 7 Abongile Nonkontwana, 6 Daniel Maartens, 5 Dennis Vissier, 4 Louis Conradie, 3 Gunther Janse van Vuuren, 2 Reincah Venter, 1 Johan Kotze.
Replacements: 16 Kevin Stevens, 17 Jannes Snyman, 18 Stefan van Schalkwyk, 19 Nardus Erasmus, 20 Luigy van Jaarsveld, 21 Dian Badenhorst, 22 Ryno Eksteen.
Referee: Marius van der Westhuizen
Assistant referees: Jaco Kotze, Nico Schmahl
TMO: JJ Wagner
