Lions' second-half blitz too much for Griquas

CURRIE CUP REPORT: The Golden Lions got their Currie Cup campaign underway with a 62-41 win over Griquas at Ellis Park in Johannesburg on Friday.

There were 14 tries in the match with Lions wing Courtnall Skosan getting a hat-trick, while Hacjivah Dayimani got two tries in an impressive display.

Griquas had 20-19 lead at half-time, but the Lions turned up the heat on attack in the second half by scoring six tries after putting three past Griquas in the first half.

Griquas were the first to draw blood in the match when flyhalf George Whitehead knocked over a penalty after just two minutes of play.

However, smiles on the Griquas’ faces did not last long as the Golden Lions started to find their rhythm with ball in hand and after a number of phases inside the Griquas’ half the ball went wide to Dayimani who ran in for the first try of the game.

Shaun Reynolds added the extra two points with the conversion for a 7-3 lead after seven minutes.

The home side continued to dominate possession, but it was Griquas who were the next team to score after a mistake in the Lions’ half.

Lions flyhalf Reynolds could not hold onto the ball from a loose pass inside his own half and Andre Swarts pounced on the ball to run in for his team’s first try. Whitehead converted to give his team a three-point lead.

The Lions were back in front again in the 23rd minute when scrumhalf and captain Ross Cronje caught the Griquas defence napping in the strike zone to run in for his team’s second converted try.

It was then time for one of the Lions’ other Boks, Courtnall Skosan, to take some of the spotlight when he beat a few Griquas defenders out wide to the tryline after the ball was kicked ahead twice.

However, just when you thought the Lions were about to pull away, Griquas hit back with a try of their own when Khwezi Mkhafu crossed the tryline after a powerful driving maul inside the Lions’ 22. Whitehead added the extras and the visitors were just two points behind with seven minutes left in the first half.

Griquas then regained the lead in the 37th minute when Whitehead added another three points after his pack won a penalty after a powerful scrum.

The Lions were then given a huge advantage when Griquas No.6 Wendall Wehr was given a yellow card for cynical play after the hooter sounded for half-time. However, the Lions couldn’t take advantage of the penalty and extra man and Griquas went into the break leading 20-19.

The Lions dominated the opening stages of the second half and they found themselves back in front when Reynolds knocked over an easy penalty in the 43rd minute.

That lead was extended moments later when wing Sylvian Mahuza pounced on a loose pass to race downfield for a try. Reynolds converted it and after 45 minutes the Lions had a handy nine-point lead.

Flank Len Massyn was the next to score for the Lions after another period of sustained pressure before Skosan got his second try 10 minutes later. Both tries were converted by Reynolds and with 20 minutes left on the clock, the Lions were 23 points ahead.

Replacement hooker Wilmar Arnoldi gave Griquas a glimmer of hope in the 64th minute with a try. However, the Lions hit back a few minutes later when Wandisile Simelane ran through the Griquas’ defence with ease from the middle of the field to race away for a try.

Both sides scored another two tries before the end of the match with Dayimani getting his second try and Skosan completing his hat-trick.

Man of the match: Courtnall Skosan displayed some fine finishing with his three tries, while hooker Corne Fourie was impressive with ball in hand. However, the award goes to Golden Lions’ No.8 Hacjivah Dayimani for an amazing performance with ball in hand, which included two tries.

The scorers:

For Golden Lions:
Tries: Dayimani 2, Cronje, Skosan 3, Mahuza, Massyn, Simelane
Cons: Reynolds 7
Pen: Reynolds

For Griquas:
Tries: Swarts, Mkhafu, Arnoldi, Steyn, Coertzen
Cons: Whitehead 5
Pens: Whitehead 2

Yellow card: Wendell Wehr (Griquas, 40 – cynical play)

Teams:

Golden Lions: 15 Andries Coetzee, 14 Sylvian Mahuza, 13 Jan-Louis la Grange, 12 Manni Rass, 11 Courtnall Skosan, 10 Shaun Reynolds, 9 Ross Cronje (captain), 8 Hacjivah Dayimani, 7 Len Massyn, 6 James Venter, 5 Marvin Orie, 4 Rhyno Herbst, 3 Johannes Jonker, 2 Corne Fourie, 1 Sti Sithole.
Replacements: 16 HP van Schoor, 17 Jacobie Adriaanse, 18 PJ Steenkamp, 19 Vincent Tshituka, 20 Dillon Smit, 21 Tyrone Green, 22 Wandisile Simelane.

Griquas: 15 Eric Zana, 14 Ederies Arendse, 13 Kyle Steyn (captain), 12 Christopher Bosch, 11 AJ Coertzen, 10 George Whitehead, 9 Christiaan Meyer, 8 Conway Pretorius, 7 Sias Koen, 6 Wendell Wehr, 5 Pieter van Vuren, 4 Sintu Manjezi, 3 Nicolaas Oosthuizen, 2 Khwezi Mkhafu, 1 Devon Martinus.
Replacements: 16 Wilmar Arnoldi, 17 Ruan Kramer, 18 Wandile Putuma, 19 Eital Bredenkamp, 20 Izak Burger, 21 Jonathan Janse van Rensburg, 22 Andre Swarts.

Referee: Egon Seconds
Assistant referees: Ben Crouse, Christopher Allison
TMO: Lesego Legoete

* CURRIE CUP DOCUMENTARY: What was once South Africa’s premier tournament, has now become a ‘development’ event. rugby365 decided to go back to where it all began over a century ago and see why this tournament was the most revered and where this venerable and celebrated trophy comes from.