The Griquas produced a composed physical effort to thump the defending champion Sharks 13-37 in the Currie Cup opener at Kings Park on Friday evening.
The Durbanites were coming off the back of another mediocre showing in Super Rugby after being knocked out by the Brumbies in last month’s quarter-final in Canberra. Unfortunately for them, this weekend’s result leaves them on the back foot ahead of a number of challenging away fixtures still to come.
The hosts lacked communication at crucial times, and their inability to finish off a number of chances ultimately proved their undoing.
Having claimed their first SuperSport Rugby Challenge crown three weeks ago, the Griquas were looking to ride that momentum into Friday’s tournament opener. They looked a far more polished outfit on the night and their clinical showing and good decision-making was the difference in the end.
Griquas scrumhalf Zak Burger opened the account early on after a neat interception by No 8 Neill Jordan got his side deep in the red zone.
Sharks pivot Curwin Bosch hit back with two penalties, but George Whitehead added one of his own to see the Griquas head for the shed 10-6 to the good.
It took the visitors just three-minutes to extend their lead in the second-half after a clever kick by Whitehead deep in the Sharks’ twenty-two was fumbled by the colliding pair of Aphelele Fassi and Kobus van Wyk. Michal Haznar dived on the loose ball to give the men from Kimberley some breathing room.
Whitehead added another six-points before a Cameron Wright score narrowed the deficit again.
Griquas replacement hooker Wilmar Arnoldi, though, scored two driving maul tries late on to add further gloss to the score-line and earn the visitors a massive win at the Shark Tank.
Scores
Sharks:
- Tries – Wright
- Cons – Bosch
- Pens – Bosch (2)
Griquas:
- Tries – Burger, Haznar, Arnoldi (2)
- Cons – Whitehead (4)
- Pens – Whitehead (3)
Teams:
Sharks:
15 Aphelele Fassi, 14 Kobus van Wyk, 13 JP Pietersen, 12 Jeremy Ward (cc), 11 Lwazi Mvovo, 10 Curwin Bosch, 9 Cameron Wright, 8 Tera Mtembu (cc), 7 Jacques Vermeulen, 6 Luke Stringer, 5 Hyron Andrews, 4 Ruben van Heerden, 3 Coenie Oosthuizen, 2 Kerron van Vuuren, 1 Juan Schoeman.
Subs: 16 Craig Burden, 17 Mzamo Majola, 18 John-Hubert Meyer, 19 Gideon Koegelenberg, 20 Phendulani Buthelezi, 21 Sanele Nohamba, 22 Marius Louw, 23 Rhyno Smith.
Griquas:
15 Anthony Volmink, 14 Ederies Arendse, 13 Michal Haznar, 12 Andre Swarts, 11 Enver Brandt, 10 George Whitehead (c), 9 Zak Burger, 8 Neill Jordaan, 7 Sias Koen (vc), 6 Gideon van der Merwe, 5 Victor Sekekete, 4 Ian Groenewald, 3 Ewald van der Westhuizen, 2 AJ le Roux, 1 Khwezi Mona.
Subs: 16 Wilmar Arnoldi, 17 Mox Moxili, 18 NJ Oosthuizen, 19 Johan Momsen, 20 Denzel Hill, 21 Chriswell September, 22 Tinus de Beer, 23 Eduan Keyter.