Staff Reporter.
The Tafel Lager Griquas relied on a huge defensive performance to pull off yet another giant-killing Carling Currie Cup effort when they beat an error-strewn Cell C Sharks side 37-27 at Jonsson Kings Park in Durban on Saturday.
The upset win takes Griquas up to second in the Currie Cup standings, level on points with their victims but ahead on points difference.
For the now third-placed Sharks, this was a second loss of the campaign, coupled with three ‘draws’ and two victories.
The match was marred with ill-discipline, with Griquas conceding five yellow cards and the Sharks one. Be that as it may, Griquas steamrolled their more favoured opponents, who scored a few late tries which added some respectability to the scoreline.
Griquas opened the scoring in the second minute and from there led throughout the encounter. Further tries by Jan Uys and Ederies Arendse gave the visitors a 21-8 lead at the break.
The same trend continued at the start of the second half, with Griquas bamboozling the hosts to extend their lead to 31-8. But when they were handed three yellow cards in the space of three minutes, the Sharks received a reprieve.
Reniel Hugo, Yaw Penxe and Thembelani Bholi all crossed for the Sharks, but a couple of penalties by George Whitehead made the game safe for Griquas.
Teams:
Cell C Sharks: 1. Ntuthako Mchunu 2. Kerron van Vuuren 3. Lourens Adriaanse 4. Le Roux Roets 5. Reniel Hugo 6. James Venter 7. Mpilo Gumede 8. Phepsi Buthelezi (capt) 9. Sanele Nohamba 10. Curwin Bosch 11. Thaakir Abrahams 12. Murray Koster 13. Werner Kok 14. Yaw Penxe 15. Anthony Volmink
Replacements: 16. Dan Jooste 17. Mzamo Majola 18. Wiehahn Herbst 19. Thembalani Bholi 20. Henco Venter 21. Jaden Hendrikse 22. Lionel Cronje 23. Jeremy Ward
Tafel Lager Griquas: 1. Max Mxoli 2. Janco Uys 3. Janu Botha 4. Adre Smith 5. Stefan Willemse 6. Gideon van der Merwe 7. Sibabalo Qoma 8. Ruan Steenkamp 9. Stefan Ungerer 10. George Whitehead 11. Eduan Keyter 12. Jonathan Francke 13. Jay Nel 14. Daniel Kasende 15. Ashlon Davids
Replacements: 16. H.J. Luus 17. Andrew Kuhn 18. Andries Schutte 19. Cameron Lindsay 20. Hanru Sirgel 21. Reagan Oranje 22. Tinus de Beer 23. Ederies Arendse.
Meanwhile Hooker Scarra Ntubeni was shown a straight red card as the Vodacom Bulls secured a bonus-point 34-17 (halftime 17-13) Carling Currie Cup victory over DHL Western Province at the iconic DHL Newlands in Cape Town on Friday evening.