By Brenden Nel.
@GalloImages.
The Airlink Pumas produced a sensational masterclass on controlled play to win their first ever Currie Cup with a 26-19 victory over The Windhoek Draught Griquas in Kimberley on Saturday.
The Mpumalanga side were good value for their win as they scored when it mattered, used their chances and made the least mistakes in a performance that will be remembered for a long time.
It meant they became the eighth team to lift the oldest domestic rugby trophy in world rugby and gave long-serving coach Jimmy Stonehouse the perfect gift of a Currie Cup win against the odds.
Griquas had their chances, but made too many mistakes and allowed the Pumas to score on both sides of halftime, leaving themselves too much to catch up and in the end it was a bridge too far.
The Pumas outscored their opposition three tries to one, but George Whitehead’s boot kept the home side in the hunt as he contributed 14 points.
But on a day where history was already being made with two of the so-called smaller provinces taking the spotlight in the Currie Cup, it turned out to be a pulsating final with both sides going hammer and tongs to try and claim the trophy.
The Pumas may have been underdogs, but their play definitely didn’t suggest it, as their defence was rock solid and their tackle completion rate far higher than Griquas.
In finals where soft moments and mistakes are often the difference between the sides, it was Griquas who faltered and made them at the wrong time, and the Pumas pulled away to 26-9 at one point.
There were also some strange decisions – like two penalty attempts in the last five minutes when Griquas were 10 points behind. Instead of pressing for the try, they decided to go for posts to reduce the deficit to seven and then try play for the draw.
It was something that seemed to defy logic, as the momentum from a try would have taken them within a drop kick or penalty for the same effect, and given the defending side way more to think about in the final minutes.
Still, the celebrations that followed showed just how much it meant to the Pumas, who have become accustomed to being the bridesmaids in a competition where year in and out there are debates on how many so-called franchises should even take part.
Those are all history now as they take their rightful place among the champions of the sport, and got to drink out of the Currie Cup, as so many legendary players did before them.
The opening stanza was typical of finals as both sides felt each other out and the boot saw the scoreline move along to 6-3 for the home side.
But then, a quick thinking change of attack by Eddie Fouche found space on the right hand side of the field, and a looping long pass from Tinus de Beer was perfectly into the hands of Devon Williams, who made no mistake by scoring in the corner.
There may have been some doubts if the ball went forward, but the match officials decided they were happy and the try stood.
Whitehead took the deficit to one point with another penalty and Fouche countered with one of his own.
But the telling blows were to come just before and after halftime. And it was Griquas who only had themselves to blame. After Fouche’s penalty, Whitehead sent the ball straight into touch and from the restart, the home side gave away two more penalties, finding themselves on their own tryline once again.
It didn’t take much for Eduan Swart, one of the most influential players on the field, to corkscrew from the back of a lineout drive and surge over the line.
Suddenly, going into halftime the scoreline was 18-9 for the visitors and when they got back out onto the field it didn’t get better.
A pass from Sebastian de Klerk was adjudged forward, or the Pumas would have had another try. But shortly afterwards, a series of offloads, a change of direction and some beautiful interplay saw Willie Engelbrecht cross to score and make it 26-9.
The capacity crowd went silent until a beautiful quick tap and looping run from Munier Hartzenberg breathed life back into them as the winger ghosted through the defence with speed to score in the corner and take his side a little closer on the scoreboard.
At 26-16 Griquas were in with a chance with 20 minutes to go, but silly mistakes, handling errors and lineout throws that went skew cost them dearly at times and heightened the pressure.
And as the pressure grew, so did the desperation.
Griquas won a few penalties, but the strange decision to go for posts with three minutes to go made little sense.
It narrowed the scoreline to seven, but upped the pressure on them in the final seconds of the game.
And it allowed the Pumas to defend like demons, making a crucial turnover as the desperation got too much.
While the Pumas celebrated the realisation sank in that the first winners of the Currie Cup would have to wait longer than the 52 years since their last victory. And that on the day they were beaten by the better team.
But it also underscored a performance by the Pumas that made them champions. And a day that their supporters will never forget.
Scorers
The Windhoek Draught Griquas – try: Munier Hartzenberg. Conversion: George Whitehead. Penalties: Whitehead (4).
Airlink Pumas – tries: Devon Williams, Eduan Swart, Willie Engelbrecht. Conversion: Eddie Fouche. Penalties: Fouche (3).