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Cheetahs prove too strong for the Griquas

rugby10 March 2023 16:52| © MWP
By:David Knowles
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The Toyota Cheetahs proved too strong and clinical for the Windhoek Draught Griquas in the opening encounter of the 2023 Currie Cup at Windhoek Draught Park in Kimberley, running out 42-19 bonus-point winners and outscoring the home side five tries to three.

With a point to prove as last year’s beaten finalists, much was expected from Griquas but as can be expected from a unit boasting some new faces and not having played together for months, they were rusty in the first 40 minutes where they effectively lost the game, heading into the break 22-0 down.

Griquas scored with the opening jabs in the early stages but once the Cheetahs settled, they began to execute their gameplan with veteran midfielder Frans Steyn pinning Griquas in their own 22 with long, raking kicks.

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It paid off in the 14th minute when Cheetahs hooker Marnus van der Merwe crashed over after the visitors secured the ball at a lineout, set up the maul and drive and breached the whitewash. Ruan Pienaar, celebrating his 39th birthday, added the extras for a 7-0 lead.

The advantage was extended in the 21st minute thanks to a Pienaar penalty and when the Cheetahs scored their second try in the 26th minute when flanker Gideon van der Merwe dotted down after sustained pressure and depriving Griquas of the ball, the tone for the match was set.

Pienaar missed the conversion and despite being down to 14 men after lock Rynier Bernardo was yellow carded for a professional foul, the Cheetahs looked untroubled in keeping Griquas at bay.

Rosko Specman, making his debut for Griquas, was sin binned just before the break for diving with his knees on Cheetahs fullback Tapiwa Mafura and the Cheetahs took advantage when No 8 Jeandre Rudolph took a flat pass from Pienaar to score his side’s third try on the stroke of halftime.

Pienaar convered for a 22-0 lead heading into the changerooms.

GRIQUAS SHOW HEART AND CHARACTER

The misery continued for Griquas when Cheetahs flanker Friedel Olivier scored in the 46th minute, Pienaar again supplying the pass as Griquas missed tackles.

This was the bonus point try (29-0) but Olivier went from hero to villain when he was shown a yellow card in the 50th minute for a dangerous tackle.

Finally Griquas got on the scoreboard when replacement hooker Gustav du Rand corkscrewed his way over the line in the 51st minute for Lubabalo Dobela to convert, the score 29-7.

Another Pienaar penalty extended the Cheetahs' lead to 32-7 but credit to Griquas who never gave up and played with heart and character, wing Luther Obi finishing a great build up score a superb try, converted by Dobela (32-14).

Cheetahs wing Daniel Kasende sealed matters in the 62nd minute when he took a looping pass after 19 phases to score in the left corner, Pienaar converting to make it 39-14. Another Cheetahs penalty took them to 42-14 and with a minute remaining, Du Rand scored his second and Griquas’ third try when he took a short pass from a lineout and dashed down the left touchline to dive over (42-19). The conversion was missed and despite a strong finish, Griquas could not secure a bonus point try.

Kasende was shown yellow in the 68th minute and just before the final whistle, another misdemeanor saw him given a red card.

Before the match kicked-off, a minute’s silence was observed for Piet Visagie who had died. Visagie played 25 tests for the Springboks between 1967 and 1971 and played all his provincial rugby for Griquas. He was in the Griquas side that won the Currie Cup in 1970, upsetting Northern Transvaal 11-9 in Kimberley.

CHEETAHS 42: Tries 5 (Marnus van der Merwe, Gideon van der Merwe, Jeandre Rudolph, Friedle Olivier, Daniel Kasende; Conversions 4 (Pienaar); Penalties 3 (Pienaar)

GRIQUAS 19: Tries 3 (Gustav du Rand 2, Luther Obi); Conversions 2 (Dobela)

GRIQUAS: 15 Jay-Cee Nel, 14 Rosko Specman, 13 Sango Xamlashe, 12 Zander du Plessis, 11 Luther Obi, 10 Lubabalo Dobela, 9 Johan Mulder, 8 Janco Venter, 7 Stephan Smit, 6 Niel Otto (captain), 5 Derik Pretorius, 4 Albert Liebenberg, 3 Janu Botha, 2 Janco Uys, 1 Kudzwai Dube

SUBSTITUTES: 16 Gustav du Rand, 17 Cebo Dlamini, 18 Junior Banda, 19 Johan Retief, 20 Carl Els, 21 Bobby Alexander, 22 George Whitehead, 23 Malcolm Jaer

CHEETAHS: 15 Tapiwa Mafura, 14 Daniel Kasende, 13 Robert Ebersohn, 12 Frans Steyn, 11 Munier Hartzenberg, 10 Reinhardt Fortuin, 9 Ruan Pienaar, 8 Jeandrè Rudolph, 7 Friedle Olivier, 6 Gideon van der Merwe, 5 Victor Sekekete (Captain), 4 Rynier Bernardo, 3 Hencus van Wyk, 2 Marnus van der Merwe, 1 Schalk Ferreira

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