Griquas surge up log with big upset win over Cheetahs

The Windhoek Draught Griquas did both themselves and the Vodacom Bulls a huge favour with an unexpectedly comprehensive 46-18 upset win over the Toyota Cheetahs in their Carling Currie Cup Central Union derby in Kimberley on Saturday afternoon.

There might have been some who thought Griquas would push the Cheetahs and maybe even beat them, but in terms of the one-sidedness of the game this has to be one of the biggest shock results in the domestic competition for many a year. The haul of five log points enabled Griquas, fourth before the game, to leapfrog the Sharks into third and with two games to go now look good bets for a semifinal place for a second successive year.

It was also a great day for the Bulls, who now find themselves six points clear of Griquas and for the first time in the Currie Cup season the champions are in the pound seats to host the final.

Griquas were probably unlucky to lose when they hosted the Cell C Sharks a month ago and then impressed with their impressive second half comeback against the Bulls in Pretoria in their last match. However, while their performances were good, they just didn’t get over the line as winners in those games.

In this game there was seldom any doubt they would get it right as they scored seven tries, one of them a penalty try, against the three from the visitors. They dominated the table topping Cheetahs from the first minute, and it was just beyond the one-minute mark that they crossed for the first try to centre Sango Xamlashe to propel them into a 7-0 lead that became 12-0 just eight minutes later when scrumhalf Jordan Mulder scored after the ball had been returned to him after a scrum by centre Rynhardt Jonker, who shone on attack to walk away with the man of the match award.

In both those opening scores there was good rugby from the hosts but also some hopeless defence from the Cheetahs, who for most of the match looked like their minds and hearts might still be 180 kilometres in Bloemfontein and not on the job at hand. To put it simply, they just didn’t pitch.

Indeed while it took Griquas another 10 minutes to score their next try, they could easily have crossed a couple of times as they dominated territory and were repeatedly held up just short before the repeated Cheetahs infringements on defence saw flyhalf Siya Masuku yellow carded.

That was in the 18th minute and it was a minute later that Janko Uys drove over for the third try.

Griquas did have a strong wind in their favour and it contributed to their first half domination of territory, but it didn’t tell the full story of a really sublime performance when it came to backs and forwards combining with their hand to hand movements.

There was also some good play at the breakdowns from the hosts, and it was Gustav du Rand who forced the turnover deep inside the Griquas half that set Jonker free on a surging run before transferring to left wing Luther Obi to round off. That was in the 30th minute of the game and Griquas already had their four try bonus point.

The Cheetahs did draw back with a penalty from skipper Ruan Pienaar and then a try from No 8 Mihlali Mosi but the Cheetahs were well out of it as Griquas took a 24-8 lead to halftime.

Given the strength of the wind, the Cheetahs might have hoped they could use it to push a second half fightback but that was quickly dispelled when Obi capped a busy performance by completing his brace of tries to take Griquas to beyond the 30 point mark. The impressive Du Rand was the next scorer and while Jeandre did go over in the 70th minute and then Louis van der Westhuizen in the final two, a penalty try for Griquas meant it was always much too long a road back for the Cheetahs.

SCORES

WINDHOEK DRAUGHT GRIQUAS 46 - Tries: Sango Xamlashe, Johan Mulder, Janko Uys, Luther Obi 2, Gustav du Randt; Penalty try; Conversions: Zander du Plessis 3; Penalty: George Whitehead.

TOYOTA CHEETAHS 18 - Tries: Mihlali Mosi and Jeandre Rudolph; Penalty: Ruan Pienaar