The defending champion Suzuki Griquas continued their unstoppable march towards the Carling Currie Cup playoffs as they powered their way to a 55-21 win over the Hollywoodbets Sharks in their pool match at Windhoek Draught Park in Kimberley on Friday night.
It was a tale of two halves, with the Griquas needing a try on the halftime hooter to give them a tight 26-21 lead at the break, but they then ran away with it in the second 40, adding a further five unanswered tries for a thumping win.
The result means the Griquas all but secured their place in the knockouts, and will likely keep their spot at the top of the log at the end of the weekend, unless the Cheetahs absolutely destroy the Bulls at Loftus on Sunday.
In the match it was the Griquas who got off to a powerful start, as they dominated the first 15 minutes, being held up over the tryline twice, before opening the scoring in the ninth minute as they rumbled a maul over for hooker Janus Venter score.
Five minutes later the Sharks suffered a double blow when flyhalf Tim Swiel, defending on his line, went offside and stopped the Griquas from getting over for the try, which led to a yellow card and penalty try to put the hosts up 14-0.
But despite having gone down to 14 men the visitors hit back in the 18th minute, setting up a lineout deep in the Griquas 22m, and after a messy lineout flank Tino Mavesere caught the ball and dropped down to score to get them on the board.
The action packed game continued in the 22nd minute as the Griquas scored their third, after good play in the Sharks 22m ended with wing Dylan Maart diving over in the corner to make it 19-7.
However the Sharks wouldn’t go away and fought back, with Swiel back on the field ghosting through a gap to score in the 27th minute, followed 10 minutes later by lock Johan Momsen from a pick and go busting over, with Swiel’s two conversions putting them into a 21-19 lead.
HAT-TRICKS FOR MAART AND LANGE
On the halftime hooter the Griquas snatched back the lead, after a stunning break from his own half by wing Gurshwin Wehr, followed by a great offload to scrumhalf Bobby Alexander saw him through to give them a five point lead at the break.
The Griquas were first to strike in the second half, in the 46th minute, after a big scrum and maul worked them into the 22m, where flyhalf George Whitehead stabbed a grubber through for Maart to pick up and score, to give them a 31-21 lead.
The hosts then marched away with the match in the final quarter, as they used their powerful maul to devastating effect, as replacement hooker Tiaan Lange dotted down a hat-trick in under 10 minutes, after lineouts deep in the Sharks 22m, which put them into a 48-21 lead in the 75th minute.
Maart then added the cherry to the cake in the final minute, sniping over for his hat-trick to secure a thoroughly dominant win for the home side.
SCORERS
Suzuki Griquas: Tries- Janus Venter, Penalty Try, Dylan Maart (3), Bobby Alexander, Tiaan Lange (3); Conversions - George Whitehead (2), Liam Koen (2)
Hollywoodbets Sharks: Tries - Tino Mavesere, Tim Swiel, Johan Momsen; Conversions - Swiel (3)