A brilliant second half secured a 48-39 win over visitors Sanlam Boland Cavaliers with a brilliant second half in Kimberley on Sunday afternoon. Griquas scored eight tries to the six scored by Boland.
A try-fest in the second half with Boland scoring five tries to the three of Griquas. Boland led 34-19 at the halftime break. Griquas scored seventeen unanswered tries in the first ten minutes of the second half to retake the lead 36-34. The lead changed hands several times during the final thirty minutes; however, Griquas eventually secured the game with five minutes to play.
The first twenty minutes of the match were played at a frenetic pace, unfortunately resulting in several defensive errors and penalties conceded by both teams.
An aimless kick down the middle of the pitch by Boland was collected by Dylan Maart, who sent Gurshwin Wehr away on a brilliant run down the touchline to open the scoring for Griquas in the corner to lead 05-00.
Boland replied with a brilliant individual try by Lunathi Nxele, Tedder added the extra two points to claim a 07-05 lead for Boland.
After sixteen minutes of play, Griquas' flanker, Lourens Oosthuizen, scored off the back of a lineout maul to extend Griquas' lead to 12-07.
Boland's James Tedder converted a penalty soon thereafter to make it a two-point match.
Gurshwin Wehr danced his way to score his second try of the match for Griquas. Whitehead converted to extend Griquas' lead to 19-10.
The final ten minutes saw Boland running at every opportunity to score for unanswered tries. David Brits, Donavan Don (2) and Marcqiewn Titus added their names to the scoresheet with brilliant tries. James Tedder converted two tries to extend Boland's lead to 34-19, which was the halftime score.
Griquas' Calen Abrahams sniped next to the maul on the tryline to score his second try of the Currie Cup season, to cut Boland's lead to 34-24, after five minutes of play in the second half.
From the kick-off, Caleb Abrahams scored a team try, which Whitehead converted to reduce the Boland's lead to 34-31.
Three minutes later, Griquas spread the ball wide to Gurshwin Wehr on the wing to score his third try, in the corner. Griquas led 36-34 after scoring seventeen unanswered points in the second half.
After twenty minutes of play, Donovan Don pounced on a mistake by the Griquas and ran sixty meters for his third try of the match for Boland to retake the lead 39-36.
Eight minutes later, Griquas scored a deserved try after setting up camp in Boland's 22m. Hooker Tiaan Lange scored off the back of a lineout maul to retake the lead for the hosts with two points the difference.
With time running out, Griquas upped the tempo of the match and with five minutes still to play, Ig Prinsloo scored from the back of a maul. Whitehead converted to extend Griquas' lead to 48-39, sealing the win for Griquas.
Scorers:
Suzuki Griquas: Tries: Gurshwin Wehr (3), Lourens Oosthuizen, Caleb Abrahams (2), Tiaan Lange, Ig Prinsloo. Conversions: George Whitehead (4).
Sanlam Boland Cavaliers: Tries: Lunathi Nxele, David Brits, Donavan Don (3), Marcqiewn Titus. Conversion: James Tedder (3). Penalty: James Tedder.
Teams
Suzuki Griquas: 15 Connor Mahoney, 14 Dylan Maart, 13 Zane Bester, 12 Mnombo Zwelendaba, 11 Gurshwin Wehr, 10 George Whitehead, 9 Caleb Abrahams, 8 Gustav Erlank, 7 Carl Els, 6 Lourens Oosthuizen, 5 Albert Liebenberg, 4 Malembe Mpofu, 3 Cebo Dlamini, 2 Janco Uys, 1 Eddie Davids. Replacements: 16 Tiaan Lange, 17 Leon Lyons, 18 Ig Prinsloo, 19 Derik Pretorius, 20 Marco de Wit, 21 Thomas Bursey, 22 Tom Nel, 23 Cameron Hufke.
Sanlam Boland Cavaliers: 15 James Tedder, 14 Marcqiewn Titus, 13 David Brits, 12 Lunathi Nxele, 11 Donavan Don, 10 Ashlon Davids, 9 Chriswill September, 8 Sibusiso Sangweni, 7 Khwezi Mafu, 6 Gift Dlamini, 5 Marlyn Williams (captain), 4 Michael Benadie, 3 Dayan van der Westhuizen, 2 Sidney Tobias, 1 Wayrin Losper. Replacements: 16 HP van Schoor, 17 Lamla Nunu, 18 Laurence Victor, 19 Ameer Hendricks, 20 Thurlow Marsh, 21 Godlen Masimla, 22 Juan Mostert, 23 Xavier Mitchell.