Shark bait: Davon Raubenheimer on the run for Griquas
Griquas pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the Currie Cup season after beating the defending champion Sharks 43-22 on Friday.
The hosts outscored the previously unbeaten Sharks by four tries to one, and with Griquas full-back Rudi Vogt in scintillating form with the boot - ending the match with a 100 per cent kicking record - the result was never in doubt.
Even though the visitors held a slender 14-16 half-time lead, Griquas were the dominant of the two throughout the match and cruised home for a well-deserved victory in the second half.
After surviving a strong Sharks onslaught in the opening exchanges, the home side worked their way out of their own half before setting up camp on the other side of the field.
Griquas fly-half Earl Rose made the first break with a well-timed grubber kick that caught the visitors' backs napping, but the first try would be scored only after Sharks skipper Keegan Daniel was sin-binned for a dangerous tackle.
With the advantage of an extra forward, the Griquas pack pushed hooker Ryno Barnes over the line with a rolling maul. Vogt converted from out wide, and the Griquas were in front early on.
The Sharks responded with a Frederic Michalak penalty shortly after the returning kick-off to take the score to 7-3.
24 phases later and the Griquas were over for their second five-pointer of the evening after Rose sent a wide pass out to lock Hendrik Roodt, who bashed Sharks wing Mark Richards out his way before launching his big frame over for the try.
Vogt once once again successful with the touchline conversion and the hosts were smiling with a handy 14-3 lead.
The Sharks struck back courtesy of another Michalak penalty, before the visitors were restored to fifteen men when Daniel returned from the naughty corner.
With five minutes of the first half remaining, the Sharks barged their way over the Griquas' line and it was hooker Craig Burden who got a high five for the try.
Michalak converted and closed the Griquas lead to just one point (14-13).
The Frenchman wasn't finished however, and slotted over his third penalty on the half-time hooter to give his team the lead for the first time in the match (14-16).
The two-point advantage was, however, short-lived as Griquas responded with a sublime try through prop Lourens Adriaanse.
The hosts again gave away three easy points from the returning kick-off, and Springbok fly-half Patrick Lambie ensured the ball went sailing between the posts.
Vogt converted his first penalty of the match in the 53rd minute, and 10 minutes later he added his second.
Lambie and Vogt would exchange penalties once more before the Sharks opted to go for the seven points rather than chipping away at the eight-point lead held by Griquas.
The visitors bagged no points from the subsequent line-out, and Griquas secured victory when Vogt nailed his seventh successful goal of the night.
Skipper Jonathan Mokuena finished it off in style for the home side when he scored the bonus-point try in the 74th minute.
The scorers:
For Griquas:
Tries: Barnes, Roodt, Adriaanse, Mokuena
Cons: Vogt 4
Pens: Vogt 5
For Sharks:
Try: Burden
Cons: Michalak
Pens: Michalak 3, Lambie 2
Griquas:15 Rudi Vogt, 14 Riaan Viljoen, 13 Jean Stemmet, 12 Barry Geel, 11 Dusty Noble, 10 Earl Rose, 9 Marnus Hugo, 8 Burger Schoeman, 7 Davon Raubenheimer, 6 Jonathan Mokuena (c), 5 Martin Muller, 4 Hendrik Roodt, 3 Lourens Adriaanse, 2 Ryno Barnes, 1 Jean Botha.
Replacements:16 Matthew Dobson, 17 Ivann Espag, 18 Frikkie Spies, 19 Marnus Schoeman, 20 Matthew Rosslee, 21 Monty Dumond, 22 Wilmaure Louw.
Sharks:15 Louis Ludik, 14 Mark Richards, 13 Stefan Terblanche, 12 Meyer Bosman, 11 Sibusiso Sithole, 10 Frederic Michalak, 9 Ross Cronje, 8 Keegan Daniel (c), 7 Marcell Coetzee, 6 Jacques Botes, 5 Jan Andre Marais, 4 Anton Bresler, 3 Wiehahn Herbst, 2 Craig Burden, 1 Dale Chadwick.
Replacements:16 Kyle Cooper, 17 Eugene van Staden, 18 Peet Marais, 19 Ryan Kankowski, 20 Charl McLeod, 21 Patrick Lambie, 22 Marius Joubert.
Referee:Lesego Legoete
Comments
Kappelange says...
This years CC is teasing to become the most exciting and unpredictable one weve ever. Im gonna enjoy it while It lasts and savour every moment, for this will be the last legitimate CurrieCup we will see in a long long time.
Posted 06:10 06th August 2011