Sport

Griquas will rue discipline issues after yellow cards gift Lions winning ticket

Staff Reporter|Published

The Suzuki Griquas fought bravely, but fell short in Johannesburg on Friday. File Picture: Sydney Mahlangu, BackpagePix

The Fidelity ADT Lions did not have an easy time of it, but in the end secured a 25-13 victory over the Suzuki Griquas in a challenging Carling Currie Cup match at Emirates Airline Park on Friday.

The game was marked by fluctuating momentum, with the Lions starting strong, the Griquas fighting back, and ultimately, the Lions pulling ahead due to Griquas' discipline issues.

Although the match was a tight contest in the beginning, the Lions broke the deadlock in the 16th minute.

Griquas lost their third consecutive line-out, and the Lions capitalised and inside centre Rynhardt Jonker crossed over for the opening try. Shortly after, scrumhalf Nico Steyn caught the Griquas off guard with a quick tap penalty, diving under the posts for a converted try by flyhalf Sam Francis, giving the hosts a 12-0 lead.

Griquas eventually found their feet and responded in the last 10 minutes of the first half with flyhalf Lubabalo Dobela slotting a penalty in the 31st minute. Soon after, outside centre Sango Xamlashe’s break into the 22-metre area set up flank Carl Els to score an unconverted try, reducing the deficit to 12-8 at halftime.

In the second half, Francis added a penalty for the Lions, but the Griquas quickly countered. A line-out in the Lions' 22-metre area allowed replacement back Zinedine Robertson to score, bringing Griquas to within two points at 15-13. However, the Griquas missed a crucial opportunity to take the lead when Dobela missed a penalty.

Discipline issues plagued the Griquas, with two yellow cards in quick succession reducing them to 13 men. Lock Athenkosi Khetani was first carded for cynical play, and then replacement lock Derik Pretorius received a yellow card for illegally bringing down a maul, resulting in a penalty try for the Lions. Francis added another penalty, extending the lead to 25-13.

Despite a late push from the Griquas, the Lions held on to secure the win, marking their third Carling Currie Cup victory in this season.

In other matches, the Hollywoodbets Sharks XV endured their third straight loss, falling 21-31 to the Airlink Pumas in their Carling Currie Cup clash at Hollywoodbets Kings Park in Durban on Friday night. The visitors secured the win in a scrappy game by scoring four unanswered tries in the first half, earning a bonus point and a 24-0 lead at halftime.

Meanwhile, in Pretoria, the Blue Bulls managed to break their losing streak with a hard-fought 25-13 victory over the Toyota Cheetahs at Loftus Versfeld on Friday evening.

All eyes now turn to Down Touch Investments Stadium in Welkom, where the NovaVit Griffons will host DHL Western Province in a match kicking off at 3pm on Sunday.

Neither team have had a good start to the competition, each suffering losses in their opening encounters, and will be determined to get their campaigns fired up before the leading pack gets too far ahead.

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