Red hot Lions pour cold water on Griquas’ Currie Cup aspirations
THE SUZUKI Griquas find themselves second from last on the Currie Cup log and face an uphill battle if they hope to get back into contention and have a shot at raising the cup this season.
The Kimberley team have been struggling, and this past Sunday, I stood on the field at Suzuki Stadium in Kimberley on a bitterly cold afternoon, just to witness the Griquas being beaten 36-28 by the Fidelity ADT Lions.
The icy cold hadn’t come to play and caused me to bundle up against the chill. But it was a Currie Cup clash I was there for, and so were the crowds on the stands who were covered by jackets and blankets.
The air was chill but yet electric, the kind of atmosphere only a closely contested Carling Currie Cup game can create. The Lions and the Griquas were ready to battle it out, and there I was with camera in freezing hand as usual, hoping that our home side would come out on top this time.
Right from the kickoff, the Lions showed their intent. I watched as they attacked their hosts’ 22 metre line. The crowd’s enthusiasm was stunted when Renzo du Plessis found a gap and darted through to score under the Griqua posts; flyhalf, Sam Francis, made no mistake with the conversion, putting them 7-0 up just five minutes in.
But the stunned silence was short lived. Griquas responded almost immediately. The next few minutes saw a blur of fantastic interplay and offloads.
I was frantically trying to capture the action as it unfolded, and as outside centre Zane Bester crossed the line for a converted try, the stadium erupted in cheers.
A short while later, the crowd were on their feet again when fullback Cameron Hufke, deep in his own territory, used his cheetah-like speed and sprinted the full length of the field to score a breathtaking try, converted by Lubabalo Dobela, that put Griquas ahead 14-7.
We saw Noah Lyles win the 100m last night 💨
— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) August 5, 2024
Cameron Hufke went full speed for this try yesterday and no one was catching him ⚡️#CarlingCurrieCup pic.twitter.com/7sslSkmA8j
The feeling of hope was palpable.
But the Lions were relentless. They answered back with three rapid tries in a mere five minutes. Suddenly, the Lions were up 24-14, and we (the Griquas fans and our team) found ourselves down at halftime, the cold biting just a little harder.
The second half began with the Lions extending their lead with another unconverted try, making it 29-14. The Griquas supporters seemed a bit deflated, but the team wasn’t ready to give up.
The Griqua boys showed incredible spirit, hitting back with two more tries bringing them to within a point of the visitors at 29-28.
At this point, the stadium was alive with hope and anticipation.
Yet the Lions had one more trick up their sleeve. Scrumhalf Nico Steyn’s try in the 65th minute, followed by a successful conversion from Zander du Plessis, gave them an eight-point buffer. Despite the supporters’ desperate cheers and the home team’s valiant efforts, the Lions held on for a 36-28 victory.
After the final whistle blew and the crowds slowly filed out of the stadium, we knew that our Griquas had fought bravely, but the Lions had proven to be the stronger team on the day.
We knew our team had given it their all, and now look ahead to Griquas’ next match against the Hollywoodbets Sharks on Sunday at Kings Park Stadium in Durban where JP Pietersen’s men will be looking to the fixture to pick up some much needed points.
Laying second from bottom on the log, Griquas will need to pull up their socks if they want to have any part in this year's Currie Cup glory.