Griquas reflect on early red card and missed opportunities in SA Cup final loss

THE SUZUKI Griquas’ hopes of defending their SA Cup title were dashed in Nelspruit on Saturday evening as they fell 39-14 to a dominant Airlink Pumas side in the tournament final at Mbombela Stadium.

While the scoreboard tells a story of Pumas dominance, Griquas were left wondering what could have been after an early red card put them on the back foot just minutes into the match. Prop Cebo Dlamini was sent off in the seventh minute for a head-on collision, disrupting the team’s game plan and forcing them to play with 14 men for a crucial period of the contest.

“We felt that it was a low level of danger, and there was no force from our player,” said Griquas head coach Pieter Bergh after the match. “We are now waiting on Saru (the SA Rugby Union) to give us feedback on why it was declared a red card, but there is nothing we can do about it now.”

The defending champions had gone into the match with a tactical approach that included physical dominance in the scrums - a strategy that had to be abandoned when Dlamini was dismissed.

“When you get a red card in the first five minutes of the game in a position where we don’t have much depth, it tends to make things more difficult. We have lost key players this season, and that put us on the back foot,” Bergh said.

“We had to scrum with seven players against eight, and you don’t have your best pack that you prepared with. The plan was always to take them on in the scrums with our starting team, but that plan went out the window after the first five minutes. Then they got three or four scrum penalties while we were seven in the scrum.”

The match began to slip away from Griquas almost immediately. A minute after the red card, Pumas hooker Eddie Swart crashed over for the opening try off a rolling maul, converted by Danrich Visagie. With the home side capitalising on their numerical advantage, they dominated both possession and territory.

Midfielder Sango Xamlashe added two more tries for the hosts with some slick footwork and excellent support play, pushing the score to 19-0 with just over 20 minutes played.

Griquas managed to claw their way back into the contest just before half-time, when winger Gurshwin Wehr intercepted a loose pass and sprinted in to score under the posts. George Whitehead slotted the conversion to bring the score to 19-7 at the break.

But any hopes of a comeback faded in the second half. Visagie added a penalty, then converted a try by No 8 Willie Engelbrecht, who intercepted a loose ball to score unopposed. Another penalty by Visagie pushed the lead to 32-7.

Griquas showed some fight with a well-worked try from Mnombo Zwelendaba, again converted by Whitehead, but their momentum was short-lived. Replacement prop Dewald Maritz powered over for the Pumas’ fifth and final try, sealing a 39-14 victory.

Bergh acknowledged that playing a man down had a knock-on effect, especially on defence. “Playing with one player down will always tire you out in defence because now you have to work extra hard.”

He was also frank about areas where Griquas let themselves down. “Our decision-making wasn’t the best when we had the ball in hand, and we didn’t manage the game well while being 14 players on the field,” he said. “The Pumas used their advantage well. Full credit to them.”

The defeat ends Griquas’ reign as SA Cup champions, but there were still moments of pride in the campaign, including strong performances throughout the tournament leading up to the final. The team will now regroup during a short break before turning their attention to the upcoming Currie Cup season.

FINAL SCORE:

PUMAS 39 (19) - Tries: Sango Xamlashe (2), Eddie Swart, Willie Engelbrecht, Dewald Maritz; Conversions: Danrich Visagie (4); Penalty goals: Visagie (2)

GRIQUAS 14 (7) - Tries: Gurshwin Wehr, Mnombo Zwelendaba; Conversions: George Whitehead (2)

With their focus now shifting to the Currie Cup, Bergh and his charges will be eager to move past the disappointment of the final and mount a strong campaign in South Africa’s premier domestic rugby competition.