Griquas face Bulls as their Currie Cup road trip begins

The Suzuki Griquas enter Round 5 of the Carling Currie Cup Premier Division with momentum, but also with a new challenge: the rest of their campaign will be played away from Kimberley.

On Sunday, Pieter Bergh’s team travel to Pretoria for a clash with the Vodacom Bulls at Grizzly Park, home of Tuine Rugby Club in Daspoort. Kick-off is at 3pm.

The Griquas have been formidable at home, stringing together three consecutive wins since their opening-round defeat to the Pumas in Nelspruit. Their latest victory, a 26-17 result over the Hollywoodbets Sharks XV, showcased their resilience and tactical discipline.

That performance was built on dominance at the set piece, with scrum penalties piling pressure on the Sharks. Tries came from Caleb Abrahams, Dylan Maart, Derik Pretorius, and Gurshwin Wehr, while Lourens Oosthuizen crossed from a maul and Cameron Hufke sealed the result with a late score. 

This shows Griquas’ ability to attack from anywhere on the field, while Flyhalf George Whitehead’s composure and game management drew praise as Griquas kept their cool against ill-disciplined opposition.

The win placed them near the top of the standings. They are in fourth spot, but only one point behind the team in the lead, on a tight log table, heading into this weekend, but the real test now lies ahead. 

Suzuki Park in Kimberley has long been their stronghold; delivering the same level of performance away from home will determine whether they can sustain a genuine title push.

The Bulls, meanwhile, sit sixth after two opening victories over Western Province and the Sharks XV, followed by losses to the Pumas and Boland. Since going down to Griquas in June 2022, the Pretoria side has won three straight against the Kimberley side in this competition. 

They will be aiming to end a two-game losing streak and restore momentum in front of home support.

Elsewhere in Round 5, the Pumas open the weekend on Friday when they host the Sanlam Boland Kavaliers in Nelspruit (5pm). Boland, in their return to the Premier Division, are second on the log with three wins and only one defeat. The later Friday fixture in Durban pits the two bottom teams, the Sharks XV and Western Province, against each other in search of a first victory of the campaign (7.10pm).

On Saturday, the Toyota Cheetahs welcome the Fidelity ADT Lions to Bloemfontein (2pm). The Free Staters lead the log on 16 points, followed closely by the Lions on 15.

But the spotlight this weekend rests on Pretoria, where Griquas will look to carry their form from Kimberley into unfamiliar territory. For Bergh’s side, it’s important to get their road trip off to a dominant, and winning start.

Match Information:

Friday, August 22

Airlink Pumas vs Sanlam Boland Kavaliers

Venue: Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit

Kick-off: 5pm

Referee: Cwengile Jadezweni

Hollywoodbets Sharks XV vs DHL Western Province

Venue: Hollywoodbets Kings Park, Durban

Kick-off: 7.10pm

Referee: Robbie Jenkinson

Saturday, August 23

Toyota Cheetahs vs Fidelity ADT Lions

Venue: Toyota Stadium, Bloemfontein

Kick-off: 2pm

Referee: Dylen November

Sunday, August 24

Vodacom Bulls vs Suzuki Griquas

Venue: Grizzly Park, Pretoria

Kick-off: 3pm

Referee: AJ Jacobs

• All matches will be broadcast on SuperSport