They went down to the Stormers at the DHL Stadium in Cape Town on Friday night (17/7), losing 25-19 after a try by Stormers scrumhalf Stefan Ungerer in the dying minutes of the match.

Stormers captain Jean-Luc du Plessis put the first points on the board with a penalty goal, before Griquas responded with a try to centre Sako Makata.

Poor discipline on both sides was unfortunately a feature of the match, and the hosts suffered the first of several yellow cards dolled out throughout the night. 

Halftime

Lock Gerbrandt Grobler and centre Cornel Smit were sidelined in quick succession, allowing Griquas flank Lourens Oosthuizen to score. A try by Stormers hooker Vernon Paulo kept the men from Cape Town within spitting distance of the defending champions, but Griquas still led 12-8 at the break.

The Stormers came out fighting in the second half, with winger Mfundo Ndhlovu scoring an early try and substitute flyhalf Dominic Malgas converting before adding a penalty.

Facebook/Griquas Rugby

The Griquas scored their third try when replacement hooker Tiaan Lange crossed the whitewash, before both teams had flanks yellow-carded for shoulder-to-the-head tackles – the Stormers’ Divan Fuller and Griquas’ Derik Pretorius, the latter’s upgraded to a 20-minute red card. 

Another yellow card for the Peacock Blues – with replacement flank Carel van der Merwe the guilty party – meant the visitors finished the game with 13 men on the field.

It proved to be their demise, allowing Ungerer to score.  Next weekend, Griquas will host the Bulls XV in Kimberley with the Stormers travelling to Wellington to face the Boland Cavaliers.

Stormers XXIII – Tries: Vernon Paulo, Mfundo Ndhlovu, Stefan Ungerer. Conversions: Dominic Malgas (2). Penalties: Jean-Luc du Plessis, Malgas.

Griquas – Tries: Sako Makata, Lourens Oosthuizen, Tiaan Lange. Conversions: George Whitehead (2).

In Friday night’s other first round Currie Cup match, the Sharks narrowly defeated the Pumas 26-24 at Mbombela Stadium. Sharks left winger Lyle Matthews scored a hat-trick of tries in the opening 40 minutes.  The Sharks meet the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein next Friday, while they travel to Johannesburg to face the Lions at Ellis Park on Saturday.

The Sharks narrowly beat the Pumas in Mbombela. Photo: Facebook/The Sharks

Pumas – Tries: Lundi Msenge, Chyle van Zyl, Tino Swanepoel, JJ Scheepers. Conversions: Nevaldo Fleurs (2).
Sharks XV – Tries: Lyle Matthews (3), Kerron van Vuuren. Conversions: Tim Swiel (3).

OFM Sport/Ilse Smalberger dg