Griquas edge Kimberley crunch
8 Oct 2011
GARETH DUNCAN watched Griquas dent the Bulls’ semi-final hopes with a 48-44 win in Kimberley.
It was one of the most exciting Currie Cup games of the season. The lead jumped seven times and 12 tries were scored on the day. While there was some poor defensive work on some occasions, credit must be given to the impressive attacking play from both teams. The Bulls and Griquas’ forwards toiled at the breakdown and set pieces, setting up an exciting contest amongst the backs that included perfect-angled runs and smart finishes by the speedsters.
In the end, it was a late Griquas fightback that sealed the win as they scored three tries in seven-minute period during the last quarter for victory.
Bulls head coach Pine Pienaar’s goal for his team was to achieve a bonus-point win, and it seemed his playes were well on track as they rallied into a 15-3 lead with two tries from wings Bjorn Basson and Akona Ndungane in the first quarter.
The enthralling duel then sparked midway through the first stanza, as Griquas fought back to go ahead 27-22 at half-time. Wings Rocco Jansen and Dusty Noble touched down while fullback Rudi Vogt scored 17 points through a try, three conversions and two penalties. Basson’s second score kept the visitors within reach at the break.
The drama then continued in the second half. Scrumhalf Jano Vermaak put the Bulls ahead seconds after the restart before they were reduced to 14 men when skipper Gary Botha was sin binned for punching in the 44th minute. It didn’t stifle the Bulls’ ascendancy though as they extended their advantage through flyhalf Louis Fouche’s penalty and flanker Jacques Potgieter’s try.
The Bulls will be disappointed with the way they finished the match, having led 39-27 at the start of the final quarter. Griquas surged ahead with three late tries in the 62nd, 64th and 69th minute of the game. Inside centre Matthew Rosslee was the star at the death, completing a late brace while Jansen finished his double too.
Potgieter grabbed a try in the final movement of the match, but it was only enough to earn the Bulls two consolation bonus points. It’s enough to keep their play-off hopes alive, but they’ll have to depend on WP dropping log points for any chance of qualifying.
37 Comments
8 Oct 2011, 14:56 pm
Ladies and gentlemen – now coming up is today’s main attraction !
8 Oct 2011, 15:15 pm
Try no 2
8 Oct 2011, 15:18 pm
Both Bulls wings covering both side of the field
8 Oct 2011, 15:22 pm
Seriously, they’re playing Vodacom Cup during the World Cup?
Snooze.
8 Oct 2011, 15:41 pm
@wooden spoon(wooden spoon)-4:
Good game so far. I think there is some tennis or basketball on the other channel for you.
8 Oct 2011, 15:43 pm
@JockBok(JockBok)-5: thanks, I might go mow the lawn or wash the car instead.
8 Oct 2011, 15:44 pm
Griquas for the 3rd upset of the day…
8 Oct 2011, 15:47 pm
Funny how people complain about the CC when their teams do poor (with or without the Boks).
Let them win the CC and then they cannot shut up about it.
8 Oct 2011, 15:49 pm
@HHS(Hop Hop Spinnekop)-8: what an astute observation! Incredible!
8 Oct 2011, 15:50 pm
@wooden spoon(wooden spoon)-9: Don’t you have a car to wash? Move along skippy.
8 Oct 2011, 15:53 pm
This has got to be the worst ref in the world!
8 Oct 2011, 15:56 pm
@Falken(Falken)-11: Is it Lourens van der Merwe ? Then you right.
8 Oct 2011, 15:58 pm
Bonus point
8 Oct 2011, 16:00 pm
@HHS(Hop Hop Spinnekop)-8: True that…. some of these games were way better than some RWC games.
8 Oct 2011, 16:20 pm
This game ain’t over yet.
8 Oct 2011, 16:24 pm
How is this game… amazing
8 Oct 2011, 16:27 pm
Hurdles got smoked by Jansen
8 Oct 2011, 16:27 pm
I don’t know who to back here.
I want the Kwas to win then the Bullies are “semi out”
I want the Bulls to win so that the Lions can redeem them self of that rubbish they dissed up against them in their previous game.
8 Oct 2011, 16:31 pm
I see Louis Fouché is still playing with Bakkies’s gum guard.
Let it go kid…. he is gone.
8 Oct 2011, 16:33 pm
Bye bye Bullies, hope you get relegated to the 1st division in the 4 team promotion matches … Go Kings more hulle.
8 Oct 2011, 16:35 pm
The Kwas support play when they go wide is brilliant. They look a bit like the ABs at times.
8 Oct 2011, 16:39 pm
C’mon Kwas, don’t give then the second bonus point.
8 Oct 2011, 16:42 pm
Yet again Kimberley proves to be a graveyard for the fancied teams.
8 Oct 2011, 16:43 pm
Congrats Kwas, You faaked up my Bulls. No complaints.
8 Oct 2011, 16:52 pm
Well done Griekwas. You deserved the win but it was a close call. The Bulls will rue some of their decisions I guess.
8 Oct 2011, 16:56 pm
stupid bulls…
i bet on them.
8 Oct 2011, 17:00 pm
Well done Kwas, goyougoodthings
8 Oct 2011, 17:15 pm
What a **** game of rugby as far as the bulls are concerned they score 44points and still get beat shame on them.There are a few players who must leave after this season as they are not good enough now,van den heever fu####g hopeless ndungane and i dont like to write it olivier (as i was a big fan of his),gary botha his time is up,brummer fu####g hopeless,fouche? jinka fu####g hopeless stegmann?.What has happened to the form of the boks who came back to the bulls olivier? greyling and w.kruger boks this year and they struggled against griquas big flip goes missing at times during a game basson is playing ok.The only plusses are the form of jpotgeiter and tecklenburg and arno botha who has future bok written all over him,maybe even tecklenburg francois venter great prospect with sadie next year can`t wait.For this year the CC is over the bulls are not good enough,when they win i am the first to congratulate them,but when they are **** i am the first to say so.MEI BLOED IS BLOU.
8 Oct 2011, 17:18 pm
I forgot to mention Juandre Kruger he is coming back to the form he had when he left sa which can onl;y be good for the bulls.
8 Oct 2011, 17:20 pm
End of the Bulls season. What a shame.
Got the attacking mindset right, but with it they have totally lost the ability to defend.
Today was pathetic.
Would have been great to see them in the semis, but not to be. Will be interesting to see if they stick with this new approach, because it is definitely not what they are used to. Great for spectators, but no good if you leak tries like they did today.
8 Oct 2011, 17:21 pm
@blueboy(blueboy)-28:
Yeah your team has been very disappointing mate. The Boks in the side are not playing well at all and a few were very lucky to make the Bok side. The signs were there last season already. An outdated game plan I think.
8 Oct 2011, 17:22 pm
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-30:
Province could still lose to the Pumas next week mate.
8 Oct 2011, 17:23 pm
@Bill Reyts(Gumboots)-32:
Small chance of that happening.
8 Oct 2011, 17:25 pm
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-33:
Anything can happen. The Leopards could beat the Sharks today too.
8 Oct 2011, 17:36 pm
On present form the bulls do not deserve to be in the semi`s,and my main question is why are the bok players in the team playing so bad, is it because of pienaars coaching or what,since he has come to loftus the bulls have went backwards,but HM signed him for the bulls so i have to trust HM`s judgement that he is good enough for the bulls,and we will play better next season.
9 Oct 2011, 02:53 am
Gareth, were you really at the game? I ask that because you write that “fullback Rudi Vogt scored 17 points through a try, three conversions and two penalties.” Yet on the Live Score breakdown it shows Griquas scored 6 tries which were all converted by Vogt. When I went to school that would give him 23 points. Yet another example of the sub-standard stuff thrown together by some scribes on Keo trying to masquerade as authoritative rugby journalists. Readers of this site deserve better, as do sponsors who pay to advertise on it. Remember Gareth, facts are sacred but comment is free so make sure you get your facts right all the time.
9 Oct 2011, 04:35 am
This is a good result all round. The Bulls need pay more attention to rebuiding not only their squad but also their styte of rugby. The purchase of Sadie is a good sign they they are looking at this.
It is also a timely reminder of the value of sides like Griquas to SA rugby. They regularly get plundered by the bigger unions but give opportunities to youngsters who might not get a look in elsewhere. They also show a lot of creativity to maximise their resources and some of the most creative and exciting rugby comes form sides like them.
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