Griquas have their tails up after a run of good victories and defending Currie Cup champions the Pumas are gearing up for a tough fight in Friday’s clash in Kimberley to secure a place in the semi-finals.
GRIQUAS have their tails up after a run of good victories and defending Currie Cup champions the Pumas are gearing up for a tough fight in Friday’s clash in Kimberley to secure a place in the semi-finals.
It’s been tough going for the team from Mbombela and a dip in form during the second half of the campaign sees them now fighting to retain their title.
The winner of Friday’s match (3pm kick-off) will book a spot in the semi-finals to face the Sharks or Free State Cheetahs, and Pumas coach Jimmy Stonehouse warned his team that they will have to fight until the end against the Peacock Blues.
The good thing, he said, is that the Pumas still have their destiny in their hands and they are not at the mercy of other teams to help them sneak into the semis.
“They (Griquas) have an unbelievable pack of forwards, with captain Hanru Sirgel leading from the front, and if you look at the backline, they have quality across the board,” Stonehouse said of Friday’s opponents.
“You can’t ask for more. They have an attacking flyhalf, two massive centres and wings in Rosko Specman and Luther Obi who can run you ragged. George Whitehead doesn’t miss his kicks at goal and his tactical kicking is outstanding.
“They will come with everything to get revenge for last year’s final loss and to make it into the play-offs.”
Stonehouse is hopeful his team can eliminate the costly individual errors that have been hampering them since the start of the second round.
The Pumas have struggled to shrug off small errors like knock-ons and playing too much rugby in their own half, while their scrum and maul haven’t been as effective as usual.
Their coach is hopeful they can set it right on Friday, which he feels will be the perfect time to strike form ahead of the semis.
“They are a never-say-die team, the same as us. They struggled against WP in the scrums, but still fought for the win,” Stonehouse said of Griquas.
“It’s been tough this season because we lost 10 players from our title-winning team – three to other SA sides and the others to injuries. We have some guys coming back, though, so we are looking forward to the match.”
