The Griquas mentor said that the spaced-out scheduling of this season’s games was not making it easy for his side to get into a rhythm and gain critical momentum.
TAFEL Lager Griquas will persist with trying out suitable combinations on Wednesday when they meet the Airlink Pumas at Tafel Lager Park in a midweek Carling Currie Cup match.
Griquas coach Pieter Bergh said the provincial side will stick to the tactic of trying out some of the untested youngsters with potential whom the club brought onto its books for the new season.
Apart from continuing to give game time to the rookies, Griquas also have to contend with a never-ending list of injuries to key players, he said.
ALSO READ: No alarm bells for Griquas ahead of Pumas clash
This time around Griquas released a slightly shortened list of injured players who include George Whitehead, Andrew Beerwinkel, Cameron Lindsay, Jay-Cee Nel, Carl Els, Stefan Ungerer and Ashlon Davids.
TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT
The following players were not considered for selection due to injury:
Andrew Beerwinkel
Cameron Lindsay
Jay-Cee Nel
Carl Els
George Whitehead
Stefan Ungerer
Ashlon Davids pic.twitter.com/6Q8OBsPC71— Griquas Rugby (@GriquasRugby) January 31, 2022
Bergh said Whitehead has been critical at flyhalf for the side in past seasons but was ruled out for the opening games of the current season because of injury. Whitehead continues to mend but was not fully recovered to warrant a place in the team just yet, the coach said.
💥 Tafel Lager Griquas vs. Airlink Pumas
📍 Tafel Lager Park – Kimberley
⌚ 02 Feb 2022 – 15:30 pic.twitter.com/oLpwWSmlfa— Griquas Rugby (@GriquasRugby) February 1, 2022
Bergh was especially impressed with the showing of Varsity cup graduate Zander du Plessis who fortified the side at flyhalf in Griquas’ last outing against the Cell C Sharks at the Shark Tank.
However, the game had not started out well for Du Plessis who had a first half showing that may be described as miserable.
The bogey kicked in for Du Plessis just inside the fifth minute of the game when he fluffed a penalty kick after Sharks’ Gerbrandt Grobler was penalised for a line-out infringement. Zander was at it again minutes later with a repeat of the miss when Griquas were rewarded with a spot kick for a ruck infringement.
🎫 1500 Tickets on sale to the public at Tafel Lager Park and at all Computicket Outlets Nationwide !
💥 Tafel Lager Griquas vs. Airlink Pumas
📍 Tafel Lager Park
⌚ 02 Feb 2022 – 15:30Personal Info will be requested upon sale and entry – this is not personal, it is the law ! pic.twitter.com/CEnbpSOuCL
— Griquas Rugby (@GriquasRugby) January 27, 2022
In contrast, the Sharks took their kicks with aplomb and had come onto the board by the half-hour mark via a penalty and a converted try. That is also the point at which Du Plessis seemed to have regained his composure and made amends by getting on the scoreboard himself in the 31st and 38th minute slotting two penalties.
Except for the briefest of lapses inside the second stanza Du Plessis was hard at work making life difficult for the Sharks. In the last quarter or so of the game Sango Xamlashe came off the bench for an injured Christopher Hollis and Xamlashe hustled and harried the Sharks defence.
Xamlashe’s beavering upfront saw him well placed in the 80th minute to receive a pass from Du Plessis and dash over the chalk line. Du Plessis did the honours and converted. But this was a tad late for a catch-up on the Sharks as the hosts ran out triumphant with the narrowest of margins at 24-23 against the Diamond City boys.
ALSO READ: ‘New’ Griquas primed and ready for Currie Cup campaign
At the pre-match briefing the Griquas mentor had let out that the spaced-out scheduling of this season’s games was not making it easy for his side to get into a rhythm and gain that critical momentum, especially as he was trying out different combinations.
Wednesday is Griquas’ third match of the series and their first home game. Altogether 1,500 fans with vaccine certificates will be allowed onto the stands. The next games thereafter will be against the biggies including DHL Western Province on February 18 also at home.
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💪 First home fixture coming up !
📍 Tafel Lager Park, Kby !
Tafel Lager Griquas will host the Pumas on 02 Feb 2022 – kick off at 15:30.#TafelLager #CarlingCurrieCup pic.twitter.com/R9hsJKa8dT— Griquas Rugby (@GriquasRugby) January 12, 2022
They will next match up with the Vodacom Bulls on March 5, again at Tafel Lager Park. The matches are mostly more than fortnight apart and will remain so for the rest of the season. The present scheduling accommodates South Africa’s four premier clubs competing in the United Rugby Championship.
