Griquas: (Un)Surprising Currie Cup Dark Horses?
Of
significance in 1970 on the South African rugby landscape was Griquas - known
as Griqualand West back then – winning their third (and as of yet, last) Currie
Cup title.
A legendary victory that continues to resonate in the annals of the gentleman’s game, Griqualand West defeated the then-Northern Transvaal 11-9 on a brutally hard and sparsely grassed De Beers Stadium, signalling the Currie Cup’s last Cinderella story.
A legendary victory that continues to resonate in the annals of the gentleman’s game, Griqualand West defeated the then-Northern Transvaal 11-9 on a brutally hard and sparsely grassed De Beers Stadium, signalling the Currie Cup’s last Cinderella story.
In 2019, it appears that Griquas’ ship, promising
to come in and dock in the harbour but pushed out back to sea by bigger vessels
over 49 years, might just come in! Brent Janse van Rensburg and his staff have
built a formidable outfit in Kimberley, and were duly rewarded with a dominant
SuperSport Rugby Challenge win last month after stumbling at the final hurdle
in 2017 and 2018. Incidentally, this win
made them the most successful team in the history of the Vodacom Cup/SuperSport
Rugby Challenge.
Why I think they might add to this impressive second-tier
trophy haul and their three Currie Cup titles is the shortened nature of the
latter this year, which I will get to, later. Griquas has been strong because
of how the union has managed to keep its well-coached core group of players for
three seasons, and clearly carried this selection AND winning momentum into the
early stages of the tournament.
The only thing surprising about the manner in which they dismantled the Sharks in Durban on opening night is how we all did not anticipate it happening! SuperBru was a mess that night…
The only thing surprising about the manner in which they dismantled the Sharks in Durban on opening night is how we all did not anticipate it happening! SuperBru was a mess that night…
In a seven-match round robin phase – wherein all
seven teams are well matched - there is hardly room to breathe for any playoff
hopeful, and the Griquas have set themselves up nicely with bonus point wins in
the first two matches of the season.
A test of their title credentials will come against the Cheetahs and Bulls away from home on consecutive weekends, before closing out their league campaign in front of their fans against Western Province and the Lions.
The Cheetahs are a dark horse, considering how they have not been disrupted consequentially by national team selections or player departures, together with how they won’t have the usual problem of splitting players between the Currie Cup and the Pro14. The Bulls aren’t to be sneered at either, boasting a rather talented team with genuine gamebreakers. Depending on how those away trips go, what will make things quite interesting is when the Capetonians and Joburgers roll into town. Folks, not many visitors leave Kimberley’s Griqua Park alive, and WP and the Lions would be surprise victors if they did!
The Streeptruie are cup favourites, but have a poor record in the Northern Cape, while the Lions will acutely feel the departure of key players to the northern hemisphere, or into the Springboks’ Rugby Championship squad. I back the Griquas to win these matches, and depending on how favourable the log standings look, qualify for their first semi-finals since 1998.
A test of their title credentials will come against the Cheetahs and Bulls away from home on consecutive weekends, before closing out their league campaign in front of their fans against Western Province and the Lions.
The Cheetahs are a dark horse, considering how they have not been disrupted consequentially by national team selections or player departures, together with how they won’t have the usual problem of splitting players between the Currie Cup and the Pro14. The Bulls aren’t to be sneered at either, boasting a rather talented team with genuine gamebreakers. Depending on how those away trips go, what will make things quite interesting is when the Capetonians and Joburgers roll into town. Folks, not many visitors leave Kimberley’s Griqua Park alive, and WP and the Lions would be surprise victors if they did!
The Streeptruie are cup favourites, but have a poor record in the Northern Cape, while the Lions will acutely feel the departure of key players to the northern hemisphere, or into the Springboks’ Rugby Championship squad. I back the Griquas to win these matches, and depending on how favourable the log standings look, qualify for their first semi-finals since 1998.
And as the cliché goes, “It’s all up in the air”
from here. The ‘Kwas are indeed my second team (I will not tell which team I
support in the main), and I will have their jersey at the ready should the
Fairy Godmother feel generous about another Cinderella triumph out in
the Griqualand…
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