Suzuki Griquas upset the odds and ended a 55-year Carling Currie Cup droughts as their flyhalf George Whitehead sent home the perfect penalty kick to give them a massive upset 27-25 win over the Fidelity ADT Lions at Ellis Park on Saturday to win a pulsating final.
The rollercoaster ride ended almost in the same cruel fashion for the Johannesburg side as the result repeated itself from last season when the Hollywoodbets Sharks’ Jordan Hendrikse sent over a long range penalty goal to steal the title from them after the fulltime whistle. This time it was virtually the same, although the drama was far from complete. The Lions had taken the lead with less than two minutes to go, and seemed to have won a turnover penalty to end the game when the Television Match Official intervened, spotting a deliberate knock on in the process. The “slap” – as referee Christopher Allison called it – from Ruan Delport earned Griquas a reprieve and gave one of the most promising coaches in South Africa – Pieter Bergh – a first Currie Cup title as Whitehead sent the kick home to ignite tears and celebrations.
It was a fairytale ending for the competition and one that will go down in history, but it could be a costly one for the Lions, who had banked their URC season - as they did last year by playing a virtual first choice URC side against the smaller unions. The fact they went into the final on the back of a big 37-7 win in the pool phases made them odds-on favourites, and it was expected they would romp home to the title. The fact that so few of their fans turned up for what was supposed to be a title walk says a lot about the marketing of the domestic competition as it does the Lions approach to the season. The fact they have lost back to back finals raises the question if the trophy at all costs is ever the right way to go. The Lions faded badly last season and a number of their players have not had an off-season before the URC, which could see them fade badly again as the season draws to a close.
Griquas however came to Ellis Park with a mission to play and take on their more fancied hosts and for a large part of the game they did that. They tackled their hearts out, they went toe to toe with the Lions and when they got the chance, they took it.
Scorers - Fidelity ADT Lions - tries: Kelly Mpeku, Richard Kriel, Henco van Wyk. Conversions: Chris Smith (2). Penalties: Smith, Lubabalo Dobela. Suzuki Griquas - tries: Cameron Hufke, Lourens Oosthuizen, Mnombo Zwelendaba. Conversions: George Whitehead (3). Penalties: Whitehead (2).
– SuperSport.com/rugby
The rollercoaster ride ended almost in the same cruel fashion for the Johannesburg side as the result repeated itself from last season when the Hollywoodbets Sharks’ Jordan Hendrikse sent over a long range penalty goal to steal the title from them after the fulltime whistle. This time it was virtually the same, although the drama was far from complete. The Lions had taken the lead with less than two minutes to go, and seemed to have won a turnover penalty to end the game when the Television Match Official intervened, spotting a deliberate knock on in the process. The “slap” – as referee Christopher Allison called it – from Ruan Delport earned Griquas a reprieve and gave one of the most promising coaches in South Africa – Pieter Bergh – a first Currie Cup title as Whitehead sent the kick home to ignite tears and celebrations.
It was a fairytale ending for the competition and one that will go down in history, but it could be a costly one for the Lions, who had banked their URC season - as they did last year by playing a virtual first choice URC side against the smaller unions. The fact they went into the final on the back of a big 37-7 win in the pool phases made them odds-on favourites, and it was expected they would romp home to the title. The fact that so few of their fans turned up for what was supposed to be a title walk says a lot about the marketing of the domestic competition as it does the Lions approach to the season. The fact they have lost back to back finals raises the question if the trophy at all costs is ever the right way to go. The Lions faded badly last season and a number of their players have not had an off-season before the URC, which could see them fade badly again as the season draws to a close.
Griquas however came to Ellis Park with a mission to play and take on their more fancied hosts and for a large part of the game they did that. They tackled their hearts out, they went toe to toe with the Lions and when they got the chance, they took it.
Scorers - Fidelity ADT Lions - tries: Kelly Mpeku, Richard Kriel, Henco van Wyk. Conversions: Chris Smith (2). Penalties: Smith, Lubabalo Dobela. Suzuki Griquas - tries: Cameron Hufke, Lourens Oosthuizen, Mnombo Zwelendaba. Conversions: George Whitehead (3). Penalties: Whitehead (2).
– SuperSport.com/rugby
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