Leading 14-10 at the changeover, the Free State Cheetahs defeated Griquas 43-22 in the final-round Absa Currie Cup rugby fixture played at Absa Park, Kimberley, on Saturday afternoon.
Played at a furious pace, no quarter was asked or given during this very competitive ”cross-border” derby.
Minor and major injury stoppages peppered the match. Griquas lost their captain and backline king-pin, flyhalf Braam van Straaten, in the 23rd minute; elusive right wing Chumani Booi limped off late in the first half; and hard-tackling and straight-running centre Beef du Toit departed with a shoulder injury midway through the second half.
Following a thumping tackle, Free State fullback Tshepo Kokoali was forced to leave the field immediately ahead of the changeover with what appeared to be a shoulder or rib injury.
Though the Cheetahs scored the first of their seven tries in the second minute when prop CJ van der Linde barged over from close range, Griquas settled down to play some good rugby and deservedly drew level when powerful centre Dries Scholtz forced his away over at the Free State posts.
Griquas were then hit by a 1-2. First, from a quickly taken tap-penalty, Cheetahs’ centre Jacques Claassens sliced through to dot down, and a minute later (in the 23rd minute) Van Straaten was forced to leave the field.
Fullback Bobby Joubert moved to flyhalf and the replacement was Zane Kirchner, who had just played flyhalf for the Griqua Under-20 team in the main curtain-raiser.
It was Kirchner’s penalty on half-time that reduced the Free State lead to just four points at the whistle.
Immediately into the second half, Free State flyhalf Willem de Waal drew the Griqua defence and fed Claassens, who scored his second try.
Within five minutes, Griquas were back in the game, replacement scrumhalf Josh Fowles scoring his team’s second try from a fine counter-attack.
Centre Du Toit’s injury departure meant that Eben Olivier — who began the match at scrumhalf before covering on the wing for the injured Booi — was now Dries Scholtz’s midfield partner.
Replacement loose-forward Kobus Grobbelaar, playing in his first Currie Cup match of the season, had to do so out on the wing.
In the final quarter, the Cheetahs scored three exciting tries through hooker Naka Drotske from a good Free State build-up and two fine runs by wings Eddie Fredericks and Anton Pitout.
Griquas pulled a try back when Grobbelaar squeezed over in the corner after a Joubert break. The Free State scrummed and supported well and flank Hendro Scholtz was outstanding.
In the Griqua eight, lock Johann Ackermann and loose forwards Phillip van Schalkwyk and Gareth Krause played with huge commitment. — Sapa