Griquas recovered from a lethargic first half where they were trailing 22-24 against the Griffons to win their compulsory Currie Cup friendly rugby match in Welkom on Saturday 64-34.
Spearheaded by Tobie Botes who first shined at flyhalf and then at scrumhalf, the Kimberley side simply overran their opponents in the last 20 minutes to record a convincing win.
Scoring 10 tries to four, Griquas, fielding a second-string combination, again showed the difference between Currie Cup sides and the second-tier teams. During the first half, the Griffons managed to maintain defensive lines, but once the Griquas got into their stride, there was no stopping them.
Both Botes and winger Darryl Coeries scored hat-tricks, with Botes contributing 27 points via his tries and six conversions.
Untidy play and missed tackles marked the first 15 minutes of the game, with Griquas the main culprits. Scrappy defence handed both Shagan Wondvogel and Hugo Kleynhans tries on a plate.
Once Griquas got into their stride, though, their forwards consolidated and four tries followed — two by hooker Dean Hopp after mauling from line-outs. That trend continued in the second half and Griquas only took the lead in the 60th minute. Thereafter it was one-way traffic. — Sapa