Griquas CD steal win in epic battle
Griquas Country Districts managed their second win of the 2010 Craven Week, stealing a late 27-25 victory in a thrilling match against the Leopards.
The victory, in the opening match on Day Four, was secured in the dying seconds - when Brendan Coetzee kicked the winning penalty.
The Kimberly side started poorly, when a rolling maul - set up in their half - led to an early try by Leopards No.16 Ando Booyens.
It got worse for Griquas when good interplay from the Leopards outside backs led to a try for Heswyn Heyns, and a conversion for Johan Myburgh.
The Leopards were then penalised in the 23rd minute for not releasing in front of the Griquas posts. Johan Myburgh's attempted kick fell short, but Dof du Plessis, the Griquas No.9, collected the ball and managed to go over under the uprights as the bewildered Leopards players simply stood and watched each other.
A mistake by the Leopards backline led to an intercept and free run to the try line by Griquas flyer Barend Swanepoel and then even more disaster hit the Leopards as try-scorer Booyens was sin-binned for repeated breakdown offences by his team.
Eswyn Heyns scored for Griquas CD, who capitalised on their one-man advantage, before Casper Badenhorst and Franco Marais touched down for the Leopards, as the see-saw battle continued - with the score in the 69th minute standing at 25-24 to Leopards.
However, the Leopards were penalised when Stephan Phuti Kekana was caught off-side in front of his posts as the full-time whistle loomed, giving Brendan Coetzee the opportunity to steal the game for the Griquas in the dying seconds.
The scorers:
For Griquas Country Districts:
Tries: Dof du Plessis, Eswyn Heyns 2
Cons: Johan Myburgh 3
Pens: Johan Myburgh, Brendan Coetzee
For the Leopards:
Tries: Ando Booyens, Barend Swanepoel, Casper Badenhorst, Franco Marais
Con: Divan Visser
Pen: Divan Visser
The teams:
Griquas CD: Daphnul Booysen (Duineveld), Juan Booysen (Duineveld), Frederik Botha (Duineveld), Brendan Coetzer (Kathu), Adolf du Plessis (Duineveld), Andre Esterhuyse (Duineveld), John Goeiman (Duineveld), Eswyn Heyns (Upington), Abraham Janse van Vuuren (Kalahari), Gabriël Liebenberg (Upington), Jacques Louw (Duineveld), Johannes Maritz (Duineveld), Neo Masenge (Upington), Johannes Myburgh (Duineveld), Heinrich Neels (Duineveld), Eben Nel (Upington), Werner Smit (Upington), Christiaan Steenkamp, Charles Thomas (Duineveld), Peter-John Walters (Upington), Nigel Wentworth (Upington).
Leopards: Casper Badenhorst (Wesvalia), Dean Basson (Rustenburg), Ando Booyens (Klerksdorp), Petrus Bornman (Klerksdorp), Kyle Brock (Potchefstroom Boys), Andries de Wet (Lichtenburg), Johan Jooste (Klerksdorp), Stephan Kekana (Hartbeespoort), Zeann Lazenby (Vryburg), Khotso Leepile (HTS Potchefstroom), Christoffel Marais (Rustenburg), Paballo Mohapi (Potchefstroom Boys), Sechaba Monyaki (New Vision), Ettienne Oosthuizen (Bergsig), Elvis Phalane (HTS Rustenburg), Ettienne Smith (Schweizer-Reneke), Jacobus Strauss (Potchefstroom Volkies), Louwrens Strydom (Vryburg), Barend Swanepoel (Wesvalia), Claude Tshidibi (Potchefstroom Boys), Jacques van Staden (Schoonspruit), Divan Visser (Potchefstroom Volkies).
Fixtures to follow later today:
11.30am: Zimbabwe v South Western Districts
12.50pm: Border v Valke
2.10pm: Pumas v Griquas
3.30pm: Free State v KwaZulu-Natal