Griquas score late winner in Ellis Park thriller
MATCH REPORT: Burly replacement Cebo Dlamini scored the match-winning try well into the referee's additional time as Griquas snatched a late winner against the Lions at Ellis Park on Sunday.
It was a thrilling finish to a generally scrappy match, which saw Griquas claim a 25-18 win - as they moved to within striking distance of the top four.
For the home team, it was very much a game of 'what ifs' - their set pieces not functioning and their discipline lacking at crucial times.
Griquas, with exception of the closing stages, were also their own worst enemies - conceding 18 unforced turnovers.
* To recap all the Ellis Park action, CLICK HERE!
George Whitehead and Tiaan Swanepoel exchanged early penalties, as the teams stayed deadlocked through the first quarter.
It changed when Griquas prop Janu Botha was shown a yellow card for a head-to-head tackle on Bronson Mills.
With the Griquas pack a man down, the Lions opted for a couple of scrums - the first becoming a penalty and the second resulting in a try when Zeilinga Strydom - on while Bronson Mills went for an HIA - gathered a sublime grubber kick to score the opening try. Swanepoel made it 10-3 with the conversion.
Whitehead missed with a penalty, while Swanepoel hit the upright from 50 metres out.
On the stroke of half-time, the Lions were down to 14 men - Jarod Cairns being sent to the sin bin for a cynical foul, not releasing in the tackle near his own line.
The Griquas went through a few phases and used their numerical advantage for hooker Janco Uys to go over. Whitehead missed the conversion - 8-10.
That's how it stayed till half-time, despite another flurry of attack by the Griquas.
The second half got off to a scrappy start, and neither side was able to hold on to possession long enough to crack the opposing defence.
A scrum penalty saw Whitehead hit the upright for his third consecutive miss.
The comedy of errors continued, as the teams struggled to take control in the second half.
A powerful scrum won the Lions an attacking line-out deep inside the Griquas' 22. However, Griquas managed to stop the maul just short of the line and win a crucial turnover.
On the hour mark Swanepoel slotted his second penalty and from the restart - which went long - the Lions won another scrum penalty of halfway, but this time he was wide of the mark.
Going into the final 10 minutes Griquas finally put enough phases together and scrumhalf Johan Mulder scored a try from close range. Eddie Fouche took over the goalkicking and added the conversion - 15-13.
Fouche added a long-range penalty with four minutes remaining, leaving the home team, with a proverbial mountain to climb - 18-13.
Sevens star Johannes Pretorius, on Currie Cup debut and having come on as a second-half replacement, collected the restart and after a few phases finished a brilliant move. Swanepoel could not land the conversion - leaving the teams tied at 18-all.
Griquas now threw everything into attack and, starting deep inside their own half, took the ball through 20-odd phases - before replacement Cebo Dlamini came on a great angle and collected a pass from Fouche to race over for the match-winner. Fouche added the conversion to further rub salt into the Lions' wounds - 25-18.
The scorers
For the Lions
Tries: Strydom, Pretorius
Con: Swanepoel
Pens: Swanepoel 2
For Griquas
Tries: Uys, Mulder, Dlamini
Cons: Fouche 2
Pens: Whitehead, Fouche
Yellow cards: Janu Botha (Griquas, 22 - foul play, head-to-head contact), Jarod Cairns (Lions, 38 - cynical foul, not releasing in the tackle close to the line)
Teams
Lions: 15 Tiaan Swanepoel, 14 Boldwin Hansen, 13 Rynhardt Jonker, 12 Bronson Mills, 11 Ilunga Mukendi, 10 Jurich Claasens, 9 Nico Steyn, 8 Cal Smid, 7 Jarod Cairns, 6 Renzo du Plessis, 5 Darrien-Lane Landsberg, 4 Pieter Jansen van Vuren, 3 Ruan Smith, 2 Jaco Visagie (captain), 1 Morgan Naudé.
Replacements: 16 Michael van Vuuren, 17 Sithembiso Sithole, 18 Kabous Bezuidenhout, 19 Conor van Buuren, 20 Johannes Pretorius, 21 Andre Warner, 22 Vaughen Isaacs, 23 Zeilinga Strydom.
Griquas: 15 Lubabalo Dobela, 14 Rosko Specman, 13 Jay-Cee Nel, 12 Eddie Fouche, 11 Luther Obi, 10 George Whitehead, 9 Johan Mulder, 8 Hanru Sirgel (captain), 7 Michael Amiras, 6 Stephan Smit, 5 Albert Liebenberg, 4 Derik Pretorius, 3 Janu Botha, 2 Janco Uys, 1 Kudzwai Dube.
Replacements: 16 Gustav du Rand, 17 Cebo Dlamini, 18 Junior Banda, 19 Johan Retief, 20 Neil Otto, 21 Reagan Oranje, 22 Sango Xamlashe, 23 Sako Makata
Referee: Griffin Colby
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