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Griquas were already sure of the spot in the Premier League of the coming Currie Cup competition, but with that draw in mind they want to end at the top of the current points log. With one game left, only Boland can still make an impact in the unlikely event that they win all their remaining games with a bonus point and a huge points margin.
The Pumas started well and showed from the get go that they were out to play a physical brand of rugby. The hosts soon joined in and what followed was some impressive attacking rugby that was only undone by the occasional handling error.
Despite being a whole 10kg lighter with regards to pack weight, Griquas did well in the scrums and put the visitors under some good pressure on their own ball.
Amidst all the running rugby, Pumas flyhalf Justin van Staden got a chance to give his side the early lead with a penalty in the fifth minute and with that a welcome breather, but he pushed it wide.
Griquas progressed to the red zone early and in the 14th minute scrumhalf Christiaan Meyer burst over from behind the ruck for an unconverted try after the Pumas couldn’t mend all the holes.
From there Griquas did most of the playing and their attacks paid dividends with captain and fullback AJ Coertzen scoring ten minutes later and flyhalf Clinton Swart converting for a comfortable lead of 12-0.
There were concentration lapses as well on the side of Griquas, with scrumhalf Christiaan Meyer yellow carded for a dangerous tackle and wing Ntabeni Dukisa later sent by referee Rasta Rashivenghe to fetch a ball he kicked out of the stadium.
That incident followed after Dukisa scored the hosts' third try of the evening and in his victory dance kicking the ball out of the stadium. With Swart ready to convert, Dukisa had to search for it in the dark bushes and Swart drop kicked the conversion when referee Rashivenghe called time.
Pumas prop Khwezi Mona got a yellow card as the pressure piled on the visitors before half-time. With just a minute left before the break, Griquas stretched their lead to 20-0 as Swart slotted a penalty.
Griquas picked up the second half where they left of the first and six minutes after the start got the bonus point try via big prop Mzwanele Zito, which was easily converted by Swart. A yellow card to former Griquas player and nowadays Pumas No 8 Nardus van der Walt in the 50th minute again left the visitors one man short. And Griquas capitalised via a penalty by Swart.
Consolation tries by former Griquas player Carel Greeff and utility back Heinrich Steyl right near the end served little to no purpose for the visitors.
Coertzen however scored his second of the night in what was surely a man-of-the-match performance.
Scorers:
Griquas 37 (20):
Tries: Christiaan Meyer, AJ Coertzen (2), Ntabeni Dukisa, Mzwanele Zito
Conversions: Clinton Swart (3)
Penalty: Swart (2).
Pumas 14 (0):
Tries: Carel Greeff, Heinrich Steyl
Conversions: Justin van Staden (2)
