The Griquas team secured a convincing victory over Boland with a score of 48:17 in the Currie Cup match, which took place in Wellington on Saturday. This result allowed Griquas to take first place in the group standings and secure home advantage in the playoffs, provided they maintain their winning streak.
The defending champions managed to displace the Cheetahs from the top of the rankings. Boland had hoped for a win with bonus points to overtake the fourth-placed Lions, but this hope faded in the second half when Griquas began scoring touchdowns. The power of the guests' scrum and driving maul proved too much for the home side to handle.
As a result of this match, Griquas will play one of the semi-finals against the Lions, while the Cheetahs will face the Pumas in another semi-final.
Match Summary
Boland started the game positively, scoring the first points via a penalty kick. However, Griquas quickly took control of the game when flanker Marco de Wit scored a maul touchdown, marking his 50th appearance. Shortly after, the visitors increased the lead to 12:3 when winger Dylan Maart capitalized on a cross-kick.
The situation looked bleak for Boland, especially after hooker Joshua Eras was sent off with a sin bin. Nevertheless, the home team demonstrated fighting spirit. Flanker Sibusiso Sangweni broke through the outline lines at the half-hour mark, and then winger Jayden Bantom scored, allowing Boland to take the lead. After leading 17:12, this advantage only lasted until the last minute of the first half, when Griquas equalized with a powerful maul scored by Tiaan Lange.
After the break, Griquas immediately regained control when number 8 Carl Els kicked a pushover try. The defending champions added a third consecutive touchdown when fullback Stefan Coetzee broke through a gap, making the match outcome increasingly clear.
Boland's task became even harder when centre Jurick Lewis received a yellow card for head contact during a vertical tackle. Griquas continued to apply pressure, reaching a total of 40 points when flanker Lourens Oosthuizen retrieved the ball from the outline and broke through Boland's defense. The situation for Boland worsened further when outsider Lunathi Nxele received a red card for a terrible tackle. Left winger Gurshwin Wehr sealed this crushing victory with the team's seventh touchdown.