Griquas overcome 'man flu' to set up SRC final repeat

The Tafel Lager Griquas had more than just a game against a callow and outclassed DHL Western Province side to overcome to reach their third successive SuperSport Rugby Challenge this past weekend.

Man flu is supposed to be a figment of that gender’s imagination, but the Griquas boys had an outbreak of epic proportions in the week building up to the KaNyamazane Stadium festival, with 15 players and some of their management team affected.

So severe were some of the cases that a few of the players – the most prominent of those being the highly rated outside centre Michal Hasnar – had to be left behind in Kimberley, but they pulled through with a 50-21 win against Province.

“I was worried on Wednesday that we wouldn’t have a team to put out on the field,” said a proud Brent Janse van Rensburg afterwards. “The guys were really ill, we had about 15 players with chest problems and on antibiotics, and management also man down.

“We had to adjust our training programme a lot, it affected the way we normally prepare, and I must say I was happy with the way management and everyone just focused on solutions and what we needed to do to make the best of it.

“We had some guys we had to leave behind because we couldn’t pick them for this game. Fortunately it’s a squad effort and the guys healed up enough for us to put a team on the field and not be further disrupted. They played a good game today and put in a pretty good effort on the field.”

For all that, not only were Griquas clearly the dominant side in their semifinal, Janse van Rensburg wasn’t particularly surprised at the margin of the victory: “With any team when you click on the day and execute properly you’re going to score tries. I thought we have the ability to score tries against Province.

“We prepared well because we knew what to expect from them, and we were tactically good today. I thought we managed the game poorly in the first half and just didn’t look after the ball well. But as the game wore on I thought we were good.”

Janse van Rensburg said he was particularly pleased about the ball retention, continuity, physicality, quick ruck ball and his “pretty electric” backs out wide in a second half following a reasonably narrow margin to end the first (15-11).

Griquas’ opponents in the final – for the second year running – the Pumas, didn’t have as rough a preparation week to overcome, but Jimmy Stonehouse’s unbeaten men did go into their game against surprise semifinalists Boland as heavy favourites.

Stonehouse said it was one thing to be expected to win, and another to do it: “If you look at the score (57-32) everyone would say it was brilliant, but we didn’t play well, especially after halftime where the discipline was shocking.

“But the guys stuck in there, did what they had to do and scored the points. We’ll go back and have a look at what was wrong but there was an amazing spirit between the guys because – and I’ll say it again – all the guys got a game in the group stages of the competition.”

Stonehouse wasn’t all unhappiness, however: “Our mauls were brilliant and the back-line attack was good, especially the wingers. (Left wing) Ruwellyn Isbell was brilliant and (fullback) Devon (Williams) was also brilliant, I must congratulate the back line today.”

He added that the fact that the final would be held in Saldanha would not be a problem for his team. “People talk about home and away games and what the impact is likely to be, but then I said to them when we played in Oudtshoorn last year both teams travelled, so they must stop worrying about travel and play the game.

“It’ll also be an outing for the guys in the Cape – they travel, we travel, everyone is in the same boat.”