Griquas end 55-year Currie Cup drought with dramatic triumph over Lions at Ellis Park

The hard-charging, courageous Griquas ended a 55-year Currie Cup drought with a nail-biting 27-25 win in a pulsating final at Ellis Park on Saturday.

Replacement fly-half Lubabalo Dobela looked to have landed the winning points for the Lions late on, but a George Whitehead penalty after the hooter broke home hearts once again after they suffered the same fate in last year's final.

The Lions burst out of the blocks, with giant prop Asenathi Ntlabakanye throwing himself about in trademark fashion, but it was the visitors who struck first. Fullback Cameron Hufke pounced on a loose pass near halfway and sprinted clear in the second minute, Whitehead adding the conversion.

Gurshwin Wehr thought he had doubled the tally in the 10th minute after strong forward play, only to be denied for a foot in touch. Griquas more than held their own in the set piece, particularly at scrum time, where Eddie Davids’ tussle with Ntlabakanye was a gripping subplot.

Their patience in possession also impressed, as they camped in the Lions’ 22 until a turnover by WJ Steenkamp snuffed out the danger.

The Lions eventually applied pressure of their own, Chris Smith slotting a straightforward penalty on 20 minutes. Minutes later, centre Quan Horn conjured a moment of brilliance, slicing through the defence from deep before off-loading for winger Kelly Mpeku to finish. Smith’s extras made it 10-7.

The lead was short-lived, flanker Lourens Oosthuizen barging over from a tap penalty in the corner to restore Griquas’ advantage. With half-time looming, Richard Kriel hit a gap at speed to score under little pressure, Smith converting for 17-14. The score stayed that way into the break, with the Kimberley outfit firmly in contention.

Early in the second half, Smith was forced off with a head knock, Dobela replacing him after a lengthy stoppage. Whitehead, wayward with his drop-goal efforts, nailed a penalty soon after to level things up. But the Lions immediately hit back when a wicked bounce from the restart allowed Henco van Wyk to gather and score.

Dylan Maart’s efforts almost brought Griquas level. The winger won a penalty, was held up over the line from the resulting maul, and remained a constant aerial threat. Still, with an hour gone, the score remained unchanged as the Lions turned the screw at scrum and maul time.

The visitors, however, refused to fold. Their forwards launched relentless pick-and-drive phases near the Lions’ line, eventually creating space for centre Mnombo Zwelenedaba to crash over in the 73rd minute. Whitehead’s conversion gave them a 24-22 lead, silencing Ellis Park.

Dobela appeared to snatch redemption for last season’s beaten finalists with a late penalty, edging the Lions 25-24 ahead. But the drama wasn’t done. Deep into stoppage time, the TMO picked up an infringement, handing Whitehead a shot from near halfway.

The veteran fly-half held his nerve, nailing the kick to clinch a famous 27-25 triumph for Griquas — and with it, their first Currie Cup since 1970.

Points-Scorers:

Lions 25 (17) - Tries: Mpeku, Kriel, Van Wyk. Conversions: Smith (2). Penalty: Smith, Dobela

Griquas 27 (14) - Tries: Hufke, Oosthuizen, Zwelenedaba. Conversions: Whitehead (3), Penalties: Whitehead (2)