CURRIE CUP WRAP: Griquas slayed their 'goliath' by forgetting the URC tags

How to win the Currie Cup? Forget about the Vodacom United Rugby Championship. Those prophetic words by Suzuki Griquas coach Pieter Bergh came true as his team broke the Fidelity ADT Lions’ hearts at Ellis Park on Saturday as they snatched victory from the jaws of defeat, winning with a George Whitehead penalty after the final whistle.

It was the second year that the Lions gambled their URC chances on winning the domestic trophy and for the second year in a row, a full-strength URC side could win the title on home soil.

The heartbreak was understandable, and horrific if you are a Lions supporter, but for the rest of the competition, the rest of South Africa and the rugby romantics out there, this was a Currie Cup victory for the ages.

These days the so-called smaller unions fight for their right to still remain afloat. A team like Griquas may not have the crowd and infrastructure, but they had the heart. They had a bunch of players who would never lay down and a coach who must surely now be on the precipice of a URC franchise call-up.

BERGH DESERVES TO COACH IN URC

Pieter Bergh is one of the best coaches in the country, a rising star and it would be a travesty if a URC franchise doesn’t see his value in some capacity in the next few months.

Still, this was supposed to be a one-sided final. The Lions had romped into Saturday’s game on the back of a clear difference in quality. Their decision to play most of their URC squad in the Currie Cup while the other teams withdrew their players was a contentious one.

Last season it contributed to their poor ending of the season in the URC and there is every indication it may backfire again this year. But it was clear they were intent on winning a trophy - any trophy to deflect from their poor showing in the URC over the past four seasons.

So going into this final, Griquas were supposed to lie down and play dead. The Lions had walloped them 37-7 a few weeks back at the same venue. They had shown every team they faced they were a class above, and they were expected to roll up and take the trophy home.

DAVID VS GOLIATH

But Griquas had other ideas. The David-Goliath scenario gave them hope rather than despair and Bergh’s prophetic words when he entered the changeroom last Monday set the scene for one of the biggest upsets ever in the competition’s history.

And it showed that it meant more than just winning a trophy.

“I'm so emotional, you know. I've been emotional since the final whistle,” Bergh said afterwards.

“The whole week, I said on Monday, I walked into the team room and I said, if I hear the words URC this week, you get a R500 fine.

“We're not playing against the URC, we're playing against the Lions. And they've got 23 players and we've got 23 players. And it wasn't mentioned the whole week. And that was the mindset going into this game.

"So I think for the competition going forward, I think there's definitely not an asterisk next to this one. I think it's a proper Currie Cup win.

COMPETING WITH 20 PER CENT OF LIONS BUDGET

“And to do it, for long we've said that there's room for small unions in South African rugby. And hopefully this shows that we can compete with a budget, probably 20 per cent of the Lions budget.

"We came here and beat the full strength Lions team. They brought in Springboks for the final. So incredibly proud. Hopefully it opens doors for the smaller unions.

“Hopefully it shows that we can compete. Hopefully they find a way, the bigger unions, the smaller unions, Saru, SuperSport, hopefully find a way that we can play more competitive rugby. “We don't play any rugby until March, this team. So hopefully this shows that there's room for more teams playing in a better competition”

Bergh added that while this was their second final in four years, breaking the 55-year drought was special, but it wasn’t used at all in the build up.

“Yeah, you know, it's very special. Obviously four years ago there was a massive thing made. We knew we were playing in a final at home. About the 1970 team. This week we went the opposite direction. We didn't discuss it. We didn't talk about it. Just trying to take as much pressure off the players as possible.

FIRST TIME SINCE 1970

“But from our supporters, there's obviously chatter from them. But yeah, incredibly proud. You know, you'll always be a Currie Cup winner. And it's the first time since 1970. So I'm obviously incredibly proud. And hopefully we'll not wait another 55 years, this union. We've shown it's not two finals in four years. And hopefully we can build on this.”

What that future for Griquas is, is uncertain. At the moment there aren’t any prospects of bigger competitions to play in. The Lions move on to their tour to Cardiff this week to start the URC, licking their wounds. Last season the Sharks spoke openly about how the emotional toll of the final hampered their URC kick off and the Lions will be wary to heed that warning.

But for the Currie Cup competition, so awkward in the timeslot that it is currently in, the final was a masterstroke. The last two finals have been won after the hooter and this time Griquas had their fairytale moment.

With bigger and more prestigious competitions around, the debate should be ongoing about the future of the domestic showpiece, but it was clear the competition’s ethos was fulfilled when Griquas won it. An underdog breaking a 55-year drought. The scripts couldn’t be better.

Enough to fill Kimberley’s Big Hole with tears of joy. And remind us all why we love this game.

RESULTS

Suzuki Griquas 27 Fidelity ADT Lions 25

SCORERS

Fidelity ADT Lions - tries: Kelly Mpeku, Richard Kriel, Henco van Wyk. Conversions: Chris Smith (2). Penalties: Smith, Lubabalo Dobela.

Suzuki Griquas - tries: Cameron Hufke, Lourens Oosthuizen, Mnombo Zwelendaba. Conversions: George Whitehead (3). Penalties: Whitehead (2).