The Suzuki Griquas produced a superb first-half performance which set them on their way to a thumping 40-10 Carling Currie Cup win over the Toyota Cheetahs at the Toyota Stadium in Bloemfontein on Friday night.
It was an entertaining encounter as both teams attacked with abandon, but the Griquas were way more clinical as they ran in five first-half scores to lead 33-5 at halftime, before a much tighter second half was battled out.
The bonus-point win sees the Griquas jump from third to top of the log, and they can only be dethroned on the weekend by the Sanlam Boland Kavaliers if the latter pick up a bonus-point win over the Hollywoodbets Sharks XV in their clash in Pietermaritzburg on Saturday.
The Suzuki Griquas take the top spot on the #CurrieCup standings 🔝🔥#SSRugby pic.twitter.com/tnHdhA4mwI
— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) August 29, 2025
The Griquas got off to a flying start to the match, racing into a 21-0 lead with three tries in the first 15 minutes.
It started as early as the third as from a lineout on the Cheetahs 22m, the Griquas went infield, and then back out wide where they got close, before flyhalf George Whitehead hit a perfect line to get the short pass to go over, followed by converting his own score.
Three minutes later they were in for their second, after getting a penalty near the halfway they took a quick tap, with the ball going through the hands, before another angled run did the trick, this time outside centre Zane Bester bursting through for the converted try.
A scrum on the 22m then led to Griquas third, with scrumhalf Caleb Abrahams sniping blind off the back at pace to outstrip the defence and dive over to put them into the driving seat within the opening quarter.
The home side finally responded in the 26th minute, as they kicked into the corner for a 5m lineout, secured the ball and set the maul, with hooker Marko Janse van Rensburg breaking off and diving over to make it 21-5.
The visitors hit straight back three minutes late, as they attacked into the Cheetahs 22m, where the ball was sent wide to wing Gurshwin Wehr, who did superbly to stay infield and dot down in the corner, before Whitehead landed his fourth conversion to move them 28-5 ahead.
Gurshwin Wehr makes no mistakes in the corner 🤏💥
— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) August 29, 2025
📺 Stream #CurrieCup on DStv: https://t.co/0P0NNhnwKw pic.twitter.com/54hMlOnJ9g
It was then the perfect end to the half for the Griquas as they attacked from a lineout, Whitehead broke the line and got into the 22m, where they got close, before the ball was popped to fullback Cameron Hufke to dive over in the corner to give them a massive lead at the break.
GRIQUAS COP THREE YELLOWS
The first 20 minutes of the second half was then a huge arm wrestle, as the Cheetahs tried to fightback, but the Griquas kept repelling them and trying to extend their lead, but neither managed to get over the whitewash.
That changed in the 63rd minute as the Cheetahs attacked into the Griquas half, but a loose pass was picked up and sent to Wehr who put on the afterburners to sprint away and effectively end the match as a contest, as Whitehead’s extras gave them a 40-5 lead.
Heading into the final 10 minutes discipline then let the Griquas down as they were swiftly reduced to 12 players through three quickfire yellow cards.
Replacement prop Leon Lyons went to the bin after repeated infringements, Abrahams for being cynically offside and lock Albert Leibenberg for hauling down the maul.
Even with the big numerical advantage the Cheetahs struggled to make it count, after initially mauling over for loose forward Daniel Maartens to dot down, they were then unable score again over the final few minutes.
SCORERS
Toyota Cheetahs: Tries - Marko Janse van Rensburg, Daniel Maartens
Suzuki Griquas: Tries - George Whitehead, Zane Bester, Caleb Abrahams, Gurshwin Wehr (2), Cameron Hufke; Conversions - Whitehead (5)
