‘We dreamed a dream,’ says Griquas coach Pieter Bergh after Currie Cup triumph
· Citizen
The Griquas managed to right the wrongs and banish the ghosts of 2022 when they clinched a 23-16 Currie Cup final win over their fierce rivals, the Pumas, at Griqua Park in Kimberley on Saturday.
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The victory clinched back-to-back titles for the Griquas, after they stunned the Lions in the final in Johannesburg last year, but this win is all the sweeter as they did it in front of their home fans, and gained some revenge for four years ago.
Back in 2022 the Griquas and Pumas finished third and fourth on the log respectively, but stunned the Bulls and Cheetahs in the semis to set up a blockbuster final in Kimberly, and despite being slight favourites the Griquas were upset 26-19 by the Pumas, who won their first and only title.
Better team
This time around the Griquas were clearly the better team, losing just one pool game, their first of the season against the Stormers, before winning everything else, and they deservedly lifted the trophy in front of their home fans.
“This is all I dreamt of. After 2022 this is all I wanted for Kimberley. A home final, in a stadium like this, to see the people come out and support us, this is all I dreamt of,” said an emotional Griquas coach Pieter Bergh after the match.
“This is amazing. They (the supporters) don’t always see what the players do in training, off the field, how hard they work and the sacrifices they make. They (the players) absolutely deserve this.
“We lost our first game of the Currie Cup against the Stormers and we came back, regrouped and the guys didn’t lose a game from there. So all credit to the players.
“We have had a lot of injuries over the season, but the guys bounced back, kept on going and believed that they could do it. The goal was to win it at home and I am just so happy.”
Proud captain
Griquas captain Albert Liebenberg was a proud man after the match, and praised how his team were able to lift their game after a successful campaign last year.
“It’s goosebump stuff. It was a great season for us. We pulled it through and the guys really performed. Going back-to-back was great. We wanted to go from good to great, which meant we had to keep winning. We wanted to win the final again and that is what we did,” explained Liebenberg.
Pumas captain Willie Engelbrecht was proud of his team’s efforts, after they fought their way into the final against all odds, and then pushed the Griquas to the brink before falling just short.
“It’s disappointing. Well done to the Griquas, they played well at the end. All credit to them. It was unlucky for us, but I am glad with how the season ended except for not winning the trophy,” said Englebrecht.
“I felt we had the game until about 65 minutes in. We lost our lineouts and in finals your set piece is crucial. Our defence was on point, but we were just lacking at the set piece.”