EP learning tough lessons in face of adversity, says Coetzee

A limping EP Elephants side, with only one SA Cup win to their name after six outings, are learning tough lessons that only come when facing adversity, Elephants coach Allister Coetzee says.

After watching his team crash to a 52-9 defeat against high-flying Griquas at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Saturday, Coetzee said players would not learn anything if everything was going well for them.

If the struggling EP Elephants want to achieve the level of success their coaches, supporters and management crave, they must recruit high-quality players to boost their squad, Griquas coach Pieter Bergh says. Bergh made the assessment after a second-half try-scoring blitz powered his Currie Cup-winning team to a 52-9 win over EP at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Saturday. The Elephants were still in the fight at halftime when they trailed 14-9, but Griquas turned on the after-burners in the second half to stretch their winning SA Cup streak to six matches. “You can see the structures are there with this EP team, and you can see what Allister Coetzee (head coach) and Matt Proudfoot (forwards coach) are trying to do,” Bergh said. “A good coach is not enough. “You need good players and you need to hold onto these players and build a team. “You also need continuity. “What Heyneke Meyer (head coach at the SWD Eagles) has done is to put together a whole new squad in six months that can compete. “EP do lack a bit of quality, but the structure is there “I was very concerned about this game, and the first half showed what EP can do. “You don’t have two or three years to build a team; you have to get it right quickly. “You can see there is progress (at EP), but you need good players as well.” Bergh said EP dominated the kicking game in the first half, which had forced Griquas to change their strategy at halftime. “I thought EP dominated the kicking game in the first half and almost played a Test match type of game where they kicked a lot of contestables and tried to turn us around at every opportunity they got, and we lost the aerial battle. “Griquas did not get any territory so the message at halftime was if can we just start winning those small little kicking battles, and get field position and territory, then we can strangle them “I thought that penalty try just before halftime started to change things for us. “We said we have to break EP down and force some bad kicks and get some counter-attacks going “And that is what happened in the second half. ‘We strangled EP and got scrums, lineout dominance and territory which allowed us to apply pressure." Bergh said Griquas’ ambition is to be the best non-United Rugby Championship side in SA. “There are talks of Griquas playing in an international competition and hopefully something will be announced shortly,” he said. Our ambition is to be the best non-URC team in SA, and that is not just based on performance. It will also be based on our team culture, finances and how the union is run and how we look after our players “I can’t say which tournament yet. “Our ambition is to be the best non-URC team in SA, and that is not just based on performance. “It will also be based on our team culture, finances and how the union is run and how we look after our players. “When the opportunity becomes available to play in an overseas competition, we want to be ready. “Griquas want to show we deserve an opportunity to play at that level. “We don’t look too far ahead, and we need another win to qualify for the Currie Cup Premier Division. “Hopefully we can get that win as soon as possible. “We want to qualify for the Currie Cup and then try and win the SA Cup, and we also want to defend our Currie Cup title. “Griquas are in a good position now, but we have the Pumas this week, which is going to be a really tough game in Kimberley.” Follow The Herald WhatsApp channel today and stay connected to the stories shaping our world. The Herald

EP are hoping to pull off their second win of the season when they face a winless Border Bulldogs outfit at the Madibaz Stadium at the Nelson Mandela University campus on Friday (3pm kickoff).

Border are entrenched at the bottom of the log without a point, while EP are in eighth position after accumulating seven points on the 10-team log.

“They are tough lessons the players are learning at the moment, but you can only learn when it is tough and you face adversity,” Coetzee said.

“You won’t learn anything if it is just going well for you. You learn from these tough times.

“This is a process, and EP need to go through it to see how we rectify things and show we can adapt on the field.

“We’re taking it game by game and we want to get as many wins as possible out of our remaining three fixtures.

“By doing well you also set yourself up for the Currie Cup later in the season.”

EP’s Elephants must hang tough and stay in the fight for as long as possible if they want to defy the odds and pull off an upset win over Griquas in an SA Cup clash in Gqeberha on Saturday. The Elephants cannot afford a slow start against a livewire Griquas outfit who will pounce on every opportunity at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium (kickoff 5pm). The high-flying Kimberley outfit are unbeaten after five matches and have a full house of 25 log points after running in 53 tries. EP have won only one of their opening five matches and are in eighth spot on the 10-team log. In a bid to galvanise home crowd support, EPRU Grand Challenge club rugby matches have been put on hold in a bid to boost Saturday’s attendance. “Griquas have a big pack and we can expect an onslaught up front,” EP coach Allister Coetzee said. “EP have not been overpowered up front by any of the big teams we have played in the SA Cup. “The challenge against Griquas is that they play with a lot of width and they will test us defensively because they have sprinters out wide. Griquas have a very quick back three, so we will be tested there. We know Griquas are a good side, but it is our home game and we will give it our best shot.” EP have yet to win at home this season after defeats against the Falcons and SWD Eagles and Coetzee is desperate to reverse that trend. “In the second half we put the squeeze on the Leopards in Potchefstroom and EP were very good at cutting out mistakes,” he said. “We were clinical in scoring back-to-back tries in the second half and EP were also good at mauling, and we scored three tries from that. “I was happy with the win and the performance delivered by the guys. It was an important victory, and we have to build on it against Griquas. The game against the Leopards showed the character of this EP team to always fight to the end.” Griquas coach Pieter Bergh has warned his team EP will be a tough nut to crack on their home turf. “EP are a better team than the log maybe suggests. They were 17-0 down against the Leopards away from home this past weekend and came back to score 43 points and win comfortably,” he said. Playing away from home in a 5pm game in Gqeberha, if you’re not switched on they have the players, coaches and systems to hurt you. We have to make sure we’re ready for that “They’ll take a lot of confidence from that comeback. They also have an experienced international coaching staff with Allister Coetzee and [forwards coach] Matt Proudfoot. You can see the structure they have and the improvements they’ve made. “Playing away from home in a 5pm game in Gqeberha, if you’re not switched on they have the players, coaches and systems to hurt you. We have to make sure we’re ready for that. “Griquas do have a few injuries this week so we had to make a few changes. After a hard, physical game against Boland it’s always good to bring in some fresh faces and energy. “Tiaan Lange is being rested after doing really well for us. Keagan Blackenberg has also been working incredibly hard and he deserves this opportunity. He joined us from Western Province and he’s really enjoying it here.” Log (all teams have played five matches) Griquas 25; Pumas 22; SWD Eagles 22; Cheetahs 18; Boland Cavaliers 15; Griffons 10; Falcons 9; EP Elephants 7; Leopards 7; Border Bulldogs 0. Weekend fixtures Pumas v Leopards; Boland Cavaliers v Border Bulldogs; SWD Eagles v Cheetahs; Griffons v Falcons; EP Elephants v Griquas. Follow The Herald WhatsApp channel today and stay connected to the stories shaping our world. The Herald

Coetzee heaped praise on Griquas after they overpowered his team with a dominant second half display.

“Griquas are the most clinical team in the SA Cup compared to the other so-called big teams,” he said.

“They have more pace and they are a more physical side than the Cheetahs or Pumas.

“In all three of the games against the big teams EP were in the fight and we fought with physicality.

“It is a short turnaround and I am sure the boys will be up for the Border game.

“I would not say conceding 52 points against Griquas is ideal, but if you look back to our game against them in 2025 it shows that EP stayed in the fight.

“If you want to go to the Currie Cup Premier Division, this is what you face every weekend and not just once in a while like it is in the SA Cup.

“The way this EP team is growing is a big positive for me.

“I think flyhalf Maxwell Klaasen’s kicking is coming along nicely.

“A lot of youngsters are gaining confidence, like Jaydon Bantom at the back.”

Coetzee said the fitness of captain and lock Mzwanele Zito (AC joint injury) and loose forward Damon Royle (groin) meant the two players were in doubt for the Bulldogs clash.

“Zito and Royle are big players for us, and we will assess both injuries during the week,” he said.

“A positive for us is that loan players Dandre Delport [hooker] and Jac van der Walt [loose forward] will be eligible to play against Border.

“They are on loan to us from Griquas, and the deal was they did not want them to be included in our lineup on Saturday.”

A sizzling second-half try-scoring spree powered SA Cup log-leaders Griquas to a runaway 52-9 win over the EP Elephants at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Saturday. EP were still in the fight at halftime when they trailed 14-9, but Griquas moved through the gears in the second half to stretch their winning streak to six matches. Frustrated EP coach Allister Coetzee said three yellow cards — which resulted in his team playing with 13 men at one stage in the second half — had proved to be a crippling blow. EP held a narrow 9-7 lead with time running out in the first half before referee Lulutho Matomela awarded a penalty try to Griquas and yellow-carded Elephants lock Athenkosi Khetani. This sequence of events turned the tide in the favour of the visitors, who took full advantage in the second half, scoring seven unanswered tries. “The big blow for us was the yellow cards, and it is impossible to play against the Currie Cup champions with 13 men,” Coetzee said. “While we were down to 13 men, Griquas took advantage, and they punished us with their experience and quick outside backs. “EP’s players put their bodies on the line, but it was discipline and lost opportunities that let us down badly. “When we were in the Griquas half, we turned the ball over for no reason. “The Elephants were clinical and tactical in the first half, and Griquas did not expect us to play like that. “I will have to look at why we received the yellow cards. “Was it defensive pressure, or was it conceding effort penalties by not rolling out of the way, a high tackle, fighting or doing clumsy things? “We need to look at how we can fix that.” Coetzee praised his team for their scrumming and mauling against a physical Griquas outfit. “Griquas have already put up massive scores against Currie Cup First Division sides in the SA Cup this season,” he said. “What I take from this is how we competed at set pieces against them. “It is not like Griquas went and scored maul tries galore against us. “I can’t ask more from the players in terms of physicality. “Griquas’ outside backs are quick athletes, and once you turn it over, you get punished, and that was a big lesson for us. “That is where we need to grow and to kill the ball when we turn it over and also be more accurate.” Coetzee said the fitness of captain and lock Mzwanele Zito (AC joint injury) and loose forward Damon Royle (groin) were in doubt before Friday’s match against the Border Bulldogs at the Madibaz Stadium. The clash has been moved from NMB Stadium to the Nelson Mandela University campus because the Sanzaar U-20 Rugby Championship tournament will be played at NMB Stadium from April 27 to May 9. “Zito and Royle are big players for us, and we will assess both injuries during the week,” Coetzee said. “A positive for us is that loan players Dandre Delport [hooker] and Jac van der Walt [loose forward] will be eligible to play against Border. “They are on loan to us from Griquas, and the deal was they did not want them to be included in our lineup on Saturday.” Scorers: EP Elephants 9: Penalties: Maxwell Klaasen (3). Griquas 52: Tries: Cameron Hufke (2), Keagan Blackenberg, Sako Makata, Carel van der Merwe, Dylan Maart, Gurswin Wehr, and a penalty try (worth seven points). Conversions: Liam Koen (2), George Whitehead (3). Other scores: Pumas 85 Leopards 0, Boland Cavaliers 74 Border Bulldogs 5, SWD Eagles 17 Cheetahs 26, Griffons 36 Falcons 68. Follow The Herald WhatsApp channel today and stay connected to the stories shaping our world. The Herald

SA Cup log (all teams have played six matches): Griquas 30, Pumas 27, Cheetahs 23, SWD Eagles 22, Boland Cavaliers 20, Falcons 14, Griffons 11, EP Elephants 7, Leopards 7, Border Bulldogs 0

Weekend fixtures: Friday: EP v Border Bulldogs, Leopards v Boland Cavaliers. Saturday: Falcons v Cheetahs, SWD Eagles v Griffons, Griquas v Pumas

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