EP must hang tough if they want to defy odds against Griquas

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.”

EP’s Elephants showed fighting character and resilience when they fought back from being 17-0 down in the first half to clinch a much-needed 43-31 victory over the Leopards in Potchefstroom on Saturday, coach Allister Coetzee said. On the way to their first SA Cup win of the season, a determined EP side had to dig deep after they were on the receiving end of a yellow card and later a 20-minute red card during a hard-fought showdown Though it took the EP until the fifth round to put an elusive “W” behind their name, the men in red and black hoops rose to the occasion to grab the points against a combative side who are difficult to beat on their home patch. This had been a must-win game for the Elephants after an earlier run of SA Cup defeats against the Falcons, Pumas, SWD Eagles and Cheetahs. The victory could not have come at a more opportune time for the Elephants, whose next assignment is against a high-flying Griquas side at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Saturday (kickoff 5pm). “This win in Potchefstroom was important for us,” Coetzee said. “EP can only build on this result, and it was a tough game. “We got off to a bad start again, but the players really fought back after we were 17-0 down after 23 minutes. “The guys then clawed themselves into the lead for the first time just before halftime when we went 19-17 ahead.” Flying EP wing Mpho Ntsane scored three tries, and there were also five pointers for Damon Royle, Garth April, Buhle Njekwa and Dandre Delport. Fly-half April booted three conversions and replacement No 10 Maxwell Klaasen one to complete EP’s points tally. “Playing with 14 men for 30 minutes was a tough ask, yet we came through and won convincingly in the end,” Coetzee said. “Unfortunately, we had two yellow cards, and the second yellow led to a 20-minute red card for Mpho. “One was deemed to be a deliberate knock-on early in the game, which resulted in a yellow card in the first 15 minutes of the game. “The second yellow card was during a contestable kick incident in the second half. “Mpho contested in the air and made contact, and it was really just a rugby incident.” EP will hope to take confidence from the Leopards’ win into their next game against the unbeaten Griquas, who top the table with a full house of 25 points after five rounds. They stayed on the winning track with a vital 24-14 away win over the Boland Cavaliers in Wellington on Saturday. The Cheetahs moved into the top four thanks to a runaway 57-10 win over the Griffons in Welkom. The Free Staters were under pressure to deliver a victory to keep their hopes of a top-four SA Cup finish and a berth in the Currie Cup Premier Division alive. Border’s nightmare start continued when they were hammered 94-5 by the Pumas at the Sisa Dukashe Stadium in KuGompo City. The Bulldogs, who have leaked 315 points, have yet to earn a log point and are rooted to the bottom of the 10-team SA Cup log. Weekend results: Falcons 40 SWD Eagles 43 Griffons 10 Cheetahs 57 Boland Cavaliers 14 Griquas 24; Border Bulldogs 5 Pumas 94 Leopards 31 EP Elephants 43 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 vs Leopards Boland Cavaliers vs Border Bulldogs SWD Eagles vs Cheetahs Griffons vs Falcons EP Elephants vs Griquas Follow The Herald WhatsApp channel today and stay connected to the stories shaping our world. The Herald

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.

“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.”

EP’s mental and physical courage will be tested in the heat of battle on Saturday when they collide with an unbeaten Suzuki Griquas outfit who are brimming with confidence after making a flying start to the season. After beating the Leopards last week, the Elephants face their biggest test of the season against the 2025 Currie Cup champions at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium (kickoff 5pm). Griquas, who have scored an impressive 53 tries in five matches, will arrive in Gqeberha in a buoyant mood after a fifth consecutive SA Cup victory in Wellington last week. The on-fire side from Kimberley consolidated their position at the top of the log when they beat a formidable Boland Cavaliers outfit 24-14 last week. After a barn-storming start to season, the “Peacock Blues” (Poubloues in Afrikaans) will be confident about stretching their winning run against the Elephants. When the teams met in Kimberley in 2025, Griquas thrashed the Elephants 70-17 on a day EP will not remember with fondness. Later in 2025, Griquas stunned the Lions 27-25 to claim their first Currie Cup title in 55 years, with veteran flyhalf George Whitehead slotting the winning penalty after the hooter. While EP coach Allister Coetzee has called for a cash injection to turn things around Gqeberha, Griquas are not hampered by similar financial constraints. In a move that will promote continuity, Griquas have extended the contract of their successful coach, Pieter Bergh, until the end of 2029. Bergh is a man with a plan, and Griquas have reaped the benefits of his tactical awareness and player management since his appointment in 2021. “My dream for this union is to win a Currie Cup on our home ground,” Bergh said. “It was great to do it at Ellis Park [over the Lions], but my dream is to win a Currie Cup at home in Kimberley. I feel we have an established coaching team. We hope to finalise their contracts soon so they can walk this path with me,” he said. “It’s great that top management has bought into this vision, and it was actually an easy decision for me [to stay].” Before taking over as head coach, Bergh served as an assistant at Griquas and later made a name for himself as the head coach of the CUT Ixias in the Varsity Cup “From a rugby perspective, we’ve built something special in Kimberley,” he said. “We have a settled coaching team and a settled squad, and we were fortunate to have success last season without losing many players, which isn’t something that usually happens at Griquas. “That speaks to the culture we’re building.” Bergh said: “A few years ago, we set out a vision to become the best non-URC team in South Africa, and every day we’re working towards that. “The management has fully bought into that vision, and we’re all aligned and moving in the same direction. Now it’s about building on our success in 2025 and striving for even more in the near future.” Last weekend’s results left Griquas sitting pretty at the top of the standings with 25 points from five wins. They are followed by defending champion Pumas, who moved to 22 points alongside SWD, who are third because of a weaker points difference. Weekend fixtures: Friday: Pumas v Leopards. Saturday: 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

Log (all teams have played five matches)

1. Griquas 25;
2. Pumas 22;
3. SWD Eagles 22;
4. Cheetahs 18;
5. Boland Cavaliers 15;
6. Griffons 10;
7. Falcons 9;
8. EP Elephants 7;
9. Leopards 7;
10. Border Bulldogs 0.

Weekend fixtures

• Pumas v Leopards;
• Boland Cavaliers v Border Bulldogs;
• SWD Eagles v Cheetahs;
• Griffons v Falcons;
• EP Elephants v Griquas.

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