In a move that screams "if it ain't broke, don't fix it," Griquas coach Pieter Bergh has tweaked his lineup by a mere thread for the upcoming Currie Cup showdown. With the final against the Lions set to ignite Ellis Park this Saturday, there's just one change forced by necessity rather than strategy: Malembe Mpofu is out with a concussion, stepping aside for Derik Pretorius to don the No. 4 jersey.
The spotlight—or perhaps the floodlights, given the stakes—remains firmly on Janco Uys. Despite a shaky performance in the lineout during the semi-final's first half against the Cheetahs, Uys will start as hooker. His early exit for Tiaan Lange in that game sparked debates, but Bergh hasn’t wavered.
"We never even discussed it. We have full confidence in Janco. When things don’t go well in the lineouts, it’s always the hooker that cops the blame. I think he maybe had two bad throws, but all seven lineout losses can’t just be placed at the hooker’s feet."
It's clear, the blame game is off the table, and Uys is here to stay.As the Griquas gear up to potentially end a 55-year Currie Cup drought, the atmosphere in the camp is surprisingly low-key. Bergh shares,
"To be honest, it doesn’t feel like a week leading up to a final, which I think is a good thing. The players aren’t making too big of a deal of it. I get the feeling the guys have belief in themselves. We know we can get the job done without kicking up too much of a fuss about it."
It’s this quiet confidence that might just be the secret sauce they need to triumph.Flashback to the 2022 final and the sting of defeat at the hands of the Pumas still lingers for four Griquas players. Uys, flyhalf George Whitehead, loosehead prop Eddie Davids, and Prinsloo are back for another crack at glory, hoping to flip the script this time around. With kickoff scheduled for 3pm, all eyes will be on whether this team can rewrite a 55-year-old narrative.
Here's how they line up: Starting XV - Cameron Hufke, Dylan Maart, Zane Bester, Mnombo Zwelendaba, Gurshwin Wehr, George Whitehead, Caleb Abrahams, Gustav Erlank, Carl Els, Lourens Oosthuizen, Albert Liebenberg, Derik Pretorius, Cebo Dlamini (c), Janco Uys, Eddie Davids. Bench - Tiaan Lange, Leon Lyons, Ig Prinsloo, Marco de Witt, Phumzile Maqondwana, Thomas Bursey, Tom Nel, Connor Mahoney.