Griquas run rampant over Kings side still seeking victory

A RAMPANT Griquas piled more misery on the shoulders of the embattled EP Kings rugby team when they thrashed them 45-25 in a Currie Cup Premier Division match in Kimberley on Saturday.

It was the ninth straight loss for the Kings, who leaked an alarming seven tries against a Griquas side who are fighting for their survival in the Premier Division.

A worrying statistic for Kings' head coach Carlos Spencer is that his struggling team have now conceded a massive 50 tries in only nine outings and face the prospect of ending the season winless.

Things will not get any easier for the Kings at Nelson Mandela Bay on Friday night when they face a never-say-die Pumas side who are also fighting to avoid playing in a series of promotion matches next season.

After a 12-year absence from the top flight, much more was expected from the Kings, who have struggled to keep their heads above water in the Premier Division.

Saturday's defeat against Griquas means that the Kings suffered the embarrassment of losing to a non-franchise union who face the prospect of being relegated from the top division.

The Kings will remain in the top flight next year despite ending bottom of the log because SA Rugby officials decided they are an entrenched franchise union.

SA Rugby has ruled that if the two non-franchise teams (Pumas and Griquas) finish seventh and eighth in the Premier Division both will play in a 2015 qualification round of eight teams.

If one non-franchise team finishes in the top six, they will automatically qualify for the Currie Cup Premier Division.

The other non-franchise team will play in a qualifying round of seven teams next year.

However, if both non-franchise teams finish in the top six of this year's Absa Currie Cup Premier Division, they will automatically qualify for the 2015 tournament and there will be no qualifying tournament next year.

Seven tries by a fired-up Griquas to only three by the Kings steered the home side to a convincing victory.

The first half was tight as the hosts scored two tries, while the EP Kings were awarded a penalty try to add to two conversions by Gary van Aswegen.

This resulted in Griquas taking a narrow 14-13 halftime lead.

But the floodgates opened for the home side in the second half as Griquas found their rhythm and capitalised on gaps in defence, allowing them to run in another five tries.

Three of those tries were scored in a strong nine-minute spell which inflated their score significantly.

During the try spree, flank Marnus Schoeman earned his hat-trick in what proved to be a crushing win for the Kimberley-based side.

To their credit, the EP Kings scored two late consolation tries through centre Shane Gates, allowing them to narrow the deficit.

The Kings now have to pick themselves up off the canvas for what will be a testing home game against a feisty Pumas outfit at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Friday.

Scorers:

Griquas: Tries: Janro van Niekerk, Marnus Schoeman (3), Martin Bezuidenhout, PJ Vermeulen (2). Conversions: Dean Grant (3), Gouws Prinsloo (2).

EP Kings: Tries: Shane Gates (2), penalty try. Conversion: Gary van Aswegen, George Whitehead. Penalties: Gary van Aswegen (2). - George Byron