Griquas depth to be put to the ultimate test

Griquas have played 11 National Provincial Challenge match matches and two Currie Cup games in a row.

The Griquas lost 43-48 against the Golden Lions in a high scoring round two Currie Cup clash at Ellis Park in Johannesburg on Saturday.

The Kimberley-based team play their third round Currie Cup match against the Sharks in Durban on Friday and five days later on the August 9, they host Western Province in Kimberley. They then finish off their three matches in eight days with a clash against the Free State Cheetahs in Bloemfontein on August 12.

The Griquas have already made use of their squad during their two Currie Cup games and they made seven changes to their starting team for the clash against the Golden Lions on Saturday.

With so many games in such a short space of time, the entire Griquas squad will be required to contribute to the team effort over the next few weeks, something which head coach Peter Engledow pointed out.

"There will be a different team running out against the Sharks and then obviously back home against Western Province on Women's Day (August 9), a public holiday.

"We play the Sharks on a Friday evening and then we play against Western Province on that Wednesday, so it's a very short turnaround and we going to need a few fresh legs and then we got the Free State on Saturday," Engledow told reporters in Johannesburg on Saturday. 

The Griquas currently sit in sixth place on the Currie Cup table with four points from two matches played, which includes two back-to-back defeats. 

By Josh Isaacson, at Ellis Park

@isaacson_j

@rugby365com