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
— Griquas coach Pieter Bergh
“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.”
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