EP’s woes in the SA Cup rugby tournament continued when they were thrashed 50-0 by Griquas in a one-sided clash at the Central Field in Kariega on Friday.
It was a fifth consecutive loss suffered by the struggling Elephants, who were outgunned by a well-drilled Griquas outfit who ran in eight tries.
The writing was on the wall for the Elephants at halftime after Griquas powered their way to a commanding 38-0 lead.
The second half was an error-plagued affair and Griquas could not find the continuity they enjoyed in the first 40 minutes.
Thanks to their win, Griquas remained at the top of the log with a maximum haul of 30 points from six outings.
EP have been out of their depth against Currie Cup Premier Division sides, and the SA Cup has proved to be a painful learning curve for the men in red and black hoops.
Griquas started the game at a fast pace and were rewarded for enterprising play when lock Albert Liebenberg crashed over the Elephants’ try line after two minutes.
Three minutes later, Marco de Witt stormed through EP’s defence to put the visitors 12-0 ahead.
The Elephants were conceding penalties at scrum time and were forced on to the back foot by George Whitehead’s territory-gaining kicks downfield.
Griquas were in for a third try when wing Connor Mahoney squeezed over in the corner despite desperate EP defence in the 18th minute.
EP had been be determined to save face and avoid a heavy defeat on home soil, but they were unable to keep a rampant Griquas side at bay.
After narrowly beating the Falcons in their opening game at the Wolfson Stadium, the Elephants have slumped to defeats against the Cheetahs, Pumas, SWD Eagles, Leopards and Griquas.
Scorers:
EP Elephants: 0
Griquas 50: Tries: Albert Liebenberg, Marco de Witt (2), Connor Mahoney, Neil Otto (2), Bobby Alexander, Dylan Maart. Conversions: George Whitehead (5).
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