Valke stun Griffons with historic comeback win
Griffons came close to winning but the Valke pulled their socks up just in time.
What seemed like an impossible task turned into one of the most thrilling comebacks of the Carling Currie Cup First Division season as the Valke overturned a massive halftime deficit to defeat the Novavit Griffons 45-40 at Barnard Stadium on April 12.
The Griffons dominated the first half, taking full advantage of a slow and scattered Valke performance.
They ran in try after try, racking up 40 points before the break, while the Valke only managed to get on the board with seven points late in the half.
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Despite the uphill battle, Valke coach JP Immelman said he never stopped believing.
“I feel jubilant at the moment. To trail 40-7 at halftime and come back to win 45–40 is unbelievable. I’m so proud of the boys,” said Immelman.
“There’s a lot at stake, every game counts. Both for us and the Griffons, qualification for the Currie Cup Premier Division is massive.
“It’s a potential career-changer for these players. At halftime, we hit the right notes and the guys believed they could up to the final whistle.”
Shortly before the break, Valke’s Wernich Auckhamp was shown a yellow card, adding to the team’s frustration.
But the second half told a completely different story.
The Valke came out with renewed focus, while the Griffons faltered under pressure, making costly mistakes that their opponents capitalised on.
Two quick tries off Griffons’ errors reignited the Valke’s hopes and swung momentum in their favour.
Valke captain Edward Evans said their approach after halftime came down to two critical elements: discipline and accuracy.
“When you’re down by so many points, motivation is hard to come by. But we kept it simple, discipline and accuracy.
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“Without those, we wouldn’t have turned the game around. To come back like that, against a strong Griffons team, says a lot about the character of this squad,” Evans said.
While the Valke surged forward, the Griffons were unable to maintain their rhythm, failing to score a single point in the second half.
Their lead slowly slipped away as the Valke pressed on, eventually sealing the win in stoppage time.
Griffons coach Jacques Juries admitted the result was a bitter pill to swallow after such a strong start.
“I’m disappointed. We had the opportunity and played a very good first half, but unfortunately, we let it slip.
“Mistakes cost us dearly, and they punished us. Credit to the Valke, they played exceptionally well and deserved the win,” said Juries.
The dramatic turnaround leaves the Valke in a strong position heading into the rest of the season, with momentum firmly on their side.
