The Sharks took on The Lions in round 2 of the Currie Cup this afternoon at Newlands. The Sharks won a nail-biter by 2 points… 19 / 17 falling in the process to 2nd spot on the Log.
With permission from the official Sharks web site to use their match summaries, here is their view on this afternoon’s game:
The Sharks continued their impressive season with a hard-earned 19-17 victory over the visiting Xerox Lions at The Absa Stadium Durban on Saturday evening with the visitors certainly coming to Durban full of intent.
Both sides came into this game under pressure – this wouldn’t really have eased for either side, The Sharks failing to gain a bonus point which let Western Province slip above them on the log, the teams even on log points but Province enjoying a better points’ differential while the Lions cling to a smallest hopes of a semifinal spot with one round of the pool stages remaining.
Following their 30-19 victory in the first round, The Sharks didn’t quite have matters all their own way against a hugely competitive Lions side fighting the battle of their lives in their quest to remain within striking distance of a semifinal place.
As it is, they face Western Province in the last pool match next week, the Capetonians having leap-frogged the Sharks on the log but face an uphill battle to retain top spot if the Lions are as competitive at Coca-Cola Park next week as they were against The Sharks here today.
The lead see-sawed between the two teams for the entire match and the battle of the breakdown where numerous turnovers from both sides were effected was immense. With neither side really able to capitalise on attack in the first half aside from a few well-taken penalties from either side as well as a drop goal from Juan Hernandez the first half was a tightly-contested affair.
The Sharks finally came good after threatening for extended periods of the game when Nico Luus was sin-binned after his team had committed numerous infringements at the breakdown and with the penalty came a drive that had hooker Bismarck du Plessis in possession at the back of the maul and with the conversion, The Sharks had taken a small lead.
The visitors managed to cut the margin of deficit to just five points at the break after earning a penalty after the hooter had sounded and with Herkie Kruger converting, The Sharks led 16-11 at the end of the half.
Two penalties to one saw the visitors finish the second half the better, but The Sharks had done enough in the game to maintain their slender lead. The defences were tested severely in the final 40 minutes and although both side missed a few opportunities to score, the scramble defence was outstanding from both sides.
They each had their opportunities on attack, it must be said, but it was probably more a case of great defence than poor attack that kept the respective try-lines intact in the second half, neither able to penetrate the other’s wall of defenders.
The Sharks go into the final week knowing that a five pointer against Griquas, of a similar margin to The Blue Bulls 61-27 defeat of the Kimberley side earlier today, could mean the difference between first and second place on the log – and the Lions doing The Sharks a big favour by beating Province next week – or restricting them to just four log points.
However, today’s win guarantees The Sharks home ground status in the semifinals, the third-placed Blue Bulls unable to catch them regardless of the final weekend’s results.
Captain Stefan Terblanche admitted afterwards that, “It was a very tough game, you have to hand to the Lions who came here for a game of rugby. Although we wanted a bonus point win, first you have to win the game and credit to the Lions who played as if their lives depended on it.
“From this game, we know we can work on our lineouts, setpieces and our work at the breakdowns, they turned us over on the ground a few times. We have Griquas next week and it is always tough in Kimberley, but Province have to play the Lions next week, and that will be tough, hopefully the Lions can come to the party.”
Crowd: 23 998
Points:
Sharks: 3 Penalties & 1 Conversion Ruan Pienaar, 1 Drop Goal Juan Hernandez, Try Bismarck du Plessis
Lions: 3 Penalties Herkie Kruger, 1 Penalty Chris Jonck, Try Chris Jonck
Teams:
The Sharks: 15 Stefan Terblanche (captain), 14 Odwa Ndungane, 13 Waylon Murray, 12 Andries Strauss, 11 JP Pietersen, 10 Juan Hernandez, 9 Ruan Pienaar, 8 Ryan Kankowski, 7 Keegan Daniel, 6 Jacques Botes, 5 Albert van den Berg, 4 Steven Sykes, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 Bismarck du Plessis, 1 Tendai Mtawarira.
Replacements: 16 Skipper Badenhorst, 17 Patric Cilliers, 18 Johann Muller, 19 Michael Rhodes, 20 Charl McLeod, 21 Monty Dumond, 22 Adrian Jacobs.
Golden Lions: 15 Earl Rose, 14 Michael Killian, 13 Jannie Boshoff, 12 Doppies la Grange, 11 Johan Jackson, 10 Herkie Kruger, 9 Chris Jonck, 8 Willem Alberts, 7 Derick Minnie, 6 Cobus Grobbelaar (captain), 5 Franco van der Merwe, 4 Nico Luus, 3 Kevin Buys, 2 Hans van Dyk, 1 JC Janse van Rensburg.
Replacements: 16 Torrie Meyer, 17 Wayne Swart, 18 Willem Stoltz, 19 Todd Clever, 20 Ruan Boshoff, 21 Walter Venter, 22 Pieter Engelbrecht.
Referee: Jonathan Kaplan
Assistant referees: Ben Crouse, Reuben Rossouw
TMO: Johann Meuwesen
298 @Boerboel – As Bulle en WP in die finaal speel, gaan dit ervaring teen passie wees. Bulle se gevaar is juis oorgerustheid, omdat hul soveel WB, S14 en CB wenners in hul midde het. WP se gevaar is onervarenheid vir die groot oomblik.
Maar, solank jy die finaal haal, kan enigiets gebeur, vra maar vir die BB in die 2005 finaal, en die Sharks in die 2007 S14 finaal !
Hoe lyk dit, is Schalk Burger weer reg ?
94.58%
of all players in SuperBru correctly predicted a win by the Sharks
En 94.58 van hulle het washers geknyp in die laaste minute
@bdb – Schalk lyk al beter. Ek het ongelukkig nie vandag die game gekyk nie, nie eens geweet dit word uitgesaai nie.
En ek stem saam met jou opsomming. As die Sharks nie bo eindig nie is die finaal op Nuweland tussen WP/Bulle.
En ek is nie lelik teen die Sharks nie, ek dink nie hulle hoort vanjaar in die finaal nie.
Hier is regtig ‘n kraai êrens, ek moet minstens 2 keer post en woorde verander of ek kry die boodskap dat dit ‘n duplicate post is!
@bdb – maak nie saak nie, 14 ouens uit jou squad? Hoe dink jy beinvloed dit n span.
BDB, lyk my jy gaan nie my post 300 antwoord nie. So ek stel maar my punt.
Daardie spelers is deur Jake White gekies wat algemeen op die blog besing word as die beste coach sedert Kristie.
Vat Gaffie en Brits uit en maak jou eie afleiding.
Gaffie was ‘n eksperiment.
Brits het damn goeie rugby gespeel op daardie oomblik, veral die vorige seisoen by die Cheetahs. Ek dink White wou kyk of hy nie vir Brits ‘n flank kan maak nie, White het mos die obsessie met groot spelers, veral flanke. So Brits was ook ‘n eksperiment.
My punt is, al stem ek met jou saam dat die spelers nie goed was nie bly dit net my en jou opinie. Die groter prentjie van die coach moet in gedagte gehou en nie gekyk word na die individue nie.
Ek hoop jy verstaan my punt.
305 @WitenBlou – jy maak nie die CB semi’s nie ?
306: as jy my eerlike opinie vra: dit is net te maklik om ‘n bok te word as jy vir die WP speel. In ander provinsies moet jy baie harder werk vir daardie groen trui. Maar ek stem saam, bokafrigters se eksperimente werk nie altyd nie, so moes PDV ook sy trots sluk en vir MS en Brussow kies, en dit het toe goeie vrugte opgelewer: ‘n 3N trofee.
@superBul – Jy was mos nou die dag so ontsteld oor Stan se banning en oor hoe dit die Blou Bul bloggers se gees gebreek het. En Stan sê toe mos hoe hy trots is dat hy op Voldy geban was. Wel, Stan is terug op Voldy!!!!
307@bdb – Dit is ‘n wye stelling! Hoe kan WP spelers die binnebaan hê? Wie beskuldig jy van bevooroordeling?
Indien dit so was, was Peter Grant nou No 10 en nie Morne nie (en terloops, Morne is al my keuse van verlede jaar af).
308 @Boerboel – Lyk my ek het iets gemis, hoekom is Stan verban ?
@Boerboel – naand net vinnig gerrie was oorspronklik ‘n flank wat toe begin slot speel het uit nood uit by die cheetahs
@bdb – hy is geban oor lelik praat met ons
312@smallies72 – hoe lyk dit, gaan jou span die semi’s haal ?
@Boerboel – 296
Verseker, hulle speel beter en beter. Hulle moet dit net nou vlg naweek weer kan doen.
@smallies72 – Ja, jy is reg. Hy het damn goed gevaar as slot by Cheetahs, het selfs die WP gebluf, toe koop hulle hom as slot! 😉
@bdb -neewat dinge is koel, sal ma moet sien,ma julle bulls wat nie tackle nie het dit ok nie makliker gemaak nie :pissedoff: .aan die ander kant kan die cheetahs net hulle self blameer as hulle uit val
314@Mr-T – En volgende naweek gaan die Jacque Fourie storie ekstra motivering wees vir die Lions. WP gaan moet goed speel om te wen nevermaaind ‘n bonuspunt. Een ding is die WP die Lions oor en dit is die agterlyn.
@Boerboel – hy was egter op daai stadium een van die beter flanke hy het vir menige vleuls hakskene gewys.ek sien sy kleinboet speel nou vir die cheetahs o/21
Beste spelers wat ek vandag gesien het (ek het net Bulle en Sharks wedstryd gesien):
Willem Alberts (Bulle moet hom koop die dag as Daniesourus aftree)
Stefan Terblanche (soos wyn, hoe ouer hoe beter)
Doppies le Grange (het die sharks senters dronk gehardloop)
Dewald Potgieter (toekomstige bok)
WO (ons boksenter in JDV se plek)
312@smallies72 – en van ons en rassisme, maar dit was net 7 dae, maar toe noem hy GBS ‘n p@#3, toe raak dit forever plus one day!!
@bdb – wat van barry geel buite senter van die kwas.onthou sy naam hy gaan die groentrui dra,’n baie beter prospek as de jong
@Boerboel – het daai een gemis was net bewus van die sinbin en nie die rooikaart nie :-))
321@smallies72 – ja, die jaareindtoer gaan ons seker weer ‘n klomp wp ouens sien wat bokke gemaak word. Maar laat ek dit nie te hardop sê nie, netnou hoor Boerboel my en sê ek diskrimineer teen die WP … 🙂
321 @smallies72 – daai Mampoer wat vir die Cthas vleuel speel, waar kom hy vandaan ?
@bdb – spelers wat dalk kan saam gaan is mapoe dewald en ek sal ngal na daniller kyk,steady onder die bom goeie aanvaller met ‘n kanonvoet,dan ook alberts en duane
@bdb – ek dink hy was in lois botha(hts) in bloem op skool maar is nie seker nie
@smallies72 – Ag nee man, Alberts is ‘n vetgat en sal nie volle game op die swaar velde kan speel nie.
323@bdb – Jy het my nog nie geantwoord nie en ek watch jou 😆
@Boerboel – hy is baie soos danie en jy kan hom op slot en agste man gebruik.ek laaik ok vir botes van die sharks
327 @Boerboel – dit is juis op swaar velde wat jy die groot ouens nodig het, Danie R is elke keer ‘n ster as ons daar bo speel. Bring Alberts solank in die groep in.
Hoe lank is die man, kan hy nie slot speel nie ?
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