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
@bdb – as jy hom so kyk dan lyk hy soos ‘n groot seun met redelik baie spiermassa
329 @smallies72 – Botes val in die lys van ongelukkiges wat nooit bokke geword het nie, of gaan word nie: Ettiene Botha, Roets, Botes …
Willem Alberts
DOB1984-05-11
Weight116 Kg
PositionLoose Forward
Height192 cm
328 @Boerboel – watter een het ek gemis ?
@bdb – Jy het my nog steeds nie geantwoord nie.
Botha haker van die Bulle is ‘n goeie voorbeeld van ‘n speler wat gekies moes word, maar toe word Smit gekies, nou is Smit ‘n hero en die keuse was dalk reg. Jy sien my punt?
@smallies72 – bietjie kort vir slot ma sal kan werk in case of emergency 😀
333@smallies72 – te kort vir ‘n slot. Hy moet so 10kg verloor, dan gaan hy nog baie beter wees.
334@bdb – 309 ek dink
@bdb – ‘n ou sal na sy ligaams vet persentasie moet kyk lyk nie of hy baie vet het nie
@smallies72 – Wat het ek nou hier begin? K9 sê Alberts is net “ongemaklik” fris!!!!
My stelling is gebaseer op die feit dat daar so baie WP bokke is in vergelyking met bokke in die ander spanne oor die jare.
Soos laasjaar, hoeveel van daardie wp-bokke moes werklik daar gewees het ?
Hierdie jaar het PDV beter gekies, alhoewel Januarie natuurlik nie daar moes gewees het nie, en Bekker my ook nog nooit oortuig het nie. Vir ‘n ou met so lyf en lengte speel hy maar baie gemiddeld.
Maar dit is net my mening, jy sal seker verskil daarmee.
339 @smallies72 – wel, jy kan maar daarna gaan kyk en daaraan vat, ek gaan nie !
😀
@bdb – Sure, ek verskil. Ek dink Bekker het ‘n groot toekoms, immers is hy ‘n beter senter as Matfield.
Daar is so baie WP bokke omdat verskeie keurkomitees en afrigters die talent raaksien en/of dink die WP spelers pas in by hulle strategiese planne. Daar is geen bevoordeling van WP spelers.
@bdb – 😆
@Boerboel – ja jy het nou ‘n ding begin en sal ma moet hol met dit :evilgrin:
343@Boerboel – ja, dankie vir Francois Hougaard en Rossouw de Klerk. Nog nie veel van laasgenoemde gesien nie, maar die bietjie wat ek gesien het lyk goed.
@bdb – jou ou grapgat :rotfl:
@Boerboel – 317
Ek dink die WP mag dalk beter wees op 10, en 15, maar soos die Leeus se agterlyn vanaand gespeel het, dink ek nie Doppies of Jannie, Jackson of Killian hoef terug te staan nie.
Alberts gaan Luke laat Puke, (ek sien iemand se Alberts is vet, hulle moet dalk na Lukie kyk).
Lions se voorry, het die Bok voorry van die Sharks laat les opse, so WP kan maar dieselfde verwag.
dit was lekker ma dis nou kla cheers ouens en geniet die res van die aand :evilgrin:
348 @Mr-T – Jackson het ook goed gespeel, asook Boshoff wat later opgekom het. Waar kom hulle vandaan dat hul sulke goeie rugby speel ?
348@Mr-T – Sorry maat, ek neem ongelukkig nie deel aan die Luke/puke storie nie, benede my.
Die opmerking was dat Alberts vet is en nie die hele game kan speel op die NH velde nie en was ‘n grap. Luke is nie genoem as ‘n opsie vir jaareind toer nie, darom is sy vet % nie bespreek nie of met Alberts s’n vergelyk nie.
@Boerboel – ek hou nie van luke nie,as persoon dink ek nie juis veel van hom nie .MAAR ek moet se dat hy kookwater rugga speel op die oomblik finish en klaar
OK mense, ek moet nou eers bye sê, goeie nag vir almal.
@Boerboel – cheers pel ek gaan ok nou waai
yes bloues hoe lyk dit
Lekker slaap Smallies en Boerboel.
@bdb – 350
Ek dink Jackson kom van die Bulle af, nie seker waar was hy op skool nie, en selfde geld vir Boshoff.
@Boerboel – 351
Die Luke/Puke was net bietjie sarkasme in ‘n grap gewees.
Wat Luke self aan betref, ek stem saam met Smallies, ek hou ook niks van hom as persoon nie, maar mens kan nie verby sy huidige spelpyl kyk nie, hy speel tans great rugby, ek ek dink sy drie druk telling vir die seisoen spreuk vanself.
Sal wel goeie 2 stryd wees tussen hom en Alberts.
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