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
Hey GBS, error on the thread. Says at the top it’s a round 2 game. Lions should still have a chance in that case. Surely round 13?
Wow, Lions, verloor maar goed gespeel. Ek hoop hulle go is uit, want as hulle so moet speel volgende week is dit moeilikheid vir die Wp.
@KingPaul – Suurgatte. Dis wat hulle is. EK het vir n paar jaar altyd gese,”wag tot ons springbokke terugkom”. En dit het ons nooit gehelp nie. Ek dink dat die springbokke se teenwoordigheid soms eerder ontwrigtend is.
@KingPaul – 269
Remember we never had our full strength team for most of the CC. It does make a difference KP. Bulls/Sharks were without about 10 of their players a huge, huge difference.
Anyhows for now just happy with the win.
Cheer all. Well done to the teams that won and especially to Lions that put us once again a great performance for keeping Sharks without a bonus point.
Back maybe later.
@KingPaul – Ja-nee, snaaks die storie, wonder ook hoekom.
@Puma – For a few years the wp had sometimes up to 13 springboks away, and I always thought that we would win easy if they came back. Two times we made the semi’s and twice we were beaten by the Cheethas who had almost no one away for bok duty.
Ek dink die Lions manne kan hulle koppe hoog hou, hou hulle volgende jaar dop. Gaan n faktor wees.
276@WitenBlou – Easy to understand, the team must play together to gel and build
@Boerboel – Dit is baie belangriker as wat n mens kan dink. Ek hoop net dat die Wp nie groot kop kry nie. Ons moet oppas vir die Lions volgende week.
Die bulle kan bly wees dat die Griekwas onder soveel sielkndige druk was na die hoogs dramatiese en emosionele week wat hulle agter die rug gehad het. Die oproep van Jake het die bulle die kans gegee om Griekwas ore aan te sit. 🙂
@WitenBlou – Ek onthou 2007 toe gaan kyk ek Stormers/Lions in JHB, spesiaal opgevlieg en Stormers moes net ‘n bonuspunt kry. Hulle het amper die game verloor!! Hierdie Lions span is op die up.
276@WitenBlou – die verskil is net, helfte van daardie 13 bokke moes eintlik nie daar gewees het nie, daarom dat hul geen verskil gemaak het nie. Met die Bulle en Sharks se Bokke is dit bietjie anders, meeste van hulle maak ‘n baie groot verskil in enige span.
@bdb – Nou is jy sommer net suurgat
283@Boerboel – feite my vriend, lys gou daardie 13 bokke, dan sal jy self sien. Niks met suurgat te doen nie.
@bdb – ek praat nie van verlede jaar nie. Onthou toe ons die tri nations gewen het (die hele agterlyn was Wp, plus n paar forwards en nog reserwes) die keer toe Marius Joubert die hatrick gescore het teen NZ.
Wel… kom ons stel die dinge so…. die jaar se Currie Cup is besonder interessant…
Sharks en die Bulls het gewys hulle het diepte, want beide van die 2 spanne is reeds in die semi’s nieteenstaande die feit dat 2 derdes van hulle beginspelers weg was vir die grootste deel van die CC.
Die WP het ‘n gelykmatige sterk vertoning deurentyd gelewer…
Die Griquas het moedig geveg en gaan damn naby aan ‘n semi gefnuik word…
Die Cheetahs sal volgende week hulle 5 puntjies maklik optel en so die semi’s haal.
Die Lions het moedig probeer en hoe langer die seisoen aangegaan het hoe nader kruip hulle aan die top spanne se vorm.
Enigiets kan en SAL in die semi’s gebeur… as ‘n Bulls ondersteuner is ek net bly dat dit lyk of die Bulle se krag nou terug is…. maar ‘n weg-semi is nie grappies nie en dit sal lekker wees om Fourie du Preez en Bakkies terug te kan hê… 2 van die wêreld se heel bestes in hulle posisies, wel die bestes volgens my.
Ek was beindruk met die Bulls se agterlyn en hulle hanteerwerk on drieë te maak…
WP se weghol-oorwinning teen Boland moet gesien word teen waar Boland hulleself tans bevind, maar nietemin ‘n goeie wen vir hulle.
Die Cheetahs is daai span wat staan en prut om die grotes om te dop in die semi’s…. pasop vir hulle.
Die Sharks se slaankrag in die agterlyn lol nog…. Adi an Murray si wayyyyyyyyyy overrated… maar hulle sal seker in die final wees, mits die Bulls hulle nie uitskakel in die een semi nie…
Die WP… wel hulle het passievolle ondersteuners… op die pawiljoene en op hierdie blog…. meer wil ek nie sê nie…
285@WitenBlou – OK, ek het gedink aan laasjaar.
@bdb – Ek sien geen feite, miskien sien jy iets deur jou blou bril
@bdb – Ek erken dat laasjaar was die meeste van daardie 13 nie werd om daar te wees nie.
286@grootblousmile – Bulle se balahantering was swak vandag by heelwat geleenthede. Sal hard daaraan moet werk, want in ‘n semi of finaal kry jy nie baie geleenthede nie.
Die feit dat die Bulle nie ‘n tuissemi of finaal gaan hê nie, maak die speelveld heeltemal gelyk.
Enige van die vier spanne (BB, Sharks, WP, Ctahs) kan op die dag enige van die ander spanne klop.
Die verskil is net: as elkeen van hierdie spanne volgens hul volle potensiaal speel, dan sal dit tussen die Bulle en die Sharks wees. Sharks was nie goed vandag nie, maar as hul teen die Bulle speel, dan is dit soos altyd ‘n wedstryd uit die boonste rakke.
Die WP is al so uitgehonger om weer ‘n beker te wen, en daarom maak hul strewe daarna hulle ‘n baie gevaarlike span. As hul semi en finaal ook tuis is, geen dit hul ‘n baie goeie kans.
Ctahs sal altyd ‘n gevaarlike span wees, en kan verras, maar die beserings aan Strauss en Smith is ‘n groot terugslag. Hul kort egter bietjie geluk om te wen teen die ander drie spanne, anders sal hul nie ‘n finaal maak of wen nie.
Ek verwag ‘n finaal tussen Bulle vs Sharks of WP.
@WitenBlou – 272, 277
Ek is Lions supporter en ek is trots op die boys, niemand het hul iets gegun nie, daar was gese die Sharks gaan hul trap 25+.
Die manne het goed gespeel, en die game kon enige kant toe.
Ek hoop weer hul speel vlg week so teen WP, dit kan dinge lekker opwindend maak.
Hier is daai Squad van 2004
Backs: De Wet Barry (WP), Bolla Conradie (WP), Jean de Villiers (WP), Fourie du Preez, Gaffie du Toit(WP), Bryan Habana, Marius Joubert(WP), Wayne Julies, Percy Montgomery(WP), Breyton Paulse(WP), Brent Russell(WP), Jaco van der Westhuyzen.
Forwards: Eddie Andrews(WP), Bakkies Botha, Gerrie Britz(WP), Schalk Burger(WP), Jacques Cronje, Quinton Davids(WP), Os du Randt, Hanyani Shimange(WP), John Smit (captain), Albert van den Berg, CJ van der Linde, Joe van Niekerk(WP), AJ Venter.
@Mr-T – Vir my part hoop ek nie hulle speel so nie. EK soek my wp weer top of the log.
Lyk my my posts word onderskep of iets!! Ek tik en submit maar niks verskyn nie!!
288 @Boerboel – Boerboel, lees #289, en dit deur ‘n ‘wit-en-blou’ bril blogger wat feite erken.
Maar laasjaar is verby, jou span doen baie beter hierdie jaar, maar onthou, hulle hul groot toets gaan kom teen Sharks en/of die Bulle in ‘n moontlike finaal.
As hul daar wen, gaan hul die groot droogte breek.
@Mr-T – Volgende week se game gaan iets besonders wees en dit gaan TAAI wees. Soos ek gesê het, Lions is in ‘n opwaartse kurwe en hulle het baie goed gespeel teen die Sharks vandag.
@bdb – Spelers kies nie hulself nie. Selfs vanjaar met ‘n uitstekende Bokspan is daar spelers oor wie gestry word.
@bdb – En dankie vir kompliment aan die WP en verseker gaan hulle getoets word.
En as jy my post die afgelope paar weke kyk sal jy sien ek sê al die pad dat die Bulle die CC beker gaan wen. Nou begin dit eers vir my lyk of die WP ‘n kans het.
Al hierdie spelers was maar gemiddeld, en gelukkig om in die groep te wees:
Bolla Conradie (WP),
Gaffie du Toit(WP),
Eddie Andrews(WP),
Gerrie Britz(WP),
Quinton Davids(WP),
Hanyani Shimange(WP)
@bdb – Watter coach het hulle gekies?
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