The Sharks will host DHL Western Province in this year’s Absa Currie Cup final after wildly contrasting victories over the Vodacom Blue Bulls and defending champions the MTN Golden Lions respectively in Saturday’s semi-finals.
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The final – a repeat of the 2010 showpiece won 30-10 by the men from Durban – will take place on Saturday at Mr Price Kings Park, with kick-off scheduled for 17h00.
It is the Sharks’ fourth final in five years – their third at home during this time – and they will be gunning for a third title to go with those won in 2008 (14-9 over the Blue Bulls, in Durban) and two years ago.
In the first semi-final, flyhalf Pat Lambie, who was an instrumental part of the Sharks’ dominant victory in the 2010 final, turned in a second man-of-the-match performance in as many weeks to help his side to a 20-3 win in Durban in a match played on a rain-drenched pitch.
And at Coca-Cola Park in Johannesburg, Lions flyhalf Elton Jantjies kicked what seemed like a match-winning penalty with 90 seconds remaining – only for WP to maul flanker Deon Fourie over the line on the hooter to seal a famous come-from-behind win and so end the defending champions’ reign.
Sharks (9) 20 Vodacom Blue Bulls (0) 3
Another impressive performance by Pat Lambie inspired the Sharks to a comprehensive win over the Vodacom Blue Bulls to power their way into the Absa Currie Cup final.
If ever there was a time that Lambie could send Bok coach Heyneke Meyer a clear message of his intentions to play flyhalf for the national team, the wet and muddy Durban game was the perfect moment.
With conditions not ideal for running rugby, the Sharks kept their composure more and capitalised on the Blue Bulls’ indiscipline and mistakes, and simply built an innings around Lambie’s boot as the visitors disintegrated in their own frustration.
The Sharks controlled the game from start to finish as their pack gained ascendency; they bettered the Blue Bulls in the scrums and made far less mistakes with ball in hand.
This resulted in almost no ball to attack from in the first half, and the Sharks reveled in their dominance up front. With so much ball and so many attacking opportunities, the pressure had to tell. And with it the Blue Bulls started giving away penalties.
Lambie may have missed his first one, but then slotted a perfect second and simply didn’t look back. But his all-round control of the game was a sign of maturity, and it was costly for the Blue Bulls as he saw space behind the defence on the half hour, and chipped only to be stopped by a trip by prop Morné Mellett.
Mellett was lucky to get only a yellow card but the indiscretion was still costly, as Lambie slotted two more penalties in Mellett’s absence to let the home side lead 9-0 at the break.
In the second half the Blue Bulls’ discipline disintegrated even more, and Lambie kept on slotting the penalties. By the time the reserves started appearing the Sharks were 15-0 up and even when Morné Steyn finally got a shot at goal, the game was virtually over.
Lwazi Mvovo slid in at the corner to put the game beyond doubt, and the Sharks were already looking forward to a home final by then.
Scorers:
Sharks – Try: Lwazi Mvovo. Penalties: Pat Lambie (5).
Blue Bulls – Penalty: Morné Steyn.
MTN Golden Lions (3) 16 DHL Western Province (6) 21
The MTN Golden Lions’ reign as Absa Currie Cup champions came to a dramatic end at Coca-Cola Park as a driving-maul try on the hooter clinched DHL Western Province a famous semifinal win.
The Lions will feel they did everything but win as they were the better team for much of the way and put WP under sustained pressure, but they failed to capitalise on their many opportunities and were left to rue the mistakes late in the game that could be said to have grabbed them defeat from the jaws of victory.
Certainly it looked as if the Lions were on their way to their second consecutive final when flyhalf Elton Jantjies made up for some horrendous early misses by kicking an angled pressure penalty 90 seconds from time that put his side two points ahead.
But then came a mistake when they failed to clear their line from the restart, and WP pulled out the most tried and trusted try-scoring method by mauling their way 17 metres for the match-clinching score off the final move of the game.
There was plenty to enthuse about from the WP attacking play in the second half, with the introduction of Joe Pietersen at fullback and Louis Schreuder as the flyhalf in the last quarter making a dramatic difference to a game that they were losing at that point, but in the end it was that lineout maul that lost the Lions the game.
Jaco Taute, destined to play for the DHL Stormers in Vodacom Super Rugby next year, will kick himself for his role in his team’s demise. He kicked directly into touch in trying to clear the Lions’ red zone and was adjudged by referee Marius Jonker to have done so after the ball was carried back into his 22.
So instead of the Lions getting away from the 22-metre area, they ended up having to defend as Scarra Ntubeni fed the lineout and WP drove inexorably to the line, where flanker Deon Fourie eventually touched down.
It was a sad way for the Lions to end competitive rugby for the season as they head into the no-man’s land that they will find themselves in next season when they watch the Super Rugby tournament played without them.
Scorers:
Lions – Try: Michael Rhodes. Conversion: Elton Jantjies. Penalties: Jantjies (2), Ruan Combrinck.
WP – Tries: Joe Pietersen, Deon Fourie. Conversion: Joe Pietersen. Penalties: Demetri Catrakilis (2), Pietersen.
@ Puma:
Must be tough. I’ve been blessed to have all my family in tact and close still. It won’t always be that way, but for now I’m lucky.
@ grootblousmile:
Will cash on delivery be okai, once Durban is in possession of the CC trophy.
By the way any news on Steyn and Mellet? Sjoe I feel sorry for poor Steyn, its meen a bit of a mare year for him! And I don’t think he will than Meyer either. When he was struggling he should have been sent home to the CC to get his confidence back, instead of keeping him in the Boks and subjecting him to the criticism of an entire nation!
271 @ Stormersboy:
See them often and do plenty stuff together, never leave it of for tomorrow. I was going to Cape Town last year to visit and something up and put it off. Then was planning to go this year and put it off. Now wish I made that trip. We spoke often though.
I can tell you he was devastated that Sharks beat Stormers in the semi, the last time I spoke he said next year will be the year Stormers get it right. Now if it happens he will never see it. Wish he was here to see his team in the CC final, he thought they were never going to make it this far and they have. He would have been thrilled. Against my Sharks tough, so the banter would have been good. Miss him.
Anyhow see it could be raining again for the game on Saturday.
272 @ Sharksgirl:
Good to see you here young lady.
You excited for the game on Saturday?
272 @ Sharksgirl:
Their Judicial Hearing was due to start about 22 minutes ago…. suppose we’ll hear the outcome in a while… still today though.
The thing is, Morné Steyn has been an example of a guy that NEVER plays dirty… so expect some leniancy there.
Mellett was just plain doff to do the trip…. but once again, I think that was a spur of the moment thing.
Anyway, we’ll see!
@ Puma: Hello Puma, you have no idea!! Yesterday I contracted serious bunkelitis so I could travel from PMB to Durban and stand in a long and festive que to get tickets! I have booked rooms at Suncoast hotel so we don’t have to travel back and can stay and enjoy the atmosphere, before, during and afterwards, now I am battling to keep still, just wish Saturday would come and quickly!!! Extremely excited. Pity that it looks like rain again 🙁
@ grootblousmile:
Blou I agree Morne has never played dirty and I was extremely surprised on Saturday! Its one of two things, either he is so frustrated its been a bad year for him all told this year, or as someone suggested on News24 he is so tired and since no one whants to allow him to rest he decided to get himself cited 😉 I honestly do no wish him any bad repercussions. I didn’t like what he did to Ludik but don’t think it was intended maliciously. As to Mellet don’t really know the player will have to wait and see, but that optometrist should have allowed that try imo.
I vividly remember flying down to Durban on the morning of the Super Rugby Final in 2007….
Watched the Bulls take the title…. then flew back on the red-eye that night…
Durban was rather quiet that evening…. hehehehe
Sharks, let that be a lesson to you!
276 @ Sharksgirl:
I went yesterday around 10am to get tickets, the queue was way, way too long to stand and wait. So left it, now I may get box tickets from my neighbour. Friends of his from Joburg (a couple) might not make it. Spoke to him again and it is looking like I will get those tickets.
Really looking forward to this game. Can’t wait, just hope the damn rain stays away this Saturday.
278 @ grootblousmile:
Just not to be.
Ja, your team were lucky… Should have been Sharks win there….
DON’T REMIND US OF THAT DAY..
That loss hurt….LOL.
You Sharks fans are like kids in a sweetie shop this week…
But hey, enjoy it…. that’s what we do.
Next time when the Bulls have such a clear advantage, just excuse us while we gloat as well… we have had plenty of experience in that type of thing in the last 5 years!
I think the WP okes are too nervous to be happy they are in the final…. I mean the cupboards there are quite bare, if you don’t count the Pro-Nutro Cup for winning the SA Super Rugby Conference…. hehehe
282 @ grootblousmile:
Pro-Nutro Cup?? bwaahahaha. That was funny…
@ grootblousmile:
😆
@ grootblousmile:
@ Sharksgirl:
😆 Sharksgirl is loving the new site, 😆
285 @ Sharksgirl:
All I have is memories…. but next year is another year!
Hehehe
Die Lewe is ‘n Lied, sing hom uit volle bors!
Come on Sharkies, nominate a song for me to go fetch and place it on here…
Something apt in building up to Saturday!
@ grootblousmile:We are the Champions, By Queen
@ grootblousmile:
Or i can get you the new Sharks song 😆
288 @ grootblousmile:
Dancing in the steets, the one by David Bowie and Mick Jagger. Because that is what we will be doing Saturday night…..
290 @ Sharks_forever: 😆
Gbs, come now boet, where are those songs we requested?
@ Sharks_forever:
Hi there Sharks Forever you bet I am! Thanks for the heads up! What time are you getting to KP?
293 @ grootblousmile:
Brilliant! Good one boet.
295 @ grootblousmile:
Awesome! Now that has put me in the mood for the CC final……hehehe.
293 @ grootblousmile:
Boet, put up some of those funny pics of Sharks circling WP players. I saw a brilliant one before Sharks played them in the Semi of SR. There must be a whole lot more now doing the rounds.
@ Sharksgirl:
Will be there around 1.30
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