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.
sarugby
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.
205 @ Just For Kicks:
That sounds great mate, will be good for you to be out in the sticks if thats what you’re used in SA, it can get a bight claustrophobic in the big busy towns and cities in England, but at least Cumbria isn’t too bad for that, will be beautiful countryside, you may need a good 4×4 though to navigate the snow and icy roads up there especially the time of year you coming.
@ Bullscot:Theres no way you could let GBS loose on the island, you’d have to chaperone him. The fallout, if you didn’t, would be disastrous!
210 @ grootblousmile:
Ahhh no thats a pity man I just thought Scrumdown was roping you in for a tour, maybe you must save your pennies for a quick tour with the Boks 2014, I guess thats when they will be playing Murrayfield again after this year. Or you can come over for World Cup 2015 although only pity we won’t be getting any games for that up here, so maybe I shouldn’t really be promoting that tournament, especially as it sounds like instead of using rugby grounds in their own country and up here they plan to use football stadiums and only Twickenham and Millenium stadium
212 @ Just For Kicks:
Yip, I’m known to reek havoc…. hehehehe
Could be a hard trip on the liver….. for the okes accompanying me…. hahahaha
213 @ Bullscot:
The pennies not a problem…. the time is the issue!
Think I MUST DEFINATELY do the 2015 Rugby World Cup though…. for freegin sure!
212 @ Just For Kicks:
Hehe yes that may be a good idea, I’m sure once/if he got here he would be so in awe of the place he would just behave himself
215 @ grootblousmile:
that would be something that you would remember for a very long time if you could manage that GBS the rugby crowd over here are just brilliant to be around, although as I say I am a bit miffed that Scotland is going to miss out on hosting any of the World Cup games and not so sure how well its going to go down with the games England plan at the football grounds rather than using the traditional rugby bases, think they steeking us fans up here in the back not to mention their own rugby fans, but…I guess its all about the money.
Oh yes sorry I forgot you are a financial giant
216 @ Bullscot:
Ek gedra myself altyd…. al is dit SLEG!
209 @ Bullscot:
I was over with the Boks in 2009.
Went to the Wales and Scotland tests, but was flying out the evening of the England test so had to miss it. (was actually over for a VERY well organised business trip).
Had a great time in both Cardiff and Edinburgh.
Ended up at the Liquorice Lounge and other places of ill repute with a member of the SNP, and on the Sunday after the game wandered around St Andrews on a wonderfully sunny but cool November afternoon.
I am currently boycotting my support of all SARU structures in protest at their piss poor handling of the Super Rugby / Kings / Lions debacle, so no trip for me I’m afraid.
Wife is totally pissed off becuse she spent a k@khouse full of money on Bok merchandise earlier this year that I now refuse to wear.
217 @ Bullscot:
I work hard, so I suppose I owe myself some relaxation too.
Think I must find a suitable song for today and put it up here on R-T for all to enjoy….
219 @ Scrumdown:
Short term memory GONE.
Was 2008.
220 @ grootblousmile:
The theme tune from Jaws for all our KZN / WP bloggers?
208 @ grootblousmile:
I think Mr Gatland gets the best out of them so not sure how good they will be without him, but they should at least win 2 out of their 3 tests anyway this autumn. Hopefully it will be a case of ‘vroeg ryp vroeg vrot’ with the weather over ther by you with all this spring and early summer rain hopefully it will turn out dry for the last part of the summer, by the way I saw from the Super 15 games for next year that its a pity there will be none at Loftus when we over next year 🙁 Haven’t seen yet if there will be Vodacom Cup game on then, also may just check if there is any Super 15 at Newlands would be nice to catch a big game.
Yeah I know you have a misplaced fond spot for Wales Gbs
Chat later all.
Got to go to the sparlikngly clean Metropolis of Germiston for a meeting with a client.
Eish. The burden of working for a living!
Who remembers this song… hehehe
223 @ Bullscot:
You MUST give me your itennirary…. we MUST get together for a pub lunch and a dop!
219 @ Scrumdown:
Oh dear thats not good to be in your wife’s bad books Scrumdown, am sure you would have loved your time in Scotland the atmosphere at Murrayfield is great but its even better for the Six nations games than it is for the end of year ones, must say I can’t wait to go there to watch the Boks in a few weeks, times, the build up pipe bands, national anthems…spine tingling stuff man! Thats great you got to go to Cardiff as well, not made it myself yet but have also heard its brilliant over there and always meet nice Welsh rugby people when they playing up here.
My favourite band of all time…. Pink Floyd!
224 @ Scrumdown:
cheers Scrumdown don’t work too hard.
225 @ grootblousmile:
Nah don’t remember it, before my time Gbs 🙂 bit cheesy too 🙂
226 @ grootblousmile:
Will do man but am still needing to work on it will mail you once we have a better idea, would be great to catch up with you
228 @ grootblousmile:
Now that’s a very good song, Pink Floyd are up there with the good bands, but if I had to choose one all time favourite band it has to be DIRE STRAITS!
Well must get going too, lots to do BUT no work thankfully, its lekker to be on days off
Just for you Rudi, a new Sharks thread 😆
232 @ Bullscot:
This one is for you, Bully!
Fark, you okes have got too much time on your hands.
@ Scrumdown:
Well hello Scrumtown you may be in danger of actually starting to like us Shark fans from the Last outpost. 🙂 Must say I agree anyone that blogs on Keo is clearly demented. Just wish I had discovered this site a whole lot earlier!
237 @ Sharksgirl:
Well, now you know about this site.
Different strokes for different folks….. here we believe in MUTUAL RESPECT, even though we often differ and support different sides.
You won’t find trolls here… and if you do, you’ll see their comments removed and their Login’s blocked… not that we have had many trolls at all. Our policy here is that we just won’t stand silly shit!
You’re most welcome here!
@ grootblousmile:Thank you very much Grootblousmile! I remember you from Keo, and had wondered where you had disappeared with the other decent folk 🙂 And don’t worry I am no troll, I may wear very thick black and white glasses but I certainly do not believe in trolling, don’t see the point of it!
Really looking forward to being a regular here.
239 @ Sharksgirl:
Sorry if it came accross that I was warning you not to troll… far from it!
Was just saying that this site will never fall to low standards of behaviour.
Looking forward to your regular contributions here!
Damn, I must have had some presence more than 3 years ago on the Voldy wildside, if you still remember me to this day…. hehehe
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