Marcell Coetzee
Springbok forward Marcell Coetzee scored 2 tries as the Cell C Sharks defeated the Emirates Lions 29 / 12 at a drenched Growthpoint Kings Park in Durban.
Kick-off was very nearly delayed thanks to the torrential rain that hit Durban throughout Saturday, with only the most dedicated of fans remaining in the Kings Park stands.
The natural expectation therefore was an error-strewn contest with knock-ons galore, but to credit both sides the standard of their handling and execution was better than predicted.
The Lions grew in confidence and stature as the match progressed, doing their damage off the tee through Marnitz Boshoff, but ultimately came up significantly short.
A test of tactical nous in the wet, Springbok halfbacks Cobus Reinach and Pat Lambie both showed real intelligence in their decision-making, a fine example being the build-up to Odwa Ndungane’s try.
With the forwards battering away unsuccessfully, Lambie drilled a perfect low kick across to the wing for veteran Odwa Ndungane to collect and slide over for his 30th Super Rugby try.
Ndungane’s score after 26 minutes came following an exchange of penalties from Lambie and Marnitz Boshoff early on in an even opening quarter.
The Sharks though grew in the ascendancy, Lambie missing a penalty attempt but the home side building up the pressure continuously inside the Lions’ 22, before Lambie’s assist for Ndungane.
Building on their momentum, new signing Renaldo Bothma carried hard to win the Sharks a 5m scrum right near the Lions posts. The home side were fully in control, a far cry from last week’s problems against the Toyota Cheetahs, with Reinach darting off the base and just touching the line with the ball as he stretched out, the try confirmed by the TMO.
Boshoff’s penalty immediately after handed the Lions some sorely needed stability but they were trailing 15 / 6 as both teams sought shelter in the changing room at halftime.
The composure both sides showed in the first half disappeared for a few minutes in a scrappy opening to the second 40 minutes, with Tera Mtembu conceding a needless offence during a Lions maul, which Ruan Combrinck could only turn into a penalty that came off the post.
A 3rd penalty from Boshoff closed the gap, and then Lambie missed a simple enough chance for 3 more points after the Sharks scrum generated a kickable chance.
Boshoff’s 4th penalty reduced the deficit even further to just 3 after the Sharks infringed at the breakdown near their own posts, with the Lions beginning to grow in confidence.
Bothma though provided the Sharks with some stability, a key penalty win at the breakdown setting up a 5m lineout from which Marcell Coetzee scored the hosts’ 3rd try, off the back of a powerful rolling maul.
High kicks, given the conditions, caused all sorts of problems in the air and one lucky bounce handed Lionel Mapoe the chance to break away upfield, with the experienced back unable to release Howard Mnisi on his inside and with the Sharks defence rallying to snuff out the attack.
The majority of possession during a 5 minute spell couldn’t generate any more points for the Lions, with the Sharks coming close to a bonus point try only for the effort from SP Marais to be ruled out for a small knock-on after Lambie’s high kick across field.
In the end the Lions finished down to 14 men, their captain Warren Whiteley sent to the bin as the Sharks forwards wore their opponents down through their driving mauls, with that man Coetzee getting his 2nd try.
Job done then for Gary Gold’s troops, as they bounced back from last week’s surprise defeat, with an assured performance.
Marnitz Boshoff lyk vanjaar maar ordiner, Derek Minnie ook, Leeupak is nie dieselfde sonder Willie Britz nie, lyk my…
@ Pietman:
Stem saam…Boshoff sedert die CC finaal is nie in n goeie mental state nie.
Sharks het baie goed gespeel in daai toestande dink ek, het dubbel en dwars die wen verdien.
Glo steeds hulle gaan die SA span wees om te klop, net SP Marais is nie op SR standaard nie, maar hulle het nog vir JP en Steyn om terug te kom
@ nortie:
Lambie was bleddie goed in daai toestande! Sy dwarskoppe was in die kol.
Maar ek dink Stormers gaan bo uitkom van ons spanne vanjaar. Klomp nuwe talent skielik hulle het die diepte, kyk vir Leyds en Kotze byvoorbeeld, twee wereldklas vleuels uit die bloute…
Net vinnig, ek sien daar is groot onluste by Stanford en Hermanus, bande brand in die pad en karre word bestook met klippe op die deurpad! Ek is deesdae versigtig om van die lughawe af Gansbaai toe te ry, alewig nonsens langs die N2 en deur die berg…. @ Pietman:
Jammer, # 4 was vir Nortier en Stormersboy, hulle ken daai plekke…
3 @ Pietman:
Lambie was baie goed, net sy skoppe pale toe was bietjie af.
Die teken van n goeie speler is dat mens omtrent nie eers agterkom dat hy iets spesiaals doen nie, want ons verwag dit maar net, en Lambie is so n speler.
Stem saam oor die jongelinge by die Stormers, hulle het my verbaas.
Toe daai Leyds laaitie laasjaar by ons vir die CC aangesluit het was dit met groot verwagtinge, baie van ons het hom glad nie geken nie. Ek was nie impressed met wat hy in die CC gedoen het nie, maar nou het hy binne 2 weke my bek stil gespeel. Lyk of hy wel ietsie spesiaals het
4 @ Pietman:
Wonder wat nou weer daar aangaan?
Dis ook nie asof daar beter paaie is nie, mens sal seker Caledon om moet ry en dan grondpad oor die berg Sandbaai toe moet neem
@ nortie:
Hulle kla oor swak dienslewering…Stanford is sleg, sinkhuise amper in die pad as jy dorp uitry Gansbaai toe, man kan jou feitlik uit sy toilet uit met n klip gooi! Praat nie eens van R300 verby lughawe toe nie, dis erg daar.
Jy kan grondpad omry vanaf Gansbaai oor Baardskeerdersbos na Elim en dan Caledon toe op die pad vanaf Bredasdorp. Groot draai, maar dan moet jy steeds Grabouw oor, net so sleg daar.
8 @ Pietman:
Ek was vroeer die week in die Kaap, en moet eerlik wees, dit was die eerste keer wat ek besef het dat ek seker maar nou n “Valie” is.
Dis lekker om af te gaan, maar vir die eerste keer het dit nie gevoel dat ek “by die huis is” nie. Weet dit klink seker snaaks, maar ek het soos n toeris gevoel vir die eerste keer.
Sal altyd my geboorte plek wees, en ek sal die WP aanhou ondersteun, tog maar in my bloed, maar ek voel tuis hier bo.
@ nortie:
Ditto.
Kaapse kollega het vandeesweek teruggekom uit die Kaap -ons is klomp Capies hier deesdae!- se hy vir my,” Ï feel more and more like a foreigner every time I go home”! En hy het in Pinelands grootgeword.
Soos jy se, dis maar n man se tuisland, die Kaap, maar ek jaag deesdae reguit Gansbaai toe, gaan nie eens meer by my klong in Durbanville aan nie, hy moet maar na my toe kom.
@ nortie:
Praat weer later, ek moet van more af begin afsluit by die werk, ek wil Kaap toe oor 10 dae!
@ Pietman:
Cheers
Geniet GooseBay
Nouja, ek het nou nuus opgesit en alles.
Rugby-Talk se Super Rugby Logs, Results en die SuperBru Pools se Leaderboards is ook op datum!
nortie wrote:
My vrou is nou in Pretoria, na ses jaar sê sy dieselfde
14 @ Victoriabok:
Feite Vic….mens beweeg aan, dinge verander.
Nie altyd n slegte ding nie
I mentioned to GBS sometime before the start of the Rugby season that I was VERY worried about the Lions this year.
In 2014 there was no pressure. They played for one another and for the joy of being in the competition.
Several of their members were called up to tour with the National side, and a couple even received some time off the bench.
Indeed, they had their most successful season since the expansion to 15 teams.
Now enter 2015.
There is now an EXPECTATION that they will be competitive, that the scrum will subdue all comers, that the loose trio will be able to take on all challengers, that the kicks will fly over from every position imaginable.
Unfortunately, the reality is that expectation cna and DOES weigh heavily on many a human, and they are unable to cope with the pressue that comes with it.
Against the ‘Canes the Lions led in just about every stat’, except the most important one – points scored.
Against the Sharks they were never in the game, and looked like th eLions of old.
Sure the conditions weren’t great, but they weren’t for the Sharks either.
The Lions next face a rampant Stormers side before heading on tour.
17251 spectators pitched up at Ellis Park or the game v the ‘Canes. Not a bad showing for JHB on a Friday night, a day of the week notoriously bad for getting bums on seats.
Should this weekend’s game go according to the form book, IE a Stormers win, then we can expect to see the majority of the remaining games in JHB to play out in front of thousands, rather than tens of thousands of supporters.
The goalposts in terms of the season must surely now have moved for Ackermann and his charges.
Precisely where to they have moved, only the Lions will know.
I fear for my team this season. The early signs are all bad, and let’s be honest, in Super Rugby there is little time for reflection and changing of plans.
When a tail spin starts, it’s usually terminal.
The Lions will need to do something drastic in the next few days if they hope to take a victory away from the Cape raiders this coming weekend. It will be a tall order indeed.
However my blood is still RED, and I will still sit glued in front of the TV or at the game and filled with optimism until it becomes apparent that victory is not possible.
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