Sharks blitz Bulls at Loftus
Sat, 12 Sep 2009 19:38
Match winner: Sharks flyhalf Juan Martin Hernandez scores
The Sharks went back to the top of the Currie Cup standings with a thrilling 29-23 win over the Blue Bulls in a bruising battle at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday.
It was a win set up by a 20-point blitz in 15 minutes early in the second half - with the Sharks turning a 6-12 deficit at the break into a 26-12 lead - and a full-house by flyhalf Juan Martin Hernandez.
After taking that 14-point lead as the final quarter approached, the Sharks never looked back - with the Bulls chasing the game right to the end.
And chase they did. Right on the final whistle they had a chance for a match-winning score, but great defence by a Sharks team brimful of character saw the ball being knock out of Bulls control in a brutal hit.
Despite failing to get the bonus point, the Sharks go top after Western Province lost to the Cheetahs earlier in the day.
It was a stirring second-half performance by the Sharks that handed the Bulls' their third successive defeat.
It was also the Blue Bulls' second defeat to the Sharks in the competition, giving them a record of just five wins from their 10 matches in this season's Currie Cup.
The Bulls, now in fifth place on the standings, are under pressure and will be desperate for their victorious Tri-Nations Springboks to come back to help them salvage their season.
Hernandez scored 24 points as the Sharks - collecting a full-house through a try, two conversions, four penalties and a drop-goal.
The Blue Bulls went into the break deservedly 12-6 up.
In fact, with their scrummaging far superior to that of the Sharks, who were often on the back foot in the opening stanza, and their forward rushes frequently dangerous, they probably deserved a bigger lead.
But that was to change with a commanding performance by the Sharks in the first quarter after the break - when they virtually put the game beyond the Blue Bulls.
All the first-half points came from the boot, with Hernandez slotting two penalties for the Sharks and opposite flyhalf Burton Francis doing it four times - once from well within his own half.
Less than three minutes into the second half, however, Hernandez broke through four feeble Blue Bulls tackles to score next to the posts and put his side 13-12 ahead.
The Sharks played the sort of game the Blue Bulls had dished up before the break, when the Sharks' most dangerous weapon was veteran fullback Stefan Terblanche - who marshalled and galvanised the backline.
Big Sharks flank Jean Deysel was often prominent on the charge, and when the Blue Bulls got into the visitors' territory after 10 minutes of the second half, Burton Francis tried drop-goal.
The kick was charged down, Charl McLeod picked up and when challenged by the speed of Gerhard van Heerden on the cross cover, he fed to Jacques Botes - and not even Van Heerden's speed could prevent the flank from going over for a converted try.
It wasn't looking good for the hosts at 20-12, and then Hernandez rubbed it in with a simple drop-goal after another Sharks foray into Blue Bulls territory.
The home side were starting to make errors when they had possession, and the pressure they were under in their own half allowed Hernandez to slot his third penalty. It was 26-12 after 58 minutes.
The Blue Bulls needed points, and quickly, and they got some three minutes later with a penalty from Francois Brummer.
Then the Blue Bulls - with some strong running from Jaco Pretorius, a great off-load and a good run by Dewald Potgieter - who was halted under the posts - were on the attack again and it ended in a try after a five-metre scrum, with prop Werner Kruger doing the honours with 12 minutes remaining. The important kick from Brummer went wide (26-20).
Hernandez, so hesitant in his first outings for the Sharks, just couldn't make a mistake with his kicking and he increased the lead by another three points with nine minutes remaining.
The Blue Bulls then played some of their best rugby of the game, but were halted on the line as they strived for the seven points they needed.
Man of match: Heini Adams was his inventive self for the Bulls and Dewald Potgieter's growing reputation was further enhanced. Stefan Terblanche was again captain courageous, Andries Strauss strong with the ball in hand, and Jean Deysel the muscle that countered the physical Bulls. However, our award goes to Argentinean flyhalf Juan Hernandez, who had his best game of the season and a compelling performance that showed why he is rated as one of the premier flyhalves in the world.
The scorers:
For the Blue Bulls:
Try: Kruger
Pens: Francis 4, Brummer 2
For the Sharks:
Tries: Hernandez, Botes
Cons:
Hernandez 2
Pens: Hernandez 4
DG: Hernandez
Teams:
Blue Bulls: 15 Zane Kirchner, 14 Gerhard van den Heever, 13 Jaco Pretorius, 12 Stefan Watermeyer, 11 Francois Hougaard, 10 Burton Francis, 9 Heini Adams, 8 Dewald Potgieter, 7 Pedrie Wannenburg, 6 Deon Stegmann, 5 Wilhelm Steenkamp, 4 Flip van der Merwe, 3 Werner Kruger, 2 Derick Kuün (captain), 1 Jaco Engels.
Replacements: 16 Bandise Maku, 17 Rossouw de Klerk, 18 Fudge Mabeta, 19 Jacques Burger, 20 Dean Greyling, 21 Francois Brummer, 22 Tiger Mangweni.
The Sharks: 15 Stefan Terblanche (captain), 14 Chris Jordaan, 13 Andries Strauss, 12 Riaan Swanepoel, 11 Lwazi Mvovo, 10 Juan Hernandez, 9 Charl McLeod, 8 Keegan Daniel, 7 Jean Deysel, 6 Jacques Botes, 5 Albert van den Berg, 4 Steven Sykes, 3 Patric Cilliers, 2 Craig Burden, 1 Deon Carstens.
Replacements: 16
Skipper Badenhorst, 17 Julian Redelinghuys, 18 Alistair Hargreaves, 19 Michael Rhodes, 20 Rory Kockott, 21 Monty Dumond, 22 Waylon Murray.
Referee: Jonathan Kaplan
Assistant referees: Gareth Lloyd-Jones, Christie du Preez
TMO: Shaun Veldsman
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