Lambie double breaks Cheetahs hearts
Sat, 31 Jul 2010 16:24
Young Turk: Sharks hero Patrick Lambie. (c) Gallo
A late try double from young Sharks star Patrick Lambie saw the Durbanites grab a come-from-behind 25-13 win over the FS Cheetahs in their Currie Cup clash in Bloemfontein on Saturday.
Lambie, playing at inside centre - after impressing at fullback in the 2010 Super 14, continues to make giant strides in senior rugby, despite being just 19 years old.
The Young Turk weighed in with 20 points in all - through his two late tres, two conversions and two penalties to lead his team to victory; after the Sharks were trailing by 11-13 with time running out on the clock in SA's Judicial Capital.
At the end of the day, 75 minutes of hanging on and five minutes of playing were enough to win this match for the Sharks, an important win in Bloemfontein and against the Cheetahs, so often the Durbanites' nemesis - at Currie Cup and, at times, in the Super 14.
The Cheetahs seemed to be plodding to victory, using their possession to keep the Sharks from scoring and, then, in five short minutes the Sharks scored 19 points from three tries. It was a huge turnaround.
Two knock-ons helped the Sharks to victory.
The Cheetahs were leading 13-6 when diligent Kabamba Floors won a turnover and the Cheetahs attacked. They tapped a penalty but Floors knocked on. That set the Sharks attacking. First Lwazi Mvovo and then Craig Burden and then Jean Deysel were close till the Sharks went wide to their rights. As Jongi Nokwe closed in on him at close quarters Patrick Lambie got a pass to burly prop Eugene van Staden who powered over, as Meyer Bosman covered to tackle him. That made it 13-11 with nine minutes to play. The try was a fair way in from touch but Lambie's conversion flew to the right.
Bloemfontein breathed a sight of relief.
The Cheetahs carried on attacking in their gentle way as they had done till Nokwe had a sprint down the left. But five metres from the line he was felled and knocked on. JP Pietersen won the ball back for his side and the Sharks went wide left towards Ryan Kankowski.
The pass was behind the big eighthman but he had time to turn, collect the ball and go striding off through empty acres. Hemmed in, Kankowski got the ball to Mvovo who seemed well on the way to scoring but Philip Snyman just managed to hold onto the back of his jersey. Cheetahs were gathering but the Sharks kept getting closer till Lambie forced his way through Hennie Daniller and Adriaan Strauss to score. Lambie converted. 18-13. For the first time, with five minutes left, the Sharks were in the lead.
Gloom in Bloemfontein - except for the vociferous Sharks' supporters.
From the kick-off the Sharks attacked through ragged Cheetah ranks. Mvovo had another great run down the left until they went wide to the right where Keegan Daniel's pass sent Lambie romping over for this second try. Suddenly, it was 25-13 to the Sharks with four minutes left.
It was a massive change to a match which had been largely dull with a lot of kicking by both sides, a dullness made worse by scrum troubles - 16 scrums, 9 resets, 14 collapses. The Sharks were deemed to be mainly to blame as they were punished with four free-kicks and three penalties.
Louis Strydom scored a penalty when Patric Cilliers was off-side and Lambie levelled the scores when Hendro Scholtz was penalised at the tackle. In between the two scores Tewis de Bruyn was sent to the win bin for punching Cilliers who grabbed him without the ball. De Bruyn's absence cost his side only three points. And when he was back he scored a try.
Kankowski was penalised at the back of a line-out, De Bruyn tapped, dummied Wiehahn Herbst and scored in a rare bit of liveliness from the scrumhalf. 10-3. That was the half-time score.
Early in the second half, Lambie was penalised at a tackle. The Cheetahs went ahead 13-3 after 46 minutes.
The Sharks were close from a penalty-produced line-out but Kankowski lost the ball in going over. This produced a scrum to the Cheetahs five metres from their line. The Sharks put on great pressure and Ashley Johnson was penalised in trying to protect the ball. Lambie made it 13-6 after 54 minutes.
In the Shark attack Juan Smith collided with Ross Skeate's head and left the field. A blow to the Cheetahs. Later on Ruan Pienaar, on for the injured Steven Meyer at flyhalf, was also injured.
The score stayed 13-6 for the next 18 minutes till that dramatic five-minute burst which knocked the Cheetahs out.
Man of the Match: For the Cheetahs the man amongst men was Juan Smith. For the Sharks their loose forwards were splendid - those who started and those who came on. Our Man of the Match is Patrick Lambie who made a try and scored two and that was enough to bring the bacon home for the Sharks.
The scorers:
For the Free State
Cheetahs:
Try: De Bruyn
Con: Strydom
Pens: Strydom 2
For the Sharks:
Tries: Van Staden, Lambie 2
Cons: Lambie 2
Pens: Lambie 2
Yellow card(s): Tewis de Bruyn (Cheetahs, 15th minute - punching)
The teams:
Cheetahs: 15 Hennie Daniller, 14 Philip Snyman, 13 Robert Ebersohn, 12 Corné Uys, 11 Jongi Nokwe, 10 Louis Strydom, 9 Tewis de Bruyn, 8 Ashley Johnson, 7 Juan Smith (captain), 6 Hendro Scholtz, 5 Barend Pieterse, 4 Izak van der Westhuizen, 3 WP Nel, 2 Adriaan Strauss, 1 Coenie Oosthuizen.
Replacements: 16 Skipper Badenhorst, 17 CJ van der Linde, 18 Waltie Vermeulen, 19 Kabamba Floors, 20 Tertius Carse, 21 Sias Ebersohn, 22 Meyer Bosman.
Sharks: 15 Louis Ludik, 14 JP Pietersen, 13 Stefan Terblanché (captain), 12 Patrick
Lambie, 11 Lwazi Mvovo, 10 Steve Meyer, 9 Charl McLeod, 8 Ryan Kankowski, 7 Keegan Daniel, 6 Jacques Botes, 5 Ross Skeate, 4 Steven Sykes, 3 Wiehahn Herbst, 2 Craig Burden, 1 Patric Cilliers.
Replacements: 16 Kyle Cooper, 17 Tendai Mtawarira, 18 Eugene van Staden, 19 Willem Alberts, 20 Jean Deysel, 21 Ruan Pienaar, 22 Andries Strauss.
Referee: Mark Lawrence
Assistant referees: Ben Crouse, Fakumile Yamile
TMO: JC Fortuin
By Paul Dobson
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