Sharks go top as WP slump
Sat, 21 Aug 2010 22:00
Man of the moment: The Sharks\' Bok hooker Bismarck du Plessis. (c) Gallo
The Sharks displaced the hitherto unbeaten Western Province at the top of the Currie Cup log, following their well-taken 27-16 win in Durban on Saturday.
After scoring 16 points in the second half, the Sharks overturned a 8-9 half-time deficit to inflict the first Currie Cup defeat on Province this season.
The Sharks started off by running their early possession to all corners of the field, including their own 22-metre area. In the opening 10 minutes the ploy worked well enough to pin Province down in their own half, and the territorial advantage came in handy for the Sharks when flyhalf Pat Lambie was able to goal one of two penalties (3-0).
The Sharks' physical approach provided their game with plenty of thrust but it could not breach the structured Province defence who did well to soak up the early pressure.
The robust contest took its toll early in the match with Province flank Rhynardt Elstadt (thumb) and Sharks fullback Louis Ludik (concussion) making early exits. They were replaced by Nick Köster and Monty Dumond, respectively.
Province points machine, flyhalf Willem de Waal, uncharacteristically missed a goalable penalty attempt in the 22nd minute, but he made amends six minutes later to reduce the stalemate - 3-3.
Both teams had their best attacking efforts spoilt by basic errors like forward passes and knock-ons which tended to crop up when there were chances to breach defences.
However, as the game reached the final quarter of the first half Province started imposing themselves on the match, but their sojourn deep inside the Sharks' 22-metre proved fruitless except for a 35th minute De Waal penalty which gave the visitors the lead (6-3).
With Province continuing to exert pressure, the Sharks loosies Ryan Kankowski and Keegan Daniel engineered a superb break-out near their own 22-metre line before they sent right-wing Odwa Ndungane clear to snatch the opening try after a 65-metre dash down the touchline. Lambie's conversion failed but the Sharks were ahead by 8-6.
On the stroke of half-time, De Waal steered a third penalty through the posts to regain the lead for the Capetonians (9-8).
When the second-half started both teams continued to struggle to consolidate first-phase possession and this failure made for a scrappy contest between two evenly-matched sides.
The WP defence surprisingly suffered a lapse of concentration when they allowed Kankowski to tip-toe his way past four would-be tacklers for an easy converted try next to the posts, and once again the lead changed hands in the 45th minute (15-9).
This advance induced a fresh sense of urgency in the Sharks' ranks with hooker Bismarck du Plessis and Kankowski showing the way and Province conceded another penalty six minutes later as they battled to contain the pressure. The Lambie strike opened up a nine-point lead (18-9).
By the time the match reached the hour mark the Sharks held the upperhand and Province needed to stage a dramatic recovery if they were to successfully defend their unbeaten record.
As it turned out the Sharks managed to maintain their vice-like grip on the match and after Lambie further stretched the lead in the final 12 minutes with two more penalties, the match looked well beyond Province (24-9).
That was the case, after Sharks skipper Stefan Terblanché snapped over a drop-goal.
Nick Köster snatched a consolation try at the death, with Lionel Cronjé adding a conversion to round off the 27-16 outcome in the final match of the first round of fixtures in the 2010 Currie Cup.
The scorers:
For the Sharks:
Tries: O Ndungane, Kankowski
Con: Lambie
Pens: Lambie 4
DG: Terblanché
For Western Province:
Try:
Köster
Con: Cronjé
Pens: De Waal 3
The teams:
Sharks: 15 Louis Ludik, 14 Odwa Ndungane, 13 Stefan Terblanché (captain), 12 Andries Strauss, 11 Lwazi Mvovo, 10 Patrick Lambie, 9 Charl McLeod, 8 Ryan Kankowski, 7 Willem Alberts, 6 Keegan Daniel, 5 Alistair Hargreaves, 4 Steven Sykes, 3 Wiehahn Herbst, 2 Bismarck du Plessis, 1 Tendai Mtawarira.
Replacements: 16 Craig Burden, 17 Eugene van Staden, 18 Ross Skeate, 19 Jacques Botes, 20 Rory Kockott, 21 Monty Dumond, 22 Riaan Swanepoel.
Western Province: 15 Conrad Jantjes, 14 JJ Engelbrecht, 13 Tim Whitehead, 12 Paul Bosch, 11 Frikkie Welsh, 10 Willem de Waal, 9 Dewaldt Duvenage, 8 Duane Vermeulen, 7 Rynhardt Elstadt, 6 Pieter Louw, 5 Anton van Zyl (captain), 4 Adriaan Fondse, 3 Brok Harris, 2 Tiaan Liebenberg, 1 Wicus Blaauw.
Replacements: 16 Deon
Fourie, 17 Buhle Mxunyelwa, 18 De Kock Steenkamp, 19 Nick Köster, 20 Conrad Hoffmann, 21 Lionel Cronjé, 22 Morgan Newman.
Referee: Lourens van der Merwe
Assistant referees: Dilbert November, Reuben Rossouw
TMO: JC Fortuin
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