Mission accomplished for Sharks
Fri, 10 Sep 2010 21:00
Two-try hero Lwazi Mvovo. (c) Gallo
The Sharks got their Currie Cup campaign back on track after last week's defeat to the Bulls when they scored a 30-14 - four-tries-to-two - win over the Pumas on Friday.
Though the Sharks were dominant in the first quarter and threatened to run up a big score, in the end it turned out to be a far from easy victory.
After running in their bonus-point fourth try inside 20 minutes, the Sharks may have thought they were in for a win at a canter, but the Puma Stadium in Witbank is not the most hospitable of venues for visiting teams and the Pumas are a resilient, determined group of players.
They fought back, as they always do, and in the end the Sharks were given a rough ride and knew they'd been in a tough encounter.
In the last 60 minutes of the match, all the Sharks managed was a solitary penalty goal.
As they have all season, the Pumas offered great enthusiasm and played with admirable passion, and while they could not plug all the gaps on defence at the start, they will have been encouraged by their improvement in defensive organisation - and making their first-time tackles - after the visitors' initial attacking onslaught.
The Pumas tried hard on attack too but did not have the skill and penetration to unduly worry the visitors' defence other than through one try when they cut the Sharks midfield and another from a driving maul from a line-out .
The Sharks will be happy that it was essentially mission accomplished - five log points - but they will rue the indiscipline which cost them penalties as well as their unforced errors, which included frustrating turnovers.
Scrumhalf Charl McLeod provided a mixed bag, with a couple of good breaks but he was way off his sharpest, making mistakes which cost his team territory and momentum.
The visitors will also be unhappy with having lost focus after scoring four early tries and then struggling to regain any meaningful momentum. They know they will need to be a great deal more clinical against the top teams in the competition.
There were three tries inside the first six minutes.
The Sharks put the Pumas under pressure from the start, retaining possession as they attacked strongly from the kick-off and after a strong run by Craig Burden, Jacques Botes rounded off to score a try two minutes into the match. Patrick Lambie converted and the visitors led 7-0.
The home team hit back almost immediately as Elgar Watts found a gap in the Sharks defence and showed pace and deceptive feet to score an impressive try. Braam Pretorius converted to level the score at 7-7.
The Sharks scored from the restart as a potent run down the left touchline by Lwazi Mvovo - beating defenders through speed and a neat sidestep - saw him cross in the corner. Lambie could not convert but the Sharks led 12-7 with only six minutes played.
In the 11th minute Lambie stretched the lead to 15-7 with an angled penalty goal, and four minutes later Odwa Ndungane's hand-off of a weak Ashwin Scott attempted tackle gave the Sharks their third try. Lambie's conversion flew wide (20-7).
The bonus point for four tries came inside 20 minutes as Burden pounced on a loose ball, broke a tackle and raced 40 metres to score under the posts. Lambie's conversion made it 27-7.
The Pumas were in the game far more in the second quarter with the Sharks hamstrung by conceding three consecutive penalties and a free kick - and then two more penalties - as well as unforced errors through knock-ons. But for the next 18 minutes the Pumas were unable to take advantage of their increased possession and better territory.
They did eventually get their second try, in the 39th minute, when from a penalty - and general warning to the Sharks by referee Lourens van der Merwe - they drove from a five-metre lineout and Corné Steenkamp scored. Pretorius converted to reduce the lead to 27-14 going into half-time.
But the Sharks then went 30-7 ahead in the 49th minute when Lambie goaled a penalty, and so the score stayed as the Sharks made errors on attack, and the Pumas defended resolutely but could not penetrate the visitors' defence.
There was no lack of effort on either side but the skills level was some way off the best we have seen in the Currie Cup this year and both teams will have been frustrated with their inability to score points.
With five minutes left, the Pumas were penalised at a five-metre scrum and the Sharks were content to kick at goal.
Replacement scrumhalf Rory Kockott's kick was unsuccessful and the game staggered towards the final whistle with no further points in the half after Lambie's penalty goal which had been kicked with just over half an hour to play.
Again, as in most of their games, the Pumas deserve credit for their effort and commitment, but again it was not enough to secure a win.
For the Sharks it was a partly rewarding, partly frustrating game. They go home with the five log points they sought but know that better execution of their gameplan will be needed if they are to win the Currie Cup this year.
Man of the Match: This was a match in which few players stood out and many will feel they have a lot more to offer than they showed in this game. Marius Coetzer looks to be a lock with a promising future - the Pumas may struggle to prevent his being 'bought' by one of the big unions - and flank Torsten van Jaarsveld certainly gives it a full go. For the Sharks loose forwards Ryan Kankowski, Willem Alberts, and Jacques Botes all did a lot of positive things, and our Man of the Match, because he was a force both on defence and attack, is Ryan Kankowski.
The scorers:
For the Pumas:
Tries: Watts, Steenkamp
Cons: Pretorius 2
For the Sharks:
Tries: Botes, Mvovo 2, Burden
Cons: Lambie 2
Pens: Lambie 2
The teams:
Pumas: 15 Johan Jackson, 14 Braam Pretorius, 13 Tiaan Marx, 12 Ashwin Scott, 11 Allister Kettledas, 10 Elgar Watts, 9 Tian Meyer, 8 Christo le Roux, 7 Torsten van Jaarsveld, 6 Corné Steenkamp, 5 Marius Coetzer, 4 Andries Kruger, 3 Ashley Buys, 2 Hannes Franklin (captain), 1 Ronnie Uys.
Replacements: 16 De-Jay Terblanche, 17 Dawie Steyn, 18 Willem Serfontein, 19 Jaco Bouwer, 20 Ricardo Croy, 21 Siviwe Magaba, 22 Sphiwe Sithole.
Sharks: 15 Stefan Terblanché (captain), 14 Odwa Ndungane, 13 Andries Strauss, 12 Riaan Swanepoel, 11 Lwazi Mvovo, 10 Patrick Lambie, 9 Charl McLeod, 8 Ryan Kankowski, 7 Willem Alberts, 6 Jacques Botes, 5 Alistair Hargreaves, 4 Steven Sykes, 3 Eugene van Staden, 2 Craig Burden, 1 Patric
Cilliers.
Replacements: 16 Kyle Cooper, 17 Wiehahn Herbst, 18 Michael Rhodes, 19 Skholiwe Ndlovu, 20 Rory Kockott, 21 André Pretorius, 22 Luzuko Vulindlu.
Referee: Lourens van der Merwe
Assistant referees: Matt Kemp, Stefan Breytenbach
TMO: Johann Meuwesen
By Len Kaplan
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