Awesome Odwa sinks Lions
23 Jun 2006
The Sharks cruised to a 33-22 win against the Lions in the Absa Currie Cup on Friday, after leading 22-10 at the break.
Keo.co.za has learnt that Odwa Ndungane will be included in the Springbok squad for the away leg of the Tri-Nations. Any doubts lingering in the mind of coach Jake White should now be gone after yet another commanding performance from the dreadlocked winger.
Ndungane produced two moments of magic in Durban that resulted in two crucial first-half tries.
With the teams level at 3-all after the first quarter, the Sharks sent it wide to Ndungane who took the tackle near the touchline and offloaded to Carl Bezuidenhout. The debutant fullback managed to ground the ball on the line just before making contact with the flag, and the TMO awarded the try after studying several replays.
A few minutes later, the Sharks winger received possession in midfield, sent Doppies la Grange the wrong way with a dummy, before switching with Jacques Botes who scored under the posts.
That double strike helped settle the Sharks after a shaky start.
The Lions had opened the scoring when their forwards bashed it up the centre of the field, before a long skip pass from Earl Rose found Louis Ludik. The fullback straightened the line, sucked in the last Sharks defender and gave the try-scoring pass to Wylie Human.
Human scored another when he intercepted a pass meant for Adrian Jacobs, but the Sharks went over again just before half-time when a grubber from James sat up perfectly for Andries Strauss.
James extended the Sharks lead with a penalty soon after the break, but it was his missed tackle that saw Human claim his hat-trick. Rookie Lions scrumhalf Rory Kockott had missed his first three attempts at goal, but he finally sent the ball through the posts to make it 25-15.
The Sharks pack dominated in the Super 14, and their Currie Cup version looks just as dangerous. The Natalians made good use of the driving maul throughout the game and were finally rewarded when Bismarck du Plessis went over on the hour mark. The hooker, relishing a rare start, followed that up with a rampaging run down the left-hand touchline, bouncing off three Lions defenders, and was deservedly named Man of the Match.
Another James penalty made it 33-17, but a last-minute try from Springbok Sevens star Jaco Pretorius gave the Lions a bonus point.
Apart from Pretorius and Human, the young Jo’burg backline struggled to get going. Kockott had a shocker at scrumhalf, Rose was solid if unspectacular at flyhalf and Jorrie Muller was his usual erratic self on the wing.
Wikus van Heerden had a decent game at flank, but he’s simply not in the same class as a Schalk Burger – the man he’s expected to replace in the Bok side at some point this season. The Lions captain should have earned his team a second bonus point after the full-time hooter, but lost the ball over the tryline when tackled by Ryan Kankowski.
The Lions player who advanced his cause the most was young tighthead Brian Mujati, who more than held his own against former Bulls loosehead Kees Lensing.
For the Sharks, Johann Muller, Venter, Botes and Du Plessis were dominant up front, while Grant Rees (who played for the Wildebeest in the Vodacom Cup) did well outside Ruan Pienaar, James and Strauss.
Sharks - Tries: Carl Bezuidenhout, Jacques Botes, Andries Strauss, Bismarck du Plessis. Conversions: Butch James (2). Penalties: James (3).
Lions - Tries: Wylie Human (3), Jaco Pretorius. Conversion: Rory Kockott.
By Simon Borchardt
179 Comments
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23 Jun 2006, 20:27 pm
Hier kom kak!
23 Jun 2006, 20:28 pm
Wat gaan aan, keg!!
23 Jun 2006, 20:28 pm
valke intercept try
23 Jun 2006, 20:29 pm
Score???
23 Jun 2006, 20:29 pm
18-16
23 Jun 2006, 20:31 pm
Sjoe, fok ek’t gedink hulle het weer gescore!!
23 Jun 2006, 20:33 pm
Darem nie, ons sal moet vinger trek!
23 Jun 2006, 20:33 pm
Bliksems ja, ons sal moet!!
23 Jun 2006, 20:41 pm
Wat nou, wat nou??
23 Jun 2006, 20:42 pm
bulls score asb.
23 Jun 2006, 20:48 pm
Bulls wen 18-16!! Dankie tog
23 Jun 2006, 20:49 pm
Waar is Stan? Beide die twee spanne kan die Bulle vanjaar in CC klap.
23 Jun 2006, 20:49 pm
Valke het vodacom gewen, so hulle is nie kak nie
23 Jun 2006, 20:51 pm
Sjoe!!!! Dit was te close!!
23 Jun 2006, 20:54 pm
Wat ek **** is dat ons eerste fase besit verloor, gesukkel om losballe te wen en die backs was planloos!
23 Jun 2006, 20:55 pm
Moenie te veel worry nie, Spies en die ander jonges is gou weer terug!!
23 Jun 2006, 21:10 pm
A Rose by any other colour would not play at Currie Cup level
23 Jun 2006, 21:12 pm
You mean someone like tiaan snyman……
plonker
23 Jun 2006, 21:21 pm
Lions played gamely, but one allways felt the Sharks were in control.
Bismarc du plessis is one hell of an athlete. Bumped 4 Lions off him(one of them a prop)at one stage of the game.
Cant say any of the Lions youngsters, with exception of Brain Mujati, impressed, though Ludick looks solid and Jaco pretorius looks useful.
Mujati seems to be a real find.Stood toe to toe with Lensing and was busy in the loose.
23 Jun 2006, 21:46 pm
Simon. Rating 5/10 Inaccurate and lopsided.
Shreks probably deserved the win given the performance of the half back pair of the Lions.
To describe a performance as commanding in the context of this game is a bit of old hyperbole. Odwa Ndungane had a good game, no better than Wylie Human though and Bismarck two plus Three was the MOM, deservedly so.
The Lions scrum held their own but did, as you say, struggle to hold the Shreks back when they resorted to the driving mauls.
The Lions hooker, halves and Doppies were poor but were playing against a Bok back line with some talent. Your description of the erratic & kick happy Rose as solid is kind.
The slant in favour of Odwa is a little boorish and Wickus van Heerden did not exactly have anyone outshine him as a loosie.
Not your best report Simon, you really must try harder.
PS If you replay that mythical Carl Bezuidenhout try on your PVR backwards, not only will you hear ‘liefling’ faintly but you’ll be able to see the legs on the white line before dot down.
23 Jun 2006, 21:48 pm
Oh I forgot – my PVR is down, who ran down Odwa to halt a try scoring movem.
Phooie
23 Jun 2006, 21:50 pm
Cab, StP help the poor Lions
Say something cheering, even if its that KOKROT won’t play scrum Half ever again and that Jorrie ( one of his better games) is emigrating to Australia.
23 Jun 2006, 21:55 pm
Most impressive player Big Bismark love his comment to Cappie “I warned you at half time about over robust play” Bizmark “no,we did’nt talk about that” classic
24 Jun 2006, 00:52 am
one thing about rose, he distributes well. both backlibe tries were set up by nice flat passes from him in front of the runner.
24 Jun 2006, 02:45 am
Ig, no sense of humour? A comment on one player should not be countered by a reference to another. That is not only unscientific; it is also proof of your lack of understanding of the core principles of debate. In other words: jy het waarskynlik nie veel tussen jou ore nie!
To illustrate the point: Knersboy (174) got it right.
Footnote: Wylie Human should have been man of the match. A hat-trick and one try-saving tackle would be enough in most matches.
24 Jun 2006, 09:54 am
These Cats are kakka…..all their players should be demoted to footballers.
24 Jun 2006, 13:53 pm
Was impressed with some of the new guys coming into the lions side Pretorious and Mujati they looked the bussiness, thought jody rose is a talent and he got his backs away better than the majority of sa 10s ive seen recently but he’s a youngster and he kicks well like a 19-20 yr old perhaps he could do with a bit more time in the juniors. Even though Rory Cocket got over excited and had a shocker and as expected will get alot of stick on the blog he showed alot of talent his sevice is snappy , clears the rucks quickly and an educated boot , he even looked like a decent goal kicker even though he missed a few he did hit the posts twice. Unfortunately for the lions Jorrie and Doppies still suck perhaps a few experienced signings are needed here although molefe made a difference when he replaced Doppies.
24 Jun 2006, 13:57 pm
Bismark du plessis is a freakin MONSTER!!
Man, that guy bumped and bruised the lions players all over the place. Whenever he got tht ball he left a trail of lions clutching their various bodyparts.
Hy’t letterlik die lions op hul gat laat sit.
24 Jun 2006, 13:59 pm
Odwa and Akona should be boks!!!!
Jake, open your eyes, they do have pace, they do have skill, and they are the best wings in SA!
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