Pienaar steers Sharks home
27 Mar 2010
Ruan Pienaar kicked a long-range penalty in injury time to hand the Sharks a 29-26 win in Wellington.
Pienaar’s kicking and maturity in general play over the last two weeks has been impressive, and he’s played a massive part in their two wins against Kiwi opposition.
The Sharks held what looked a comfortable 11-point lead with eight minutes remaining, but they allowed the Canes back into the contest as the hosts drew level in the dying stages. Pienaar then stepped up and handled the pressure magnificently, kicking a monster 50m penalty with the final act of the game.
Pienaar was impressive throughout, and although he missed an early attempt at goal, the Sharks opened the scoring through Patrick Lambie. The Sharks’ fullback benefited from Pienaar’s quick-tap from a penalty and strolled over on the blindside as his side held a 7-0 lead after eight minutes.
Both teams looked tired given their travel and tour scenarios, and the rain in the first half didn’t help the match as a spectacle. The visitors dominated territory in the opening half, while their scrum was also strong with John Smit at loosehead.
Down 13-6 at half-time, the Canes changed their halfbacks with Piri Weepu and Aaron Cruden replacing Tyson Keats and Willie Ripia. Immediately Weepu slotted two penalties to narrow the lead to just one, while in general play the pair increased the tempo as the Sharks had to defend for the majority of the final 40 minutes.
The Canes – with Cruden attacking the gain-line – looked to maintain possession in the second half and always tested the Sharks’ defence. The hosts opted to run most of their ball from deep, and while the Sharks’ defence was tested at times, the tactic didn’t produce results.
Cruden made some telling breaks, but the Canes’ finishing left a lot to be desired as the Sharks somehow held on, despite missing many one-on-one tackles.
On their final match of the tour, Sharks coach John Plumtree made many changes on the hour-mark in an attempt to revitalise the tiring visitors. Andy Goode, Willem Alberts and Smit all departed, as Rory Kockott, Jean Deysel and Beast Mtawarira all made the desired impact.
After 65 minutes Pienaar nudged over a penalty, and from the ensuing kick-off the Sharks broke from deep. Bismarck du Plessis, Jacques Botes, Kockott and Stefan Terblanche were all prominent in the magnificent build-up that featured neat passing, with JP Pietersen taking the final offload.
But just as they did last week against the Highlanders, the Sharks relaxed just as they had obtained a comfortable lead. Ma’a Nonu scored the hosts’ first try of the match after 73 minutes while Victor Victor also took advantage of some sloppy defending to draw the scores level with two minutes left.
But Pienaar stepped up, and the much-maligned player silenced his doubters.
The Sharks face the Reds next week and will have to pick themselves up for another testing encounter. They should, however, be lifted by a return to Durban.
By Grant Ball
346 Comments
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27 Mar 2010, 17:02 pm
Its a such we didn’t close out the game against the Brumbies and if Stefan’s pass to Kanko was just a split second earlier it could’ve been 4 games won on tour now.
Still a lot to work on. Stefan at wing isn’t a solution in my opinion. But apart from that Plumtree must keep the same combos. Things are starting to click at bit more. Keep Smit at LH. We must win all our home games now. Its gonna be real tough.
27 Mar 2010, 17:07 pm
@KZN King Shark: Terblanche played well on the wing, doesn’t have the out and out pace but so intelligent and has the backup experience Lambie needs.
27 Mar 2010, 17:44 pm
excellent game from Ruan, he is a great 9 and enjoys playing there, bloody keep him there.
his confidence shines through there and it shows in his kicking game.
27 Mar 2010, 20:04 pm
@rangerman:
1981 so I am way older than you but younger than Charo
In my early years at school HRE was playing 1st side. Anyway I caught up a few years on him and not through skipping a year.
B1tchweed was the ‘school down the road’
We lost to them 1 year out of the 5 I was there.
27 Mar 2010, 20:27 pm
shoot the boer
27 Mar 2010, 20:31 pm
@Biscuit: Hey Biscuit I played cricket against Chris (Kippie) Smith when his brother Robin Smith (both went on to play for England) was still playing under 15 for Northlands, i.e. long before HRE. I remember those days with Beachwood,DHS,Glenwood,Westville,Kearsney,Grosvenor etc quite fondly and Offord Week as well. I was at Alexandra High in PMB at the time.
27 Mar 2010, 20:36 pm
@uyturtuy5675: grow up
27 Mar 2010, 20:41 pm
Got to hand to the people running the Sharks website. Highlights already up.
I can’t help but think we’ve turned a corner here. Seeing the way the players celebrate when the kick went over, they seem like a more united team. Hopefully the talk of rifts and divisions will disappear and this win should do wonders for their self belief. The Canes are never an easy team to beat at home and we dominated throughout the match. Its just a shame we had a defensive lapse at the end of the game.
27 Mar 2010, 20:48 pm
@KZN King Shark
u grow up,boer
27 Mar 2010, 20:51 pm
@KZN King Shark: u grow up,boer
27 Mar 2010, 21:37 pm
@uyturtuy5675: U grow up boer….U grow up boer. Do you have to puke twice, UYTURTUY5675 UYTURTUY5675. Duh! Peanut brain.
27 Mar 2010, 21:41 pm
@KZN King Shark: Congrats with your win! Great to see the Sharks fighting back.
27 Mar 2010, 21:59 pm
Hoowhee!!! 2 in a row!! Maybe the playoffs isn’t that far-fetched…
G10, gotta hand it to you. Smit at LH transformed the Sharks’ scrum. So much so, they dominated the Canes AB frontrow at times. All of a sudden selfs ou Jannie lykie te kakkie nuh? That being said…hopefully Smit has cured you of this silly nonsense of putting him on early retirement? There’s still life in the old bones yet.
27 Mar 2010, 22:37 pm
@uyturtuy5675:
hey troll – go play somewhere else.
in my northlands days we had no real boks to look up to but the school was still young in that era (circa 1953 when they broke away from the mixed school where nghs now stands).
we weren’t allowed to play against beachwood (the school down the road) but in 1970 (my 1st team days) we killed dhs, hilton, michaelhouse, glenwood, kearsney, kes but lost to jeppe.
hot team that went unbeaten through age-group level.
27 Mar 2010, 22:44 pm
@Johan Fourie:
hey boet – don’t get too **** sure on your superbru!!
biscuit and i are stalking you.
8)
27 Mar 2010, 23:21 pm
Putting Smit at LH is a much better way of keeping Bismark at 2 for the Sharks and the Boks. Most supporters, and it seems even his coaches, agree it was a **** idea. The problem is that it was successful for one game and they have been mesmerizing about it since. It is a bit unfair on Wian Du Preez who must be on the bench, but he is still young and will take over after the WC.
Frontrow for the Sharks and Boks
1. Smit
2. Bismark
3. BJ
27 Mar 2010, 23:52 pm
@uyturtuy5675: Who says I’m a boer or white for that matter? So you assume everyone on this blog is white? Racist doos.
28 Mar 2010, 00:00 am
@garth: so, all of a sudden Beast is k@k?
28 Mar 2010, 00:29 am
@Hondo: 178
Yeah, you got it right. Congrats.
Anyway, well done to the Sharks. Hope they can keep up the momentum.
Congratulations Sharks and their fans.
28 Mar 2010, 00:37 am
Great game and congrats to the Sharks, I thought the Hurri’s would have taken them but the Sharks were up for it. A bit of a bruiser and a mild concern creeping in about the Kiwi teams!!
28 Mar 2010, 00:53 am
@captain fantail:
Yeah, if the Aus teams keep up their performances and the Stormers and the Bulls can come away with a handful of points from their respective tours, your teams may struggle to make the SF.
28 Mar 2010, 01:40 am
Thanks to both teams for the great entertainement. Thats made my cable subscription worthwhile. Hell beat the **** out of the Alison in Wonderland 3D I watched afterwards.
There are a lot of sore bodies today. Both teams gave it all and the one who wanted it the most won!
Stefan is valuable in the team with his reading of the game. Pienaar was excellent(Steyn though is way better flyhalf. Finneshed and klaar). I cant belive I said that!
28 Mar 2010, 02:00 am
@Transformation: Not in my book. I’m yet to see the Beast play really kak as some claim.
28 Mar 2010, 02:47 am
@bananaboy:
Do Alex still Rugby?
28 Mar 2010, 03:13 am
Both teams looked tired given their travel and tour scenarios, and the rain in the first half didn’t help the match as a spectacle.
Rain what rain, that was like the best evening in wellington like …….ever!
28 Mar 2010, 04:39 am
@charo: Still early days, I know. This weekend will be tough!
28 Mar 2010, 06:18 am
@nama1:
319
Thanks!
Alas, the total purse is shrinking, turned out there are no shortage of smart guys who got it right too.
It’s a shame the Sharks lost to the Tahs, that swindle Marks cost me my biggest take of the season.
28 Mar 2010, 06:22 am
@Transformation: 318 I think Beast and Smit will have a challenge to keep Guthro out on current form.
28 Mar 2010, 07:18 am
@Transformation: No. He has been k@k all along. Have you not seen that every scrum he has been in since the B Lions were here, he has gone backwards in. He does not hold his own against S14 players, how is he supposed to dominate international players?
28 Mar 2010, 07:37 am
Word is John Mitchell is heading for the Sharks. He has announced he will serve out his contract (which expires in 2011). Plumtree is apparently being head-hunted for the Springboks, so the opening for Mitchell appears. Interesting times ahead.
28 Mar 2010, 07:48 am
@RugbyRulz:
The Sharks need a South African coach. Will they never learn.
28 Mar 2010, 08:55 am
@RugbyRulz:
Plumtree for the Boks?? Pull the other one FFS Jeesz we have one polooka already, don’t need two!
28 Mar 2010, 09:01 am
hope bloggers noted the 1 scrum near the end when smit was forced to pack down at 3….iurbo reverse!
Smit must compete with beast and Guthro i reckon ….for the 1 spot.
Must not mess with Bissy, Gary Botha also playing well at 2…..
At 3…..just dont even contemplate it ever again.
thank you
28 Mar 2010, 09:03 am
and Guthro is the best 1 at the moment on form…..hell he is playing superbly.
28 Mar 2010, 09:06 am
@RugbyRulz: hahaha
, biggest joke of the weekend, plumtree is a k@k head coach, maybe a decent forwards coach…
28 Mar 2010, 10:03 am
@garth:
Isn’t it the same players who play S14 who also play international rugby? You make it sound as if it is totally different players.
Beast had had some good matches. Remember the high fives he got from his team mates when we played Italy during the EOYT? He is not consistent yet afa his scrumming is concerned and that is a problem. Specialized coaching from somebody like Os or Balie may just well do the trick here. On the other hand, there is not many props today getting around the park and making tackles like the Beast.
28 Mar 2010, 19:40 pm
@Johan Fourie: Ok fine, I love boers. You win.
28 Mar 2010, 20:05 pm
@uyturtuy5675: As a black South African, I don’t want your idiotic,racist kind on this site.Get lost.
28 Mar 2010, 20:17 pm
@BlackShark: hiyas BS long time no see mate , hope you are well
and agree mate , one thing this site does not lack is the stupidity and rascism
our team going good huh??? atlast lol , **** the stress has been big
28 Mar 2010, 20:32 pm
@sharks_lover: Talk about stress,mate.Worst part is having a Stormers supporter at the office.Had enough of the chirps.
Amazing what a bit of confidence can do for a player.Pienaar just wants to get on with business at 9,and it’s paying off for sure.Even some of the other players who’ve been anonymous\off-form\ill-disciplined etc. got their act together (JPP,Jannie dP). Hope they beat the Reds before taking a break for their bye.
28 Mar 2010, 20:38 pm
@BlackShark: ur right boet , jannie played great past weekend ,
smitty suck a team man 1,2,3 helps out big time
also makes the whole rotation process easier and also keeo most players happy
ruan is getting back to being the player we know he can be , great to see
as for the reds , i am worried as we are traveling back and thats always a problem
and as for shirps lol hell i am in JHB , i get it from all sides everyday
28 Mar 2010, 20:55 pm
@sharks_lover: Right about the Reds: they’re sitting in Durban setting an ambush while the Sharks have to deal with jet-lag. I’m still optimistic, though. We’re now on an upward curve rather than down. Anyway, gotta run, mate. Have a good week.
28 Mar 2010, 21:03 pm
tc BS enjoy mate and have a great week , see you 2morrow on SW ciao
28 Mar 2010, 21:48 pm
Great stuff. I sense the Sharks are turning the corner. Much work still to be done and the playoffs may be a step too far but a wise man once said “form is temporary, class is permanent”. The biggest laugh would be if the Stormers start hitting a wall towards the final games of the round-robin and the Sharks do a bit of an acceleration on the final straight a la Crusaders.
29 Mar 2010, 08:36 am
This win had John Smit’s leadership stamped all over it. Outstanding. There can also be no doubt about his abilities as a loosehead. This should be his position for the Boks, with Beast and Heinke behind him.
29 Mar 2010, 08:48 am
@grant10: 333 I watched the scrums, when he moved to 3 the scrum had parity or better.
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