Sharks snap losing streak
10 Mar 2012
JON CARDINELLI watched the Sharks beat the Lions 32-20 to end their winless run in the 2012 Super Rugby competition.
The Sharks were hammered by the Bulls at Loftus Versfeld and pipped by the Stormers at Newlands. They came into this clash desperately needing any kind of win, no matter how ugly.
From a results perspective, the men from Durban will be satisfied. They not only claimed their first win of the season but also a bonus-point for four tries. It may have taken them three games, but they are finally off the mark.
It was a stop-start game at Kings Park with both teams surrendering possession all too easily. The Sharks conceded a mass of penalties at the breakdown and also coughed up the ball in the tackle on too many occasions.
The Lions attempted to play the game at a lively pace but displayed very little control. Their counter-attacking surges often came to nought and coach John Mitchell will be livid with the high number of turnovers.
What helped the Sharks was their appreciation for territory. Flyhalf Pat Lambie had his best game of the season thus far, kicking the hosts into good field positions. He also converted some difficult goals during the first half to ensure the Sharks went to the shed with a substantial lead.
It was before the break where the Sharks scored the try of the game. The forwards finally managed to marry power and precision, keeping the ball through the phases to stretch the Lions’ defence. It was also during this movement that the Sharks backs showed some good hands, getting the ball to winger Lwazi Mvovo who highlighted his value as a finisher with a superb score.
For all their handling mistakes and lost possessions, the Lions just kept coming and coming. They marched the Sharks back towards the tryline and then struck through fullback Jaco Taute, who wrestled his way through several defenders to score.
It was an important strike on the hour, and ensured the Lions went into the final quarter with a chance of an upset.
Along with their inconsistencies at the breakdown, the Sharks battled to secure the ball at the lineout. Bismarck du Plessis failed to find his jumpers consistently and this robbed the hosts of a good attacking platform.
And yet, the Sharks still managed to get the ball back, such was the loose nature of this contest. As the game entered the final 10 minutes, neither team managed to control the ball and counter-attack after counter-attack was launched.
Again, it was the Sharks that came through a scrappy period of play as the big winners. Meyer Bosman latching onto the final pass to score what many believed was the clincher. At 27-13, the game was all but over.
But the Lions scored in the 75th minute through reserve prop Ruan Dreyer, and Butch James’s conversion set up a frantic finish. The Sharks were placed under pressure by a desperate Lions side, and it took a big tackle by Marcell Coetzee to win the ball back.
A kickable penalty was turned down by Sharks captain Keegan Daniel as the hosts set up a lineout deep in Lions territory. And to the delight of the Kings Park faithful, the Sharks finished the second half as they had the first, with a rare blend of power and precision.
On this occasion, Du Plessis found his jumper to set up the maul, and the forwards bulldozed their way over the line. Jacques Botes emerged from a pile of bodies and the referee awarded what was the bonus-point try.
While the Sharks may have finished this game strongly and 12 points ahead of the opposition, they will know that there is much to do before they meet the Reds next week. The game against the Lions was in the balance until the final minutes, and the Sharks will need to address their inconsistencies at the breakdown and lineout if they hope to challenge the better teams.
144 Comments
10 Mar 2012, 16:20 pm
my heart says lions for an upset with sharks 2-down, but by far the best team they’ve fielded this year, coetzee and alberts and daniels, potentially one of the best loose trios in tournament.
10 Mar 2012, 16:25 pm
at kings park with virtually an entirely new lions tight 5, could be a groot pak on the way.
come Lions.
10 Mar 2012, 16:43 pm
Lions going to come unstuck in this game, Jantjies’s withdrawal will have major impact on cohesion
10 Mar 2012, 16:49 pm
Welcome to Mark Lawrence show
the Lions are the team to get the short end of his stick today, however they have a dangerous backs and there is always a chance that Butch might decide to do something positive
10 Mar 2012, 16:55 pm
S H A R K S S S S S S S S S
10 Mar 2012, 16:56 pm
Lions will be competitive first 40 but after that its going to be a long afternoon!!! My heart says lions, my blood is lions but my head says tough luck boys…
10 Mar 2012, 16:57 pm
@3… Daniels one of top in country?!!!!! What u smoking boet not even top 5….
10 Mar 2012, 17:01 pm
Vertigo stadium!
10 Mar 2012, 17:05 pm
exiting game should the rain stay away.
10 Mar 2012, 17:08 pm
Bondesio must stop ******* looking around and get the ball out…
10 Mar 2012, 17:10 pm
That skyward stand make me dizzy.
10 Mar 2012, 17:13 pm
F!!!!!!!!!!!!! Bismark, penalty number 1…… 3 points wham.
10 Mar 2012, 17:14 pm
Plum has to be one of the thickest coaches in the game. He has Viljoen with the long range boot, so who takes the first long range penalty, none other then “machine gun” Lambie.
10 Mar 2012, 17:14 pm
Bondesio you f**kstick, wake up!!!!
10 Mar 2012, 17:16 pm
Ahhhhhhhh cockaroaches on toast !!!!!! Wake up Sharks
10 Mar 2012, 17:18 pm
Yammering whistling Lawrence
10 Mar 2012, 17:21 pm
sharks coming in from the side, but Lawrence are obviously watching another game here.
10 Mar 2012, 17:22 pm
Sharks really looking lumbering today. No Zip at all. Michelak is a great deal of the problem IMO.
10 Mar 2012, 17:22 pm
And then as if the heard me lol.
Lambie looked good there.
10 Mar 2012, 17:23 pm
Lions don’t have much zip either
10 Mar 2012, 17:25 pm
Ja. Zipless all of them. I’m off to swim with the kids.
10 Mar 2012, 17:25 pm
This is a great game, I think I’ve only counted two defensive kicks. Ball in hand, old school rough and tumble rugby.
10 Mar 2012, 17:28 pm
@stormersboy(stormersboy)-18:
Every time I see Duvenhage dithering over the ball i think to myself “could be worse, could be Michalak”.
He really does utterly kill quick ball on his own.
10 Mar 2012, 17:33 pm
marklawrencejoukont, that was not a dangerous tackle by Strauss.
When did he become such a kak, pedantic ref?
10 Mar 2012, 17:35 pm
@24 the doos needs to get in the game, he is killing the lions on the front foot…
10 Mar 2012, 17:38 pm
Lol nice try
10 Mar 2012, 17:41 pm
He has always been kuk pedantic
10 Mar 2012, 17:42 pm
Bondesio you ***, please **** off to a hole!!!
10 Mar 2012, 17:43 pm
Not another prop!! Please dont let it be…
10 Mar 2012, 17:45 pm
The Lions scrum much stronger than expected
10 Mar 2012, 17:48 pm
Doppies is worth about three players.
10 Mar 2012, 17:49 pm
Callie is cute
10 Mar 2012, 17:51 pm
@31
Truer words have never been spoken.
10 Mar 2012, 17:51 pm
OUT.
10 Mar 2012, 17:52 pm
Nice one Mvovo
10 Mar 2012, 17:53 pm
Here comes 30 points on the lions… Enjoy relegation boys!!
10 Mar 2012, 17:53 pm
This TMO is a ****** moegoe. The top view showed his foot on the line with the ball still in the air. What a joke.
10 Mar 2012, 17:54 pm
Mieuwesen again?
10 Mar 2012, 17:55 pm
Just rewound on the PVR and checked again and he was definitely out. Not even a tricky decision. Where do they find these ****** backwards TMOs?
10 Mar 2012, 17:55 pm
some iffy bladdy officiating in that half..
10 Mar 2012, 17:56 pm
@cab(cab)-40: lawrence@kont.co.za
10 Mar 2012, 17:57 pm
@>^..^< katman(katman)-37:
I also thought the same thing but as a Sharks man I won’t complain as long as it was following a dominating phase. Not like they did not deserve it.
10 Mar 2012, 17:57 pm
@>^..^< katman(katman)-37:
It’s SARU decree, deal with it
10 Mar 2012, 17:58 pm
@>^..^< katman(katman)-41:
lol, hought he was ok generally, but fk hondo was spot on at post 4, what the hell he penalise the TVL winger for early on? i still dunno..
10 Mar 2012, 18:00 pm
@Hondo(Hondo)-43: Lawrence was awful last week, but looks like he might set a new low today.
10 Mar 2012, 18:00 pm
young hooker looks good in the tightloose, but he;s gooing arm is skeef, bladdy horrific one in last minute before halftime resulting in try.
10 Mar 2012, 18:00 pm
Viljoen starting to mix it up with the sharks nicely. Odwa also having solid game.With Alberts back Bismark is less erratic, less penalties to give away. He can still get stuck in second half.
10 Mar 2012, 18:03 pm
Hoesit Guns how was workout today?
10 Mar 2012, 18:05 pm
@>^..^< katman(katman)-39: All the angles looked okay except that one was clear it was not a try, yet they only checked it once..
10 Mar 2012, 18:08 pm
**** off bondesio, you are worth **** oll… You cant play at this level.. **** off!!!
10 Mar 2012, 18:09 pm
**** off bondesio, you are worth **** oll… You cant play at this level.. Please f-off
10 Mar 2012, 18:10 pm
@Dawn(Dawn)-48: Howzit Dawn, ja it was a lekker workout blasted the pecs & Triceps then chilled in the lovely jacuzzee & Sauna, steamroom.. So relaxing!
10 Mar 2012, 18:12 pm
these TMOs are rubbish! Where is the reverse angle that would’ve confirmed he was out, plus the assistant ref was RIGHT there behind mvovo surely he saw it!
10 Mar 2012, 18:14 pm
Luvly!
Cape Town is steamroom. Feel sorry for the bicycle riders 2m it is gonna be scorcher.
10 Mar 2012, 18:15 pm
Who is this tmo.
Mieuwesen again?
10 Mar 2012, 18:15 pm
Wtf? Is this team honestly worthy to be in the comp?
10 Mar 2012, 18:15 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-53: That’s 10 points gifted to the Sharks through dodgy refereeing. 7 points for the converted non-try, and 3 points for the non-high tackle. Should be a one point game now.
10 Mar 2012, 18:17 pm
Will someone answer.
Thought I heard Lawrence squealing “johan”
10 Mar 2012, 18:18 pm
@PieterJordaan(PieterJordaan)-56: It is by no means a run away game at all, some dodgy calls and the sharks got the advantage..maybe we are watching a different game..
10 Mar 2012, 18:20 pm
Anyone know what has happened to Waylon Murray and George Earle?
10 Mar 2012, 18:20 pm
@59… The difference is the sharks have the ability to do something with possession… The lions? Nothing!!! 5 phases and the ball is lost!!!
10 Mar 2012, 18:23 pm
So pleased that Bismark has settled down a bit. He has been really good today after a poor first 2 games.
10 Mar 2012, 18:23 pm
Mitchell better teach these overrated CC champs to catch a f’ng ball or not get turned over in every tackle, these Lions are either has been’s or never gonna be’s – a few physical jerks ain’t gonna make these hapless over rates anything resembling a S15 competitive setup, so either get serious or can the gamble and move on to better things. Can’t see Mitchell bashing his head against a brick wall for too much longer he soon gonna reckon the anxiety ain’t worth the pay package and f’off to more interesting ventures.
10 Mar 2012, 18:24 pm
dawn, it is shaun veldsman!
10 Mar 2012, 18:25 pm
@PieterJordaan(PieterJordaan)-61: If that is your argument then I guess its not worth my time..
10 Mar 2012, 18:25 pm
Where’s that CC gees.
10 Mar 2012, 18:26 pm
@65.. Prove me wrong…
10 Mar 2012, 18:26 pm
@65.. Prove me wrong..
10 Mar 2012, 18:26 pm
Sharks look better with Michalack off the field..
10 Mar 2012, 18:27 pm
Ok Trans.
Explains a lot! Nudge wink.
10 Mar 2012, 18:27 pm
all this rubbish on this site about bush attacking the gainline is shown today to be rubbish…lambie – metres gained 17….butch – metres gained 2!
10 Mar 2012, 18:29 pm
They miss Elton badly.
10 Mar 2012, 18:29 pm
Taute jou doring!!!
10 Mar 2012, 18:29 pm
Yurrah thats kak defence from the sharks
10 Mar 2012, 18:30 pm
try lions.
10 Mar 2012, 18:30 pm
Tea and biscuits anyone? Our teams must pick up bonus points. Just look at those ratarse ausie teams all losing by a few. Soul-less bunch.
10 Mar 2012, 18:30 pm
@PieterJordaan(PieterJordaan)-68: There’s a difference with a team taking a beating and a team being competitive..This is the Sharks team that was pushed to be the conference leaders this year, yet the score reads 20-13 and you want to say the lions don’t desserve to be in the comp..
10 Mar 2012, 18:31 pm
and then between Lawrence, Meuwersen, and the dodge touchies this game was pretty much a done deal before kick off
Taute maybe breathe a slight bit of belief back into a flagging pre season promise
See if Lawrence allows a game to develop from here or he stick with the Saru scripting
10 Mar 2012, 18:31 pm
@weakoma(weakoma)-69: Ja, try against them.
10 Mar 2012, 18:32 pm
smaaklik
10 Mar 2012, 18:33 pm
Sharks giving away too many penalties.
10 Mar 2012, 18:33 pm
get butch out!!!!
10 Mar 2012, 18:34 pm
@Kleuter(Kleuter)-79: That was a bit of Taute magic..
10 Mar 2012, 18:35 pm
Lions really bad under the high ball today..
10 Mar 2012, 18:36 pm
Butch is cheesed cos book did not sell.
10 Mar 2012, 18:37 pm
where the touchie gone who called the Strauss high tackle, when Sykes does worse the schmuck’s tjoep still, shows these thingymajiggy’s aren’t dealt with equal concerns by those who got vested interest in the outcomes.
10 Mar 2012, 18:37 pm
Taute is wearing the wrong jersey. He’ll look better in a light blue one.
10 Mar 2012, 18:40 pm
Had Sharks by 4. Lions must get a 3 pointer and I’ll be happy.
10 Mar 2012, 18:41 pm
That looked forward
10 Mar 2012, 18:41 pm
What a great couple of minutes of rugby from both sides..
10 Mar 2012, 18:42 pm
Good try Sharks. End to end stuff. Lions trying desparately.
10 Mar 2012, 18:42 pm
if you can’t maintain possession you gonna get punished, that’s that, ball game in its moer
10 Mar 2012, 18:42 pm
Good try, except the scoring pass was forward. So no try then, really.
10 Mar 2012, 18:43 pm
game over, too little depth.
could be grootkak for lions unless they get their players back, shouldve bought some more.
10 Mar 2012, 18:43 pm
A ****-ing shadow of the team that won the cc!!
10 Mar 2012, 18:45 pm
Magtag Shaun again
10 Mar 2012, 18:45 pm
Looks like a try to me..
10 Mar 2012, 18:46 pm
Try meuwessin!!!
10 Mar 2012, 18:46 pm
7 point ball game
10 Mar 2012, 18:46 pm
Halefuckenlujah Veldsman.
10 Mar 2012, 18:46 pm
okay. Stuff my Bru, Lions grab something here please.
10 Mar 2012, 18:47 pm
That missed conversion can cost Lions their S15 status.
10 Mar 2012, 18:47 pm
OK all youse who don’t read posts, tmo is shaun veldsman
10 Mar 2012, 18:48 pm
Oh, my wrong.
10 Mar 2012, 18:48 pm
Lions are playing with hunger at the moment..
10 Mar 2012, 18:50 pm
Good result for SA rugby
10 Mar 2012, 18:50 pm
Back to tea and biscuits Kleuter
10 Mar 2012, 18:50 pm
@Dawn(Dawn)-107: No, biltong and beer now for main course
10 Mar 2012, 18:51 pm
kak reffring, dont even get bonus point.
10 Mar 2012, 18:51 pm
Fukkit.
Less the 10 points handed to the Sharks in the first half for free, of course.
10 Mar 2012, 18:52 pm
Off to kids’ movie night at nursery school. Katman over and out.
10 Mar 2012, 18:53 pm
Lions again a bonus point milking team… Long season awaits them!!! Welcome kings to superrugby!!!
10 Mar 2012, 18:54 pm
@>^..^< katman(katman)-111: You guys just can’t handle injuries like other Unions unfortunately. No lack of effort from the Lions tonight.
Good to see JP doing so well at 13.
10 Mar 2012, 18:54 pm
Well done to the sharks..this was a very intresting match..lions showed hunger at times..first game this season I think Lambie looked good at 10 and his place kicking was excellent if you look at from where he kicked..all and all a very good game for SA..
10 Mar 2012, 18:56 pm
@weakoma(weakoma)-114: Who ws the smartypants that said Viljoen or Freddie should kick for goal because Lambie is useless? Eat that biscuit, Biscuit.
10 Mar 2012, 18:56 pm
@Kleuter(Kleuter)-115: Not you, just mentioning it to you
10 Mar 2012, 18:58 pm
@weakoma(weakoma)-114: Eish, I’m not even drunk. Was saying, I saw someone here during the week that said Lambie is useless and should not kick for goal.
10 Mar 2012, 18:59 pm
Lambie is still average, it’s just that Butch James is abysmal.
10 Mar 2012, 18:59 pm
Well done Sharks. Tough luck Lions.
That decision by the TMO Mewuesen (sic) could have effected the outcome of this match. And it was he who incorrectly called “no try” when Bjorn Basson scored last week. And then awarding Greyling’s try in the same game. And again didn’t adhere to the IRB TMO protocol by volunteering information to the referee in the Boks v AB test in PE last year. It is the on-field guys – the ref and players – who depend on technology being used correctly.
Mark Lawrence will have to check this guy’s eyes.
10 Mar 2012, 19:01 pm
What a bunch of amateurs!!! I stand by my team through thick and thin but this is ridicilous!!! They di nit deserve to play in this comp… Seems the lions will be a bonus point milking team again!! Go check who our opposittion is going forward… What chance do we really have? Get ready for our last season in super rugby.
10 Mar 2012, 19:01 pm
@Dawn(Dawn)-103:
oops. but the guy I mentioned still makes mistakes. And today’s was another blatant error.
10 Mar 2012, 19:02 pm
@Kleuter(Kleuter)-116: I agree that his kicking was not the best in the first two games, 7 from 11 is not really an acceptable stat for your first choice kicker of the team..however I think that Plum is doing the right thing to keep him as the kicker, he will gain more confidence as he age and the accuracy will come..I was really excited for the clash of him and Jantjies, just hope Jantjies will be ready for our next game..
10 Mar 2012, 19:04 pm
The Sharks were k a k.
Uber k a k.
They got the full 5 points as you would expect them to do against the Lions.
They got their first win under their belt.
But man, do they need to frikken improve.
10 Mar 2012, 19:05 pm
@PieterJordaan(PieterJordaan)-120: You are way to negative. Have a cold one, tomorrow you’ll feel better.
10 Mar 2012, 19:06 pm
@weakoma(weakoma)-122: Agree with you. Very exited about the young 10′s we have.
10 Mar 2012, 19:07 pm
@Kleuter(Kleuter)-117: I remember reading a comment where somebody said the sharks will start winning once they hand over the kicking details..
@PieterJordaan(PieterJordaan)-120: Its a surprise that your a Lions fan, guess you are entitled to your own view, the young props did step up though..still think Vermaak was a big loss to the team, we need a good scrummie..
10 Mar 2012, 19:09 pm
agree sponer,that was a ugly win with lots of handling errors
10 Mar 2012, 19:09 pm
@weakoma(weakoma)-126: Something like that yes.
10 Mar 2012, 19:11 pm
@kleuter… Thanks boet, i really hope so!
10 Mar 2012, 19:12 pm
@Kleuter(Kleuter)-125: I though about it the other day, imagine a team with a 10-12 combo of Goosen and Steyn(Frans) and Taute at 15, three player all capable of slotting the odd 60m penalty and all very exciting on attack..
10 Mar 2012, 19:14 pm
@126 weakoma… Cant agree with you more… Blindesio is super kak !!! Sub scrummie wasnt bad… You know how tiring it is to constantly have faith and be constantly dissapointed!!! It borders on the definition of insanity: doing something the same over and over and expecting different results!! Im gonna pop an artery!!
10 Mar 2012, 19:22 pm
@PieterJordaan(PieterJordaan)-131: I know the feeling believe me..I do think its insane supporting them, but I do like to believe im a real fan of the team and the type of rugby they play..just a couple of key positions that we need new players in..really happy the loosies, like Killian and Taute at the back..Van Rensberg is really good on defence and steals the odd ball..Doppies is one of the most underated centre’s in SA..I like Hollenbach and Janties is really exciting..need a scrummie though..
10 Mar 2012, 19:29 pm
Sharks not looking good. And still getting bonus point win. What did the Stormers say last week? I’ll take that!
10 Mar 2012, 19:29 pm
@waekoma… Could not have said it better myself…. Killian needs to go too, he has became irrellevant
10 Mar 2012, 19:32 pm
@PieterJordaan(PieterJordaan)-120:
Try not posting when on the sauce …you’re a prick frankly !
Well played Sharks deserved win ..as for my Lions tough luck ..Im proud of the new boys ..long season ahead and Maruis Coetzer looks the business…
Lions can come from this with alot of positives.
10 Mar 2012, 19:34 pm
@PieterJordaan(PieterJordaan)-134:
Dear lord your stupity knows no bounds !
10 Mar 2012, 19:34 pm
@135… Thank you, youre very sweet…
10 Mar 2012, 19:36 pm
@135… Just as positive as HIV.
10 Mar 2012, 19:39 pm
@136… Are you not maybe on the juice? Killian missed tackles, knocked balls and were caught out of position more than a prostitute in church street..
11 Mar 2012, 00:14 am
Lions should seriously sort out their line outs.
Also let’s get Lawrence some specs, how he did not see the forward pass is baffling. Also who was the “special one” calling Josh’s ball rip on JP a high tackle?
3 weeks into Super 15 and refs are just plain kuk, is their some sort of floating trophy doing the rounds to see who’s the kukkest? If so… Keith Brown gets my vote for the weekend.
11 Mar 2012, 08:15 am
2 sh*t teams playing seriously sh*t rugby
and the whingers want ANOTHER team, right ?
11 Mar 2012, 12:54 pm
Rooooooooaaaaar!
11 Mar 2012, 14:55 pm
@PrickBoks going South(PrickBoks going South)-141: extremely childish. I bet you sometimes despair at yourself, in the quiet moments you probably recognise deep down that you have a social problem.
12 Mar 2012, 06:39 am
Pricky was once jilted by a cross dressing safari suit model from Polokwane. Hell hath no fury….
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