Sharks snap losing streak

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

Pages: [1] 2 3 » Show All

  • 1.cab: Reply to this comment
    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.

  • 2.cab: Reply to this comment
    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.

  • 3.Papoose: Reply to this comment
    10 Mar 2012, 16:43 pm

    Lions going to come unstuck in this game, Jantjies’s withdrawal will have major impact on cohesion

  • 4.Hondo: Reply to this comment
    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

  • 5.Treehugger: Reply to this comment
    10 Mar 2012, 16:55 pm

    S H A R K S S S S S S S S S

  • 6.PieterJordaan: Reply to this comment
    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…

  • 7.PieterJordaan: Reply to this comment
    10 Mar 2012, 16:57 pm

    @3… Daniels one of top in country?!!!!! What u smoking boet not even top 5….

  • 8.Dawn: Reply to this comment
    10 Mar 2012, 17:01 pm

    Vertigo stadium!

  • 9.pride_member: Reply to this comment
    10 Mar 2012, 17:05 pm

    exiting game should the rain stay away.

  • 10.PieterJordaan: Reply to this comment
    10 Mar 2012, 17:08 pm

    Bondesio must stop ******* looking around and get the ball out…

  • 11.Dawn: Reply to this comment
    10 Mar 2012, 17:10 pm

    That skyward stand make me dizzy.

  • 12.Treehugger: Reply to this comment
    10 Mar 2012, 17:13 pm

    F!!!!!!!!!!!!! Bismark, penalty number 1…… 3 points wham.

  • 13.posts: Reply to this comment
    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.

  • 14.PieterJordaan: Reply to this comment
    10 Mar 2012, 17:14 pm

    Bondesio you f**kstick, wake up!!!!

  • 15.Treehugger: Reply to this comment
    10 Mar 2012, 17:16 pm

    Ahhhhhhhh cockaroaches on toast !!!!!! Wake up Sharks

  • 16.Dawn: Reply to this comment
    10 Mar 2012, 17:18 pm

    Yammering whistling Lawrence

  • 17.pride_member: Reply to this comment
    10 Mar 2012, 17:21 pm

    sharks coming in from the side, but Lawrence are obviously watching another game here.

  • 18.stormersboy: Reply to this comment
    10 Mar 2012, 17:22 pm

    Sharks really looking lumbering today. No Zip at all. Michelak is a great deal of the problem IMO.

  • 19.stormersboy: Reply to this comment
    10 Mar 2012, 17:22 pm

    And then as if the heard me lol.

    Lambie looked good there.

  • 20.Dawn: Reply to this comment
    10 Mar 2012, 17:23 pm

    Lions don’t have much zip either

  • 21.stormersboy: Reply to this comment
    10 Mar 2012, 17:25 pm

    Ja. Zipless all of them. I’m off to swim with the kids.

  • 22.CSI:Rugby: Reply to this comment
    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.

  • 23.Tartan: Reply to this comment
    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.

  • 24.>^..^< katman: Reply to this comment
    10 Mar 2012, 17:33 pm

    marklawrencejoukont, that was not a dangerous tackle by Strauss.

    When did he become such a kak, pedantic ref?

  • 25.PieterJordaan: Reply to this comment
    10 Mar 2012, 17:35 pm

    @24 the doos needs to get in the game, he is killing the lions on the front foot…

  • 26.Treehugger: Reply to this comment
    10 Mar 2012, 17:38 pm

    Lol nice try

  • 27.Dawn: Reply to this comment
    10 Mar 2012, 17:41 pm

    He has always been kuk pedantic

  • 28.PieterJordaan: Reply to this comment
    10 Mar 2012, 17:42 pm

    Bondesio you ***, please **** off to a hole!!!

  • 29.PieterJordaan: Reply to this comment
    10 Mar 2012, 17:43 pm

    Not another prop!! Please dont let it be…

  • 30.Hondo: Reply to this comment
    10 Mar 2012, 17:45 pm

    The Lions scrum much stronger than expected

  • 31.>^..^< katman: Reply to this comment
    10 Mar 2012, 17:48 pm

    Doppies is worth about three players.

  • 32.Dawn: Reply to this comment
    10 Mar 2012, 17:49 pm

    Callie is cute

  • 33.Dawn: Reply to this comment
    10 Mar 2012, 17:51 pm

    @31

    Truer words have never been spoken.

  • 34.>^..^< katman: Reply to this comment
    10 Mar 2012, 17:51 pm

    OUT.

  • 35.Treehugger: Reply to this comment
    10 Mar 2012, 17:52 pm

    Nice one Mvovo

  • 36.PieterJordaan: Reply to this comment
    10 Mar 2012, 17:53 pm

    Here comes 30 points on the lions… Enjoy relegation boys!!

  • 37.>^..^< katman: Reply to this comment
    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.

  • 38.Dawn: Reply to this comment
    10 Mar 2012, 17:54 pm

    Mieuwesen again?

  • 39.>^..^< katman: Reply to this comment
    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?

  • 40.cab: Reply to this comment
    10 Mar 2012, 17:55 pm

    some iffy bladdy officiating in that half..

  • 41.>^..^< katman: Reply to this comment
    10 Mar 2012, 17:56 pm

    @cab(cab)-40: lawrence@kont.co.za

  • 42.Guns: Reply to this comment
    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.

  • 43.Hondo: Reply to this comment
    10 Mar 2012, 17:57 pm

    @>^..^< katman(katman)-37:
    It’s SARU decree, deal with it

  • 44.cab: Reply to this comment
    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..

  • 45.>^..^< katman: Reply to this comment
    10 Mar 2012, 18:00 pm

    @Hondo(Hondo)-43: Lawrence was awful last week, but looks like he might set a new low today.

  • 46.cab: Reply to this comment
    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.

  • 47.Guns: Reply to this comment
    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.

  • 48.Dawn: Reply to this comment
    10 Mar 2012, 18:03 pm

    Hoesit Guns how was workout today?

  • 49.weakoma: Reply to this comment
    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..

  • 50.PieterJordaan: Reply to this comment
    10 Mar 2012, 18:08 pm

    **** off bondesio, you are worth **** oll… You cant play at this level.. **** off!!!

Pages: [1] 2 3 » Show All

Keo.co.za has always promoted uncensored views, but has never tolerated racist or crass outbursts. Come on guys and girls. If you can't moderate yourselves or each other then I am going to be forced to regulate the posts and enforce a registration process for comments. The choice is yours.

Have your say

You must be logged in to post a comment.