Lambie steers Sharks to victory
5 May 2012
JON CARDINELLI watched Pat Lambie score all of the Sharks’ points in a scrappy but vital 28-16 win against the Highlanders.
The Sharks scored 13 unanswered points in the period between the 50th and 60th minute. It was during this spell where the match was won, and it was ultimately the cool goal-kicking of Lambie that allowed the hosts to edge clear of a determined but woefully inaccurate Highlanders side.
In difficult kicking conditions, Lambie slotted seven penalties and a conversion. It was a flawless goal-kicking performance and it had to be, as the Highlanders threatened to seize the initiative at various intervals. Had Lambie not converted every opportunity on offer, the Sharks may been made to pay for their inconsistency for the umpteenth time this season.
There was plenty of intent during the early stages, as the Sharks managed to boss the collisions. It was also clear that the Sharks had come into this contest with a more structured game plan in mind. They attempted to drive the Highlanders back into their own territory, and it worked to a degree.
The tactic is sound in theory, but a team needs to execute efficiently and consistently to obtain the desired results. The Sharks overplayed the kicking ploy, and at times their halfbacks were guilty of booting possession away aimlessly. The kick-chase wasn’t up to standard either, and this is something they will need to address if they hope to gain full value from these tactics.
The hosts benefited from a sloppy Highlanders performance in the first half. Lambie punished the visitors for their transgressions at the breakdown, and the Sharks were also fortunate not to concede more points at the other end, as flyhalf Mike Delany missed two relatively simple penalty attempts.
There was an almighty scrap at the breakdown, with both teams guilty of indiscipline early on. The Highlanders recovered after their early lapses, and managed to control the ball better as the first half progressed. It was all the Sharks could do to spoil, and eventually Jacques Botes was yellow-carded after a series of Sharks breakdown infringements.
The visitors failed to hammer home the advantage. They scored just three points while Botes was off the field, and while credit should go to a much improved Sharks defence, the Highlanders attack was just too lateral to be effective.
They gained some reward from playing more direct rugby at the start of the second half, depleting the Sharks’ defensive line before eventually crashing over for a try. It was at this point where the momentum was with the Highlanders, and a conversion by Delany took them to a 16-15 lead.
The Sharks were guilty of a spate of handling errors during this period, the type of frustrating mistakes that have become something of a trademark in 2012. But for all their failings, they maintained their composure, and Lambie booted a difficult penalty to regain the lead.
This proved to be the boost they needed, as from that point onward, they played with far more control and belief.
Charl McLeod fielded a high ball in his own half, and avoided two would-be Highlanders defenders. This proved to be the catalyst for a promising counter-attack, and Keegan Daniel eventually found himself with ball in hand just outside the Highlanders 22.
Daniel looked to have butchered a try-scoring opportunity when he chipped the ball into space, but Hosea Gear obliged with an untimely error and the ball spilled loose behind the Highlanders tryline. Lambie, who had followed in support, dotted the ball down and then kicked the conversion to make the Gear gaffe a seven-point mistake.
The weather turned nasty in the final quarter, but the Sharks held out to not only secure the win, but also deny the Highlanders a losing bonus point.
The result may not have propelled the Sharks into the top six, but their strong finish means that they are now only three log points shy of the Highlanders, who are currently fifth in the overall standings.
291 Comments
Pages: « 1 2 3 [4] 5 6 » Show All
5 May 2012, 19:02 pm
Well done sharks very good win
5 May 2012, 19:02 pm
142 @ Guns
Against Namibia and Samoa? You got you panties wet after those two games? You need to set your standards higher boet!
5 May 2012, 19:03 pm
Good games by Lambie Bismark and Daniels
5 May 2012, 19:03 pm
wow what did i just type
(M) JOrdaan was ok for first outing, Tim was very good again
5 May 2012, 19:03 pm
With Goosen injured Lambie just reminded Heineken Lager just what he can do.
5 May 2012, 19:03 pm
Ludik had his best game of the season.
5 May 2012, 19:05 pm
@wooden spoon(wooden spoon)-156:
Yes he played well
Sharks centers need to straighten the line more
5 May 2012, 19:05 pm
@wooden spoon(wooden spoon)-156: Hiyasss Spooner, i am waiting for Transie to come tell us how useless Lambie was
5 May 2012, 19:06 pm
Ludik 7
Pietersen 6
Jordaan 5
Whitehead 6
Mvovo 6
Lambie 7
McLeod 6
Daniel 6
Botes 5
Coetzee 6
Sykes 6
Bresler 5
Du Plessis J 5
Bismark 7
Beast 7
5 May 2012, 19:07 pm
@CoachPete(CoachPete)-157: Campo doing the commentary was going crazy saying how predictable the and lateral the backs run.
@sharks_lover(sharks_lover)-158: screw Transie, what about skopshyte?
5 May 2012, 19:07 pm
@sharks_lover(sharks_lover)-158: i’m glad i own your thoughts
5 May 2012, 19:09 pm
Stormersboy @133
Thank you.
How good was Bismarck.?Only 2 players apart from him who could/can
rip the ball from an All Black props arms.The legendary Reuben Kruger
and….I forget
5 May 2012, 19:09 pm
McLeod takes too many steps side ways before he passes forcing Lambie across and centers are basically running sideways when they get the ball not giving outside players any room
But otherwise good win Nice to see the bok front row back in action together
5 May 2012, 19:10 pm
@wooden spoon(wooden spoon)-160:
Starts at nine easy to defend someone needs to come in at angle or some inside passes
5 May 2012, 19:12 pm
Lambie is a solid 10 but Morne our best bet for now. Goosen must definitely be made first choice once he returns from injury.
5 May 2012, 19:12 pm
@sharks_lover(sharks_lover)-154: Enjoy the drinks Mate!
You’ve earned it!
@ryecatcher(ryecatcher)-162: He’s a great player for sure.
5 May 2012, 19:13 pm
Coetzee needs to learn to pass. Good in all other aspects but very predictable with ball in hand.
5 May 2012, 19:13 pm
5 May 2012, 19:13 pm
@wooden spoon(wooden spoon)-159:
Ludik 7
Pietersen 6
Jordaan 6
Whitehead 7
Mvovo 5
Lambie 9
McLeod 6
Daniel 7
Botes 5
Coetzee 7
Sykes 6
Bresler 5
Du Plessis J 5
Bismark 8
Beast 7
5 May 2012, 19:15 pm
@sharks_lover(sharks_lover)-169: SL the win masked a pretty poor performance by the Sharks. The Sharks look very uncoached.
I don’t think any player was up at 8 and 9 level.
5 May 2012, 19:15 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-161: lol only ion ur thoughts mate lol
@wooden spoon(wooden spoon)-160: ewwwwwwwwwwwwww i dont do men lol , na with transie i still joke , skopclown is a 2 year old ****** lol i ignore it
5 May 2012, 19:17 pm
@stormersboy(stormersboy)-166: lol, thanks bro , the rain spoilt it some what
5 May 2012, 19:18 pm
@wooden spoon(wooden spoon)-170: boet with that rain pounding down?? not to bad, handling was not easy
5 May 2012, 19:20 pm
Sharks denying the Landers a bonus point was also a good thing
5 May 2012, 19:22 pm
Shew what a difference Beast has made to our scrum!!! Jannie wasn’t too bad either tonight. Well done Sharks but not a convincing win by any means
5 May 2012, 19:25 pm
Haha sjyewalkee and norugby guru you looosers lol
5 May 2012, 19:27 pm
@rangerman(rangerman)-176: don’t forget Pee Wee and skopshyte!
5 May 2012, 19:29 pm
Sharks backline is simply the worst coached backline in superrugby.
No question.
I wanted to punch mcleod in the head for kicking possesion away all night.
5 May 2012, 19:31 pm
@Sharksgirl(Sharksgirl)-175: Howdy M you good lady you, hope ur doing well???
Yeah Beast was very good tonight
5 May 2012, 19:33 pm
@rangerman(rangerman)-178:
and the players aren’t much better
5 May 2012, 19:34 pm
@rangerman(rangerman)-178: hiyas forrest dweller lol you well??
5 May 2012, 19:38 pm
Too many journeymen in the Sharks backline, very convenient to blame the coach though as it was with the hopeless Bokke backline that was PDVs fault as well, face facts your backs are very average.
5 May 2012, 19:39 pm
Howdy sl.in sodwana for a spearo comp.
Gotta duck bud have a goodie.
5 May 2012, 19:40 pm
@greentea(greentea)-182: Nie hau NZINCHINA. How’s things your side of the wall?
5 May 2012, 19:41 pm
@greentea(greentea)-182: p.s. why did you change your nick from NZINCHINA?
5 May 2012, 19:44 pm
Wins a win though Spooner so good on your boys.
5 May 2012, 19:53 pm
Hsha then the highlanders backline must be vodacom cup level china you fool lol.
5 May 2012, 20:07 pm
@rangerman(rangerman)-187:
Ranger your backs are shite, don’t blame the coach.
5 May 2012, 21:10 pm
Seems like greentea doesn’t want to talk about his NZINCHINA past.
5 May 2012, 21:12 pm
“In the land of Paarl, the one-eyed referee is King”
Let me preface what I am about to write by saying that I am undoubtedly biased and probably one-eyed myself at times (Hell, I’m the grandfather of one of the Bishops’ players AND a Shark’s supporter …… that must tell you something !!)
Anyway, earlier today I attended a schools rugby match, played at Paarl Gymnasium, between the Under 14A teams of Paarl Gym and Bishops. There were large crowds spread throughout the Paarl Gym campus watching the many rugby matches taking place simultaneously between different teams from these two rugby-rich schools. The atmosphere was electric and wonderful to experience. So far, so good.
And the Under 14A match was a particular highlight…… Regrettably (and here I admit to potential bias), in my considered opinion, the match was ruined by the performance of the referee. Let’s examine the “facts”. The ref openly wore the exact colours (different design) of the Paarl team; the penalty count at the end of the match was 19 – 6 in favour of the Paarl team; at one stage in this frustrating match where only Bishops (a well-coached and knowledgeable rugby team) seemed not to know the rules of the sport, the ref stopped the game , came to side of the field and ordered a Bishops father to stop coaching/commenting so loudly from the sidelines and to step back 10 metres from the touchline; and finally towards the end of the match (4/5 minutes to play), with Bishops leading 20 – 17, the ref awarded two successive penalties against the Bishops’ team well inside the Bishops 22….the first came to nought; the second, quickly taken was spread to the Paarl wing who dropped the ball, the Bishops’ wing and centre recovered it and two passes later, the wing dotted down under the Paarl posts ! Game. Set and Match to Bishops !!. But, no….well after the ball had been dropped by the Paarl backline, 30/40 metres across the field after the quick tap, the ref ran back, blew his whistle and awarded another penalty to Paarl Gym waving his arms and indicating that the Bishops team had not retreated 10 metres…….Funny that, considering how far the ball had been allowed to spread. After this 3rd close-in penalty, Paarl scored and converted, 2 minutes later were awarded another penalty straight out in front, converted it, and the final whistle went, 27 – 20 to Paarl Gym. The boys shook hands and left the field, Bishops feeling no doubt that they had been robbed and wondering if the ref was any relation to one Bryce Lawrence…..
Oh, and by the way, that father who was so vocal and told he didn’t know what he was talking about…….a gentleman by the name of Francois Pienaar who’s son happened to be playing for the Bishops team. Obviously out of touch with the rules of rugby since his heyday in 1995….or so the ref determined.
5 May 2012, 21:34 pm
@yank(yank)-190: c’mon Mr Mike Millard, you’ve posted this on the appropriate “schoolboy” thread. No need to repeat it here again.
5 May 2012, 21:47 pm
@yank(yank)-190:
Lol, it spounds terrible… my full sympaty… it is never easy against Gym or Boys high even without the ref helping them.
What went wrong during the first team match? I saw they beat Bishops by about 50. How much damage did no 10 Pollard do? I heard he is the next big thing.
5 May 2012, 22:48 pm
rugby becoming static and uninspiring
laws becoming stale and spoiling
ref’s becoming whistle blowing belladonna’s
not one decent game so far this weekend perhaps Sunday morning game sees a change to that..
5 May 2012, 22:49 pm
@yank(yank)-190:
Francois must behave better then. Just because he’s a WC winning captain, doesn’t mean he can act like a fool and gets away with it.
5 May 2012, 22:53 pm
hey Ella, why dont you take a break from rugby? you seem to not enjoy it very much. or maybe you just like moaning?
5 May 2012, 23:00 pm
I wonder if HG regards this game as a draw.
I mean, both teams scored one try apiece.
5 May 2012, 23:04 pm
@nama1(nama1)-196:
5 May 2012, 23:11 pm
Great to see these legends of South African sport settling into the Cape lifestyle,hell,even Jonty Rhodes left his wife behind in Kzn to see what the fuss was all about in the Cape.
5 May 2012, 23:25 pm
@stormersboy(stormersboy)-197: @stormerforlife1(stormerforlife1)-198:
So, what do you guys think about the game against the Cheetahs next week?
No doubt they won’t play as kak as they did tonight. It is a derby after all. Fortunately it is in Cape Town. when last did they beat us there?
5 May 2012, 23:31 pm
Bulls scored 5 .. and let in 5 .. against Melbourne .. how ‘professional’ is that?
Sharks scored 1 … and let in 1.. the fly hack ahead did the tricky dicky deed.. and the kicking tee did the rest .. Sharks backs went sideways for 80 minutes and so did Highlanders .. until they discovered kick chase.. oh what a beautifully inspiring past time is kick chase rugby.
Blues dropped every ball they got
Cheetahs and Force did much the same.. trading penalty kicks per the jaundiced views on how the breakdown possession rule is decided by one individual carrying an agenda
Lions are pisspoor outfit not S15 quality
Waratahs are down and out
The refs are getting worse as the ‘professional’ game progresses into an officiating nightmare of breakdown litany of lottery ticket results and shrill blasts on the penny whistle
So where’s the magic gone.. up shitcreek.. that’s where
Maybe Crusaders – Reds stops the rot this weekend.
Pages: « 1 2 3 [4] 5 6 » Show All
Have your say
You must be logged in to post a comment.