Sharks breach the Stormers defence

 

Defeat started with catching – or rather not catching. If not catching is a sign of nerves, it was a credible sign, for, after the start, the Stormers, log leaders, looked nervous and almost shocked, while the Sharks, set on getting into play-off contention, brimmed with confidence. They had the whole thing planned and they could do anything.

 

The Stormers, playing with the wet wind, started well enough. They were easily handling the match's physicality and there were signs that worst predictions of the Sharks' line-out were coming true. That changed.

 

When Lwazi Mvovo was offside, Grant goaled. 3-0 after 8 minutes.

 

Then came the first miss. Patrick Lambie kicked off and under no pressure Jebb Sinclair dropped the ball and the Sharks' enthusiasm lifted. Rynhardt Elstadt was penalised at a tackle and Lambie levelled the scores after 11 minutes. But Jannie du Plessis was penalised at a tackle and Grant gave his side the 6-3 lead. But then came the next drop.

 

Frédéric Michalak kicked a high up-an-under which seemed to mesmerise all the Stormers. They left it to bounce and then they ignored the bounce. Not so Patrick Lambie who grabbed the ball and flicked it to massive Willem Alberts who charged down the field towards the line.  Elstadt hauled him down but the Sharks were in the second best part of the ground. The Stormers were penalised, Charl McLeod tapped and gave a skip pass to Michalak who went inside Jean de Villiers and past Steven Kitshoff, dragging Gio Aplon with him over the line and into the best part of the ground for the Sharks. 10-6 after 17 minutes.

 

Belief in the Stormers' defence was being dented.

 

At the kick-off after the try there was a feat of strength to equal Atlas's. Big Anton Bresler rose high into the sky, supported by faithful Tendai Mtawarira. The flight of the ball caused Bresler to lean backwards. Bresler caught the ball and Mtawarira kept holding Bresler's shorts. Bresler bent over facing down Mtawarira's back but the prop kept holding him. Bresler and the Beast – it will become the stuff of legends.

 

After a Michalak grubber, the Stormers had a defensive line-out. For some reason they ignored the twin towers of Andries Bekker and Eben Etzebeth and threw deep where Keegan Daniel plucked the ball out of the air, and the Sharks were at the line again.

 

Bekker went in the side of a maul and Lambie made it 13-6 after 26 minutes.

 

The Sharks were powerful in the scrums, ruled all facets of the loose and were even taking the line-outs which were to believed to be the inalienable right of the Stormers. The Sharks were well and truly on top.

 

From a strong scrum Daniel went wide and gave inside to Alberts. Elstadt brought him down on the line but Daniel was on hand to get the ball and duck under Fourie's tackle to score. 20-6. That was the half-time scorer and in the second half the Sharks would be playing with the weather.

 

The Brothers du Plessis won a turnover. Bismarck got the ball off Gerhard van den Heever, Jannie made it more available and Bismarck passed it away from the tackle. The ball went out to Mvovo who sped down the touchline as Dewaldt Duvenage tried to bring him down. It was touch and go but the TMO advised that a try had been scored. 25-6 after 44 minutes.

 

The Stormers went on close attack. They had a five-metre line-out. Bekker was close and then Fourie was over but lost the ball. Eventually Tiaan Liebenberg knocked on the Sharks emerged from their cage.

 

As the Stormers failed to score from close quarters, so they scored two breath-taking tries from far out, both by that mercurial genius Gio Aplon.

 

The first was a typical Stormers' try, capitalising on an opponent's error. Michalak's handling went awry and Aplon snapped up the ball and skated  65 meters for the try. 25-13 after 53 minutes.

 

After this the rain started.

 

A succession of penalties fuelled the Stormers'; attack. They had three successive five-metre line-outs till they dropped the ball and the Sharks flykicked their way out of the shackles binding them.

 

From a scrum somewhat to their left, the Stormers went left. De Villiers was at flyhalf and he gave to Aplon cutting back, a pass which the whole of KwaZulu Natal knew was forward, but not the match officials. Off Aplon went, swerving well wide of Michalak and scoring the try which Grant converted. 25-20 with seven minutes to play – bonus point territory for the Stormers.

 

The Sharks kicked off directly into touch but young Frans Malherbe was penalised at the ensuing scrum. But Lambie missed the kick that would have pulled the Stormers out of the land of the bonus point. Lambie's kick was wide.

 

The victory was the reward for clear thought, meticulous planning and grievous determination.

 

Man of the Match: It was an heroic match and the great hero in the Greek tradition of Hercules was Willem Alberts. He had a huge effect on the game. He is our Man of the Match.

 

 

Tries: Michalak, Daniel, Mvovo

Cons: Lambie 2

Pens: Lambie 2

 

Tries: Aplon 2

Cons: Grant 2

Pens: Grant 2

 

 

Sharks: 15 Patrick Lambie, 14 JP Pietersen, 13 Paul Jordaan, 12 Meyer Bosman, 11 Lwazi Mvovo, 10 Frederic Michalak, 9 Charl McLeod, 8 Keegan Daniel (captain), 7 Willem Alberts, 6 Marcell Coetzee, 5 Anton Bresler, 4 Steven Sykes, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 Bismarck du Plessis, 1 Tendai Mtawarira.

Replacements: 16 Craig Burden, 17 Wiehahn Herbst, 18 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 19 Ryan Kankowski, 20 Jacques Botes, 21 Odwa Ndungane, 22 Louis Ludik.

 

Stormers: 15 Gio Aplon, 14 Gerhard van den Heever, 13 Juan de Jongh, 12 Jean de Villiers (captain), 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Peter Grant, 9 Dewaldt Duvenage, 8 Jebb Sinclair, 7 Rynhardt Elstadt, 6 Deon Fourie, 5 Andries Bekker, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Brok Harris, 2 Tiaan Liebenberg, 1 Steven Kitshoff.

Replacements: 16 Siya Ntubeni, 17 Frans Malherbe, 18 De Kock Steenkamp, 19 Don Armand, 20 Nick Fenton-Wells, 21 Louis Schreuder, 22 Burton Francis.

 

Referee: Jaco Peyper (South Africa)

Assistant referees: Lourens van der Merwe (South Africa), Reuben Rossouw (South Africa)

TMO: Johann Meuwesen (South Africa)