Sharks march up the table
The Sharks continued their march up the Super Rugby table and into the play-off positions with a 34-20 win over a willing Cheetahs team in Bloemfontein on Saturday.
Outscoring the home team by four tries to one, the impressive Sharks team moved past the Highlanders into sixth place – giving South Africa three places in the play-offs.
The Sharks were dealt a late blow – with Pat Lambie ruled out – the result of a knock he took against the Western Force last week, while he also struggled with a flu bug. Frenchman Frederic Michalak started in the No.10 jersey and Odwa Ndungane came onto the bench.
The men from Durban made their intentions very clear from the outset, as they ran hard at the Cheetahs in an attempt to bully them into submission. While they got some reward on the scoreboard for their endeavour, the Cheetahs were not holding back and ran just as hard in a game of brutal collisions.
While the Cheetahs matched the men from Durban in the physical exchanges, the visitors had a few more subtle touches – especially the French flyhalf, Michalak, who varied his game very well.
As a result the Sharks' backline looked a lot more fluent than their opponents, who also seemed prone to lapses of concentration.
It was those moments in the game that allowed the Sharks to get back in the lead and stay ahead when it seemed the Cheetahs would threaten them.
It took the Sharks just over two minutes to produce the first try, JP Pietersen strolling over in the left corner While the backs finished off with some sublime handling, the real damage was done by bustling hooker Bismarck du Plessis, who bowled over a number of opponents – including direct opponent Adriaan Strauss. The latter required medical treatment after his collision with Du Plessis.
Michalak added the conversion for an early 7-0 lead.
Not long after Du Plessis was warned by the referee as he illegally charged into Strauss at a tackle, without using his arms. And then it was Strauss' turn to turn on the power and burst through a few tackles – although their finishing was not as clinical as that of the Sharks.
The Sharks did concede a penalty at the breakdown, in the face of some strong raids by the Cheetahs, and flyhalf Riaan Smit opened his team's account with a three-pointer in the 15th minute.
And the harks butchered two golden opportunities – Michalak first missed a penalty shot at goal and Paul Jordaan then failed to control the ball in a return pass from Bismarck du Plessis – after Jordaan had cut the line in sublime fashion moments earlier.
When Anton Bresler was penalised for not releasing in the tackle, Smit stepped up to make it a one-point (6-7) game just short of the half-hour mark.
It was Adriaan Strauss who got the Cheetahs' try a few minutes later – 16 phases of patient build-up, after Robert Ebersohn had started the move deep inside his half with some sublime stepping and a great turn of pace. Smit hit the upright with his conversion attempt, but the Cheetahs were leading 11-7.
However, a moment of fortuitous magic – when Riaan Viljoen kicked ahead into space and the bounced favoured Michalak – saw the Sharks back in the lead. And the Frenchman, Michalak, added the conversion to make the Cheetahs pay for their lapse in concentration – 14-11 to the Sharks.
From the restart Paul Jordaan was penalised for obstruction and Smit levelled the scores – 14-all.
A late penalty for a ruck offence – which the Sharks tapped after some confusion by the referee, who acknowledged his error – saw Lwazi Mvovo over on the right wing. Michalak added the extras for a 21-14 half-time lead to the Sharks.
Michalak had a chance to extend his team's lead after the Cheetahs went over the top of a ruck and he made no mistake – 24-14 after 46 minutes.
Just after the hour mark the Sharks were reduced to 14 men, when hooker Bismarck du Plessis was yellow-carded for an illegal shoulder charge – an offence he had been warned about before.
And Sias Ebersohn, on for Smit, who was struggling with cramp, slotted the penalty to narrow the gap to 17-24. Another penalty at scrum time the gave Ebersohn another shot at goal and again he was bang on target – 20-24 with 20 minutes to go.
The Sharks then pinned the Cheetahs near their own line till they eventually won a penalty, which Michalak slotted to restore the seven-point lead – 27-20 with just under 15 minutes left on the clock.
And Meyer Bosman put the seal on a good day at the office when he went over in the left corner after a great run by Lwazi Mvovo. Michalak added the extras – 34-20 and just about six minutes remaining.
Still the Cheetahs came running and the Sharks tackled, with only a losing bonus point on the line for the home team. And the Sharks held on for a deserved win, leaving the home team empty handed.
Man of the match: Bismarck du Plessis provided all the early go-forward for the Sharks, but spoilt his game with some unnecessary foul play – which saw him being yellow carded in the second half. Adriaan Strauss answered his Bok rival, Bismarck du Plessis, with equal measures of determination, despite being bowled over by Du Plessis early in the game. Frederic Michalak, a late replacement for Patrick Lambie at flyhalf, showed just how much he has when he turns it on. Not only was his kicking game spot on, but he was running the backs like a true general. Our award goes to Michalak for his control of the game.
The scorers:
For the Cheetahs:
Tries: Adriaan Strauss
Pens: Smit 3, S Ebersohn 2
For the Sharks:
Tries: Pietersen, Michalak, Mvovo, Bosman
Cons: Michalak 4
Pens: Michalak 2
Yellow card: Bismarck du Plessis (Sharks, 53 – foul play, illegal shoulder charge)
Teams:
Cheetahs: 15 Hennie Daniller, 14 Cameron Jacobs, 13 Robert Ebersohn, 12 Andries Strauss, 11 Willie le Roux, 10 Riaan Smit, 9 Piet van Zyl , 8 Philip van der Walt, 7 Justin Downey, 6 Heinrich Brüssow, 5 Izak van der Westhuizen, 4 George Earle, 3 WP Nel, 2 Adriaan Strauss (captain), 1 Coenie Oosthuizen.
Replacements: 16 Hercu Liebenberg, 17 Trevor Nyakane, 18 Andries Ferreira, 19 Ashley Johnson, 20 Tewis de Bruyn, 21 Sias Ebersohn, 22 Philip Snyman.
Sharks: 15 Riaan Viljoen, 14 JP Pietersen, 13 Paul Jordaan, 12 Tim Whitehead, 11 Lwazi Mvovo, 10 Frederic Michalak, 9 Charl McLeod, 8 Keegan Daniel (captain), 7 Marcell Coetzee, 6 Jacques Botes, 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 Willem Alberts, 19 Jean Deysel, 20 Ryan Kankowski, 21 Meyer Bosman, 22 Odwa Ndungane.
Referee: Jonathan Kaplan (South Africa)
Assistant referees: Rasta Rashivenga (South Africa), Tiaan Jonker (South Africa)
TMO: Gerrie Coetzee (South Africa)
