Sharks edge Force in snorefest
The Sharks collected four valuable points, although there was not much to be proud off as they beat the Western Force 15-9 in a dour Super Rugby Round Seven game in Durban on Saturday.
It was not the most flowing game and the rain didn't help matters and both teams lacked fluidity.
However, the Sharks will celebrate a win and the four valuable points that see them top of the South African conference.
It started badly and ended worse.
It was one of worst halves of rugby seen all year - the Sharks looking like a fish-a-chips team at the local club, a bunch of players just rocking up on a Saturday without having trained and hoping to get the game over as soon as possible so they can go to the pub afterwards.
The only highlights (or low-lights) were two Sias Ebersohn penalties, which gave the visitors a 6-0 lead at the break.
However, then the mediocrity set in again and the error count continued to mount.
It was not till the 64th minute that the scorers were troubled, a Fred Zeilinga penalty giving the Sharks the lead for the first time.
Then follow a Sias Ebersohn choke, missing a kick from right in front, before a surprise counter by SP Marais found Lwazi Mvovo in open space and the Sharks wing's pace taking him clear and over.
The error count continued to mount and the Sharks eventually walked away with a scrappy and very ugly win. Nothing to be proud of, but still worth four points on the standings.
Sharks captain Jean Deysel said he was proud of his team.
"We had opportunities and spilled the ball, but the boys played well," Deysel said.
"Hats off to the boys in the scrums, but we couldn't get our game going.
"The boys made some big hits on defence and that put them under pressure. It doesn't get any easier with the Crusaders next week."
Force captain Sam Wykes admitted his team was their our own worst enemies.
"We left points out there, there were plenty of opportunities though," Wykes said.
"The win showed the class of the Sharks who rested players but still came away with the points.
"It was a physical game and we'll learn a lot from it, but it was an awesome atmosphere here."
Man of the match: Dane Haylett-Petty came on as an injury replacement very early in the game and was one of the few bright lights in an otherwise dull showing. In a game where the workrate of some and skills levels of others were at a level of a third-rate club team, Renaldo Bothma stood out head and shoulders above in the sea of mediocrity.
The scorers:
For the Sharks:
Tries: Marais, Mvovo
Con: Zeilinga
Pen: Zeilinga
For the Western Force:
Pens: Ebersohn 2, Burton
Teams:
Sharks: 15 SP Marais, 14 Odwa Ndungane, 13 JP Pietersen, 12 Andre Esterhuizen, 11 Lwazi Mvovo, 10 Frans Steyn, 9 Conrad Hoffmann, 8 Ryan Kankowski, 7 Jean Deysel (captain), 6 Renaldo Bothma, 5 Marco Wentzel, 4 Mouritz Botha, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 Kyle Cooper, 1 Tendai Mtawarira.
Replacements: 16 Monde Hadebe, 17 Thomas du Toit, 18 Lourens Adriaanse, 19 Lubabalo Mtyanda, 20 Daniel du Preez, 21 Stefan Ungerer, 22 Fred Zeilinga, 23 Waylon Murray.
Western Force: 15 Luke Morahan, 14 Marcel Brache, 13 Kyle Godwin, 12 Luke Burton, 11 Nick Cummins, 10 Sias Ebersohn, 9 Alby Mathewson, 8 Ben McCalman, 7 Kane Koteka, 6 Steve Mafi, 5 Adam Coleman, 4 Sam Wykes (captain), 3 Tetera Faulkner, 2 Nathan Charles, 1 Pekahou Cowan.
Replacements: 16 Heath Tessmann, 17 Chris Heiberg, 18 Oliver Hoskins, 19 Wilhelm Steenkamp, 20 Angus Cottrell, 21 Ian Prior, 22 Zack Holmes, 23 Dane Haylett-Petty.
Referee: Nic Briant (New Zealand)
Assistant referees: Jason Jaftha (South Africa), Quinton Immelman (South Africa)
TMO: Marius Jonker (South Africa)