Sharks win dour SA derby
The Sharks remain on course for a play-off spot after they beat the Cheetahs 26-10 at Kings Park Saturday.
What a difference a prop makes. When much loved Coenie Oosthuizen was at tighthead, he suffered mightily at the strength of Ox Nche and the Sharks scrum had a torrid time, penalised five times apart from the humiliation and detrimental effect it had on the whole side. Just after the second half started Lourens Adriaanse swayed onto the field and after that it was the Sharks' scrum that was dominant, the Cheetahs were penalised twice at scrums, and the whole Sharks team was a much better bet.
What a difference a prop makes!
But Adriaanse did not rescue the whole game which was at best a patchy affair which leaves more room for controversy than great discussion or memories.
The rain stopped but the field was still damp but it did not seem to stop backs from standing wide apart and may not be entirely to blame for bounce passes, wonky catching and losing the ball in a tackle. Unusually for modern rugby there were as many scrums as line-outs.
Early on the Sharks went through 10 phases, each phase consisting of one pass. And then they lost their captain Tendai Mtawarira for slapping opposing prop Max van Dyk. The Cheetahs kicked the subsequent penalty out for a six-metre line-out and, remarkable as it may seem, they did not maul. They went wide left where Raymond Rhule had an unimpeded path to the corner. Fred Zeilinga, an expat Shark, converted. 7-0 after 17 minutes.
Two minutes later Oupa Mahoje was penalised for a high tackle on André Esterhuizen and Garth April goaled. 7-3.
Clayton Blommetjies pushed through a clever grubber which Keegan Daniel dived on but carried over his goal-line for a five-metre scrum, setting in motion a series of five five-metre scrums to the Cheetahs, four of which were penalised as the Cheetahs shoved ahead and the Sharks were adjudged guilty of collapsing. In the second scrum the Cheetahs actually moved about three metres ahead and a case could be made for awarding a penalty try. Be that as it may, the fifth scrum collapsed without infringement, the ball was loose and the surprised Cheetahs lost control of it when Zeilinga passed to ground and so the Sharks escaped from bondage.
From a line-out the Cheetahs went wide but the Sharks won a turnover and Esterhuizen sped down the right and Sibusiso Sithole kicked ahead to relieve the pressure.
Sergeal Petersen counterattacked and kicked ahead but Rhyno Smith beat him to the touchdown.
Then, unusually, the Sharks got over the half-way line. They had a scrum at which the Cheetahs were freekicked for engaging too quickly. Philip can der Walt, the Sharks eighthman, an expat Cheetah, tapped and the Sharks raced left. The ball went to JP Pietersen, playing at outside centre, and he cut back inside past his marker and scored as Sergeal Petersen and Francois Venter tried in vain to stop him. April converted. 10-7 to the Sharks after 35 minutes - the half-time score.
Where the Cheetahs had dominated territory and possession in the first half, the second half belonged to the Sharks - with a little bit of luck in the mix - though it did not look so at the start, for Van der Walt dropped the kick-off and then Franco Marais was penalised a tackle and Zeilinga made the score 10-all after 41 minutes.
It was then that Adriaanse came on and the Sharks took over the scrums.
Two April penalties, both at scrums, took the Sharks into the lead at 16-10 after 58 minutes.
The referee was playing a penalty advantage to the Cheetahs inside their own half. They had a few passes and had advanced about 12 metres when he called advantage over as Zeilinga passed to his left and Stefan Ungerer, the Sharks substitute scrumhalf, intercepted and ran 42 metres to score at the posts. And the Sharks led 23-10 after 63 minutes. The Cheetahs felt it a bitter blow.
The Sharks were close to scoring soon afterwards when Esterhuizen won a turnover in his own half and the Sharks attacked. Pietersen kicks a long kick infield and it was rolling to the posts. Francois Venter of the Cheetahs was there first but he could not pick up the perverse ball and neither could Keegan Daniel of the Sharks and so, somehow, the Cheetahs survived.
The Sharks made an interesting substitution soon after when they replaced young Rhyno Smith with younger Curwin Bosch.
When Johan Coetzee of the Cheetahs was penalised for collapsing a maul, April was again brilliantly on target, making it 26-10 with 11 minutes to play. This was the final score though the Sharks came closer to scoring again than did the Cheetahs.
It was not a scintillating match but it did greatly improve the Sharks' chances of making the quarterfinals..
Man of the Match: You thought of Francois Venter, Francois Uys and Ox Nche of the Cheetahs, all of whom did great things for their side. Then you thought of the Sharks and the change that Lourens Adriaanse made, and Garth April for his goal-kicking and kicking out of hand, and the strong performances by centre André Esterhuizen and Stephan Lewies and in the end you decide on the man who tackled, carried and was every present and busy - Philip van der Walt.
The scorers:
For Sharks:
Tries: Pietersen, Ungerer
Cons: April 2
Pens: April 4
For Cheetahs:
Try: Rhule
Con: Zeilinga
Pen: Zeilinga
Yellow card: Tendai Mtawarira (Sharks, 16 - foul play, slapping an opponent)
Teams:
Sharks: 15 Rhyno Smith, 14 Sibusiso Sithole, 13 Jon-Paul Pietersen, 12 Andre Esterhuizen, 11 Lwazi Mvovo, 10 Garth April, 9 Michael Claassens, 8 Philip van der Walt, 7 Jean-Luc du Preez, 6 Keegan Daniel, 5 Stephan Lewies, 4 Etienne Oosthuizen, 3 Coenie Oosthuizen, 2 Franco Marais, 1 Tendai Mtawarira (captain).
Replacements: 16 Chiliboy Ralepelle, 17 Thomas du Toit, 18 Lourens Adriaanse, 19 Ruan Botha, 20 Lubabalo Mtembu, 21 Stefan Ungerer, 22 Heimar Williams, 23 Curwin Bosch.
Cheetahs: 15 Clayton Blommetjies, 14 Sergeal Petersen, 13 Francois Venter (captain), 12 Michael van der Spuy, 11 Raymond Rhule, 10 Fred Zeilinga, 9 Shaun Venter, 8 Paul Schoeman, 7 Teboho Mohoje, 6 Uzair Cassiem, 5 Francois Uys, 4 Carl Wegner, 3 Nicolaas van Dyk, 2 Torsten van Jaarsveld, 1 Retshegofaditswe Nche.
Replacements: 16 Joseph Dweba, 17 Charles Marais, 18 Johan Coetzee, 19 Reniel Hugo, 20 Henco Venter, 21 Tian Meyer, 22 George Whitehead, 23 William Small-Smith.
Referee: Stuart Berry (South Africa)
Assistant referees: Rasta Rasivhenge (South Africa), Archie Sehlako (South Africa)
TMO: Shaun Veldsman (South Africa)