Feisty Benetton push Sharks all the way in Durban thriller
URC REPORT: The Sharks took a significant step in their quest to qualify for the United Rugby Championship quarterfinals with a thrilling 43-33 bonus-point win over Benetton at Kings Park on Friday.
With the Sharks and Benetton entering Round 17 ranked eighth and ninth on the URC log, points were crucial and it was the home side who were just a bit better in an eventful encounter.
In total, there were 11 tries scored in the match with the Sharks getting six of them. Scrumhalf Grant Williams and wing Makazole Mapimpi both got a brace.
It was the perfect start for Benetton. They applied pressure from the start with ball in hand and after several phases on attack, No.6 Sebastian Negri dived over for a try in the second minute.
Tomas Albornoz added the extra two points with the conversion.
Some poor discipline allowed Benetton back inside the Sharks' half a few minutes later. After a strong driving maul, the ball was given to centre Joaquin Riera who produced a neat flick pass to his midfield partner Ignacio Brex who ran in for the second try. Albornoz once again added the extras with the conversion.
The Sharks finally opened their account in the 15th minute when loose forward Vincent Tshituka crashed over the Benetton tryline from close range after some great carries from his fellow forwards. Flyhalf Curwin Bosch made it a seven-point ball game with his easy conversion.
The Sharks' powerful scrum laid the platform for their second try in the 32nd minute. With Benetton being pushed back near their tryline, scrumhalf Williams picked the ball up and darted through the defence. Bosch levelled the scores with his conversion.
The home side dominated possession in the closing stages of the first half and they had Benetton camped inside their 22, but the home side didn’t have enough patience on attack and they had to settle for a 14-14 scoreline at the break.
Neil Powell's side started the second half in fantastic fashion as they had the Italians on the ropes with some great attacking play. The ball was eventually spread wide to Kolisi who scored his team's third try. Bosch put his side even points in front with a great conversion.
However, that lead was cut a few minutes later when South African fullback Rhyno Smith gathered the ball from his up-and-under before putting the ball wide with a grubber kick. Riera was sprinting on the outside to gather the ball and race away for his team's third try. Albornoz could not convert the try.
It was not long before the home fans had some smiles on their faces again with Williams racing away to score his second try after collecting the ball from a grubber kick by Henry Chamberlain. Bosch gave his team a nine-point lead with the conversion.
But Benetton were not prepared to let the Sharks run away with things and they were in a gain in the 59th minute. After sustained pressure, the ball was spread wide to Edoardo Padovani who ran in for his team's bonus-point try.
Albornoz, from out wide, made it a two-point ball game with a great conversion.
The see-saw nature of the game continued after that with the Sharks scoring their fifth try of the game in the 62nd minute. After drawing in some defends with some big carries in Benetton's 22, the home side sent the ball through the hands and Mapimpi was on hand to finish things off in the corner.
Bosch couldn’t find the direction with his conversion.
The Sharks then put some breathing space between themselves and the Italians when Mapimpi snatched the ball from Benetton in the midfield to race away for his team's sixth try. Bosch made it 40-26 to the Sharks with the conversion.
However, Marco Bortolami's side were not going to lie down and flyhalf Albornoz evaded several defenders to score an incredible try. He converted his own try and it was a seven-point ball game again with 10 minutes left on the clock.
With the clock winding down, Bosch made the game safe for the home side with a penalty.
Player Of the Match
Sharks scrumhalf Grant Williams showed his poaching instincts with two tries. After sniping over from the back of a scrum, Williams' blistering pace saw him reach a chipped kick and leave Benetton defenders for dead.
Play of the Match
There were some outstanding scores amid some high-quality attacking play but none better than Siya Kolisi's second-half effort as the Sharks stretched the Benetton defence left and then right through numerous pairs of hands.
The scorers:
For Sharks:
Tries: Tshituka, Williams 2, Kolisi, Mapimpi 2
Cons Bosch 5
Pen: Bosch
For Benetton:
Tries: Negri, Brex, Riera, Padovani, Albornoz
Cons: Albornoz 4
Teams:
Sharks: 15 Henry Chamberlain, 14 Werner Kok, 13 Lukhanyo Am, 12 Ben Tapuai, 11 Makazole Mapimpi, 10 Curwin Bosch, 9 Grant Williams, 8 Sikhumbuzo Notshe, 7 Vincent Tshituka, 6 Siyamthanda Kolisi (captain), 5 Gerbrandt Grobler, 4 Hyron Andrews, 3 Thomas du Toit, 2 Mbongeni Mbonambi, 1 Retshegofaditswe Nché.
Replacements: 16 Kerron van Vuuren, 17 Ntuthuko Mchunu, 18 Carlü Sadie, 19 Jeandre Labuschagne, 20 Phendulani Buthelezi, 21 Cameron Wright, 22 Marnus Potgieter, 23 Thaakir Abrahams.
Benetton: 15 Rhyno Smith, 14 Edoardo Padovani, 13 Ignacio Brex, 12 Joaquin Riera, 11 Marcus Watson, 10 Tomas Albornoz, 9 Dewaldt Duvenage (captain), 8 Lorenzo Cannone, 7 Michele Lamaro, 6 Sebastian Negri, 5 Federico Ruzza, 4 Niccolò Cannone, 3 Tiziano Pasquali, 2 Giacomo Nicotera, 1 Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro.
Replacements: 16 Siua Maile, 17 Thomas Gallo, 18 Filippo Alongi, 19 Riccardo Favretto, 20 Manuel Zuliani, 21 Alessandro Garbisi, 22 Jacob Umaga, 23 Marco Zanon.
Referee: Ben Whitehouse (Wales)
Assistant referees: Morne Ferreira (South Africa), Stephan Geldenhuys (South Africa)
TMO: Jon Mason (Wales)
Additional source: @URCOfficial