Sharks destroy Boland
2009-09-04 18:09
Wellington - The Sharks returned to winning ways as they thumped the Boland
Cavaliers 48-3 (half-time 19-3) in their Absa Currie Cup match at
Boland Stadium on Friday afternoon.
After winning six matches on the trot in this year’s Currie Cup the
Sharks were brought down to earth last week when they lost 21-9 to Western Province.
However, against a Boland side that has now won just one of their
nine matches, the Durban-based team was able to resurrect their
challenge for a semi-final berth as the win moved them to the top of the
table, on 32 points, with only Province being able to overhaul them
after the rest of the weekend’s fixtures.
The Sharks scored eight tries, with three of them going to
flank Jacques Botes, with captain, and fullback, Stefan Terblanche
creating a number of Sharks’ attacks.
Flyhalf Juan Hernandez also turned in a composed performance,
whether making judicious use of his boot or making use of clever
passing, while the Sharks’ loose trio of Botes, Jean Deysel and Keegan
Daniel put in a mighty effort.
For Boland, fullback Llewellyn Adonis played manfully in a losing cause while scrumhalf Charlie King impressed on his debut.
The Cavaliers put in a stubborn performance and they just about
held their own for 60 minutes of the match against their more
illustrious opponents but, in the end, the Sharks were full value for
their win.
In a match played in cool conditions on a pitch that was heavy
underfoot both sides were prepared to spread the ball around early on
although the match remained scoreless for the first 16 minutes.
The Sharks finally broke the deadlock when they won a lineout
near Boland’s tryline before mauling their way over to score with
eighthman Daniel on hand to apply the finishing touches.
Hernandez missed the conversion attempt but seven minutes later
the visitors extended their lead once again when Sharks’ hooker Craig
Burden intercepted a cut-out pass just outside his own 22.
The stocky Burden, a former centre, had too much pace for his
opponents and he outstripped the cover defence to score under the posts
after a 75-metre run, with Hernandez making no mistake with his second
conversion attempt.
Boland finally troubled the scorers with three minutes
remaining in the first half after the Sharks were penalised for
obstruction 30 metres from their own tryline.
Flyhalf Elgar Watts coolly slotted the penalty from in front of the posts to make the score 12-3 in the Sharks’ favour.
The visitors were not content to rest on their laurels and, in
the dying seconds of the half, they picked up their third try with
Botes scoring out wide after a number of Sharks attacks had been
repulsed by Border.
Hernandez added the extra two points as the Sharks went to the break holding a 19-3 lead.
If the Sharks thought that their impressive first half lead
would guarantee them a try scoring fiesta in the second half they were
to be sorely disappointed as, early on, the second stanza was a scrappy
affair with Boland determined to make a nuisance of themselves at the
breakdown
It took the visitors until the 60th minute before they scored
the bonus point try and it came courtesy of a rolling maul with
scrumhalf Charl McLeod diving over the whitewash for an unconverted
score.
With the bonus point in hand the Sharks finally cut loose and
six minutes later left wing Lwazi Mvovo scored after a flowing backline
move following a scorching break from inside centre Riaan Swanepoel.
To underline their growing dominance the team from Durban
scored another breakout try, this time through Botes, who snatched up a
loose ball to scamper all of 70 metres to dot down under the posts with
10 minutes remaining in the match.
Hernandez was starting to revel in the match situation and he
put in a 30-metre cross kick that found replacement centre Monty Dumond
before Dumond dived over for the Sharks’ seventh try with less than
five minutes remaining.
There was just time remaining for Botes to complete his
hat-trick, after the hooter had sounded, with the flank touching down
under the posts.
Scorers
Boland Cavaliers - Penalty: Elgar Watts.
The Sharks - Tries: Jacques Botes (3), Keegan Daniel, Craig
Burden, Charl McLeod, Lwazi Mvovo, Monty Dumond. Conversions: Juan
Hernandez (3), Riaan Swanepoel.