The final Currie Cup match, and curtain raiser for the Boks game later this evening, the Bulls host the Sharks at Loftus.
The Bulls have made a few changes to their team, with Dewald Potgieter starting after missing last week and Johann Sadie getting his first taste of Currie Cup action this year. The forward pack is one of the more experienced units in this year’s Currie Cup, and should be difficult for the Sharks to get the upper hand.
The Sharks themselves have made a few changes, with Meyer Bosman ruled out through injury and replaced by the evergreen Marius Joubert. In the front row, Monde Hadebe makes his first start in the Black and White, and will come under pressure from the big Willie Wepener from early in this match.
This will be an epic clash, but I fear the Sharks will lose their unbeaten tag this evening, with the Bulls pack simply too strong for the inexperienced Sharks unit.
Blue Bulls: 15 Jürgen Visser, 14 Akona Ndungane, 13 Johann Sadie, 12 Francois Venter, 11 Clayton Blommetjies, 10 Louis Fouché, 9 Ruan Snyman, 8 Dewald Potgieter (captain), 7 CJ Stander, 6 Deon Stegmann, 5 Grant Hattingh, 4 Wilhelm Steenkamp, 3 Werner Kruger, 2 Willie Wepener, 1 Dawie Steyn
Replacements: 16 Robbie Coetzee, 17 Frik Kirsten, 18 Cornell Hess, 19 Arno Botha, 20 Rudi Paige, 21 Lionel Cronjé, 22 Jan Serfontein
Sharks: 15. Louis Ludik, 14. Odwa Ndungane, 13. Paul Jordaan, 12. Marius Joubert, 11. S’bura Sithole, 10. Riaan Viljoen, 9. Charl McLeod, 8. Jacques Botes, 7. Jean Deysel (Captain), 6. Francois Kleinhans, 5. Anton Bresler, 4. Steven Sykes, 3. Wiehahn Herbst, 2. Monde Hadebe, 1. Dale Chadwick
Replacements: 16. Franco Marais, 17. Julian Redelinghuys, 18. Jandre Marais, 19. Lubabalo “Tera” Mtembu, 20. Brynard Stander, 21. Cobus Reinach, 22. Gouws Prinsloo
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Come on SHHHAAARRRRKKKKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
nou die swart en wit
This is gonna be another tight game….
I have a feeling that the Bulls are going to bring it…
Bloues already making excuses…..
lets do it Sharks…..
Not a good start by the Sharks….
Mcload fielding teh kickoff and passing it out behind the deadball line after pressure by Akona…
5 meter scrum Bulls
penalty for the Bulls
Fouche PK
Bulls 3 – 0 Shark
2 min
Bulls win scrum and take the ball up…
Sharks penalised and Bulls lead 3 – 0 after 1 min
Odwa so close
Anyone have a live feed?
Another kick-off fielded by Mcload under pressure by Blommetjies this time…
Shjarks recover, take the ball up but the tackle changes into a mall and the Bulls gets the scrum when the ball goes to ground…
Bulls play the ball…however the Deysel touches the ball in a tackle…
Double knock on….
Bulls scrum…
Bulls play from the back of the scrum….Bulls 15 (Visser) breaks clean through but lost the ball (backwards) in the next step…
The ball bounces around until the bulls knock on about 7 meters from the Sharks line…(no one was able to field the ball from the Visser loss)…
Sharks win scrum and kick out on 10 meter (Sharks half) by Viljoen
@Hmmm (Comment 14) : Shot for the updates. Great job.
A bit of a to and fro game…
Some nice moments from both sides…no team dominating
Both teams making good with running the ball, just to many knocks……
Sharks scrum looking solid….
Mcload creating some trouble for the Bulls scrummy at the back of the Bulls scrum….stealing one…but nothing coming from it…
@Pablo Dinero (Comment 15) :
Sure…but I do get lost in the play every now and again…so if it seems like the updates are coming slow…just know that I am watching…
Sharks lost their first lineout…
Monde (Sharks 2) looking lively in the loose but jury still out on the more important basics…
@Hmmm (Comment 20) : Of course. No worries. Thanks anyway
Bulls spreading the ball to the wings for the 4th/5th time in the game…tackled well by Sithole (much better defender than Mvovo)
Bulls play ball down the line to the middle of the field…Sharks no 6 come in from the side at a ruck…Bulls go for goal and slot…
Fouche PK
Bulls 6 – 0 Shark
16min
Bulls 6 – 0 Sharks (16 min)
Fouche with a drop goal from half line… missed
Venter and Sadie looking good for the Bulls in the midfield breaking through tackles…
Fouche going for a drop from the halfway line…clears easily but just-just off to the side…
Found a stream for anyone who wants http://www.thefirstrow.eu/watch/137072/1/watch-golden-lions-vs-western-province.html
Paul knocks in open play….. ai
Sharks sending the ball down the line…from side to side…making good ground…
Had a great opportunity out to the right…but Jordaan knocks a easy ball…
Bulls scrum….
Deysellllllllllll
Viljoen sends an up and under…
Great pressure by Ludik…Akona knocks…Ludik picks up the ball from 1 bounce and overhead pass to the Sharks 4 for a try…
Viljoen converts
Great hands by Ludik(best SA fb by far)……
After the Deysel score
Bulls 6 – 7 Sharks
I have to admit I thought Viljoen had butchered it with the kick, but it turned out to be great
Bulls 6 – 7 Sharks
23 min
Penalty against Monde straight in front of the posts…
Bulls going for goal…
Penalty straight in front…. bulls
Slotted…
Bulls 9 – 7 Sharks
Fouche PK
Bulls 9 – 7 Shark
25 min
Peyper not gepla met high tackles……
aaaaaahgggggggg
Big kick by Fouch off the penalty. From 22 to 22
Odwa put in a huge tackle and stays down
Paul timing with passing not good tonight….
Damn that pass to Sithole was a shocker!!
geez this nr 10,s CAN kick……..
Wow what a kick by blommetjies
Fouche drop gaol from 55 meters out
Fouche DG
Bulls 12 – 7 Shark
38 min
Good long range drop. 12 – 7
Lest hope the sharks 3rd quarter magic comes through again
That should have been a yellow for sure…
dirty brerry bulls
Mcloed in for a try,
TMO for forward pass….
Justice I would say
Great strike just on half time 12 – 12 conversion to come
Both posts? Thats impressive
@Franshark (Comment 55) : agreed. So, bit lucky the sharks have a 2 point lead, but they have been dangerous when they havent spilled the ball.
the ball bounces off both poles and goes over
Bulls 12 – 14 Shark
HT
@Pablo Dinero (Comment 58) : both teams looking dangerous on attack, Shark setting up lots of oppertunitys, have to finish them in the 2nd half
@Pablo Dinero (Comment 57) : darn I’m not watching on the pvr so can rewind to see that again….
2nd half….
Fouche with a loooooong kick
Bulls 15 – 14 Sharks
43 min
Sharks lucky to be this close…
The 2nd try had two very debatable errors…obstruction and forward pass…however it was awarded…
The Fouche drop kick should also not have been…the Sharks never put pressure on the kick…Monde even stopped moving forward….
Sharks also lost 3 lineouts…seems Burden is a huge loss for the Sharks…
Hmmm… bit of a long attempt..
Great kick by Viljoen….
Bulls 15 – 17 Sharks (47 min)
Geez and nails it
Viljoen now takes a 53 meter PK
over
Bulls 15 – 17 Sharks
47 min
Penalty for the bulls straight in front
and then the sharks give 3 straight back..
Fouche with a PK
Bulls 18 – 17 Sharks
49 min
Lead changes hands again…
Bulls 18 – 17 Sharks (49 min)
CJ Stander in with a good score….
Poor play and defense by sharks. Very poor
And great play from Blommetjies that started a move…
Ball goes the the far side…Bulls get out wide…Sithole has enough pace to cover…but the Bulls had an extra player in Stander to take the inside ball…
Try!!!!
Fouche converts
Bulls 25 – 17 Sharks
51 min
Converted….
Bulls 25 – 17 Sharks (50 min)
Marius Joubert and Paul Jordaan gave up on the play. Thye should have stayed with the Bulls centers.
Blommeties is really playing well….
Really impressed…of all the new wings I have seen…he looks like a talent…
Sharks need to score next
@Hmmm (Comment 80) : Agreed. He gets involved and has good skills
Penalty for the Sharks …. quick tap
Ludik def the best Shark on the field today…
He really found some form this year…
Joubert over like a prop….
Joubert scores….
Kick to come
Nice by the old man. Clawing their way back in
Viljoen converts
Bulls 25 – 24 Sharks
57 min
Converted…
Bulls 25 – 24 Sharks (56 min)
Cobus on
.
@Franshark (Comment 85) : we’ve been playing him out of postion
What the…..
@durbsguy (Comment 92) :
What was the penalty for??
Fouche PK( for whatever)
Bulls 28 – 24 Sharks
60 min
Sharks into bulls 22, line out….
That was a shocker
Peyper now trying his best for the bulls…
A golden opportunity wasted. Cant stuff up lineouts 5m from the opponents tryline
Arno in for a try under the post….
Thats going to be the game lads… pity, but again poor under the high ball.
Fouche converts
Bulls 35 – 24 Sharks
64 min
Virtually a 14 point swing. Sharks were 5m from the Bulls line, then less than 60 secs later, the Bulls are in under the posts…
At last Peyper calls a high tackle…
And that seals it
Venter in from a Botes knock……
Sharks getting a hiding now….
Fouche converts
Bulls 42 – 24 Sharks
70 min
JUSTICE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks tvforward-pass ref Coetzee
McLeod has been pathetic today. Jordaan and Kleynhans very selfish play.
Shell I say…. another lost line out…..
@diablo (Comment 108) : hahahahaha!!!!!!!!
@diablo (Comment 108) :
Are you drunk?
@Big Fish (Comment 112) :
his thanking the wrong rev 
( now I sound like a bull)
Not yet, but this is cause for CELEBRATION
Good scrum worth nothing…..
Sharks over, searching for a bonus point…. tmo
no try, penalty advantage….
Odwa over for the BP try…..
Viljoen converts
Bulls 42 – 31 Sharks
FT
Great game…
Players that impressed:
Bulls:
Blommetjies played very well, Stander played very well, and Fouche was accurate…
Sharks:
Ludik was good at everything, that replacement scrumhalf
Bulls played some stonking rugby in the second half. All changed when Rudi Paige came on… what a prospect
@Hmmm (Comment 120) : Dale Chadwick? Best player for the Sharks tonight
Players that did not play well:
Sharks….
Botes (passed his sell by date), Monde Hadebe (but he is lively in the loose), Mthembu (replaced a poor Botes and was poorer)…
@robdylan (Comment 122) :
Yip and him…don’t think the best though…think Ludik did a lot…was very prevalent in almost all the Sharks tries…
Thought Monde was quite impressive …..
I got all the points on Superbru for a change…
@Hmmm (Comment 124) : ludik was great, Sykes too had a good game, seriuosly worried about our line-outs…..
Who was the tv ref?
@robdylan (Comment 122) : Much iomproved performance tonight by Dale Rob i must agree
A few other players also had a great evening, Must say with 18 players out these young Sharks are showing grit, i didnt think we would win tonight and had said so in the week, but i am impressed that even though they lost this time round a much better showing
I think the biggest impact in the Sharks side was the loss of Burden….
Burden been on good form and Monde was like waaaaaaaaaay behind where Burden is…Monde was lively in the loose…but no Burden….
At least Burden does the basics well and also tough in the tight game…Monde was terrible in those cases…lost 4/5 Sharks lineouts….game a few penalties away…not made ANY impact at the ruck….
I jumped 105 places in the Sharksworld pool…..lol
Just shows how terrible I did in the first 2 weeks…
Some relatively OK referring tonight… Thought the obstruction on dysel was a bit poor but everything else was encouraging …
@Hmmm (Comment 130) : Yeah Hmmm, but what can we do like i said we have in total 18 players out, Monde thrown into the deep end and tried his best , he will get there, remember the other hooker thats also injured thaat is very good is Kyle Cooper
@Hmmm (Comment 130) :
Can’t really blame Monde for the lineout losses … Lineouts take time to develop and he probably only had 2 practices this week throwing in….
Better luck next week sharks
@byron (Comment 135) : I said the same on another blog, very poor
The Sharks needed the power and aggression of Kyle Cooper!
@sharks_lover (Comment 133) : @byron (Comment 134) :
Monde been part of the side for some time…but yes early days…
Just saying…he was the biggest gap from the team last week…