It may have been a dark day for the Sharks Super Rugby side in Durban on Saturday, but there was a little joy earlier in the day when Jandre Marais led the Sharks XV to a scrappy, but hugely significant, 24-23 win over reigning Vodacom cup champions Western Province in Cape Town.
In a see-sawing match played in tricky conditions, it was the Sharks XV who played the big points better, outscoring their hosts by three tries to two in the process. Having weathered an early storm, made more difficult by the 16th-minute yellow card shown to Marius Joubert, the Sharks XV scored two tries in the first half, through in-form wingers S’bura Sithole and Sizo Maseko. Maseko’s tally now stands at three in two games, leaving him as joint second highest try scorer on the competition table.
Flyhalf Fred Zeilinga converted both tries, with Province counterpart Gary van Aswegen adding three penalties to see the Sharks XV lead 14-9 at the break.
Province started the second half better, edging ahead via a try by Michael van der Spuy, before Zeilinga put the Sharks XV back in front (albeit by a single point) with a penalty kick. An ugly clash of heads between props then saw both Allan Dell and Dylan Rogers red-carded, although the feeling is that the assistant ref may have completely overreacted to an accidental incident in this case. Both teams thus soldiered on with 14 men apiece, before Province appeared to have struck the winning blow, in scoring through number 8 Rayn Smid. That score say them lead by 23 points to 17 as the game entered it’s final 10 minutes.
The last laugh was to belong to the Sharks, though, with two players on opposite ends of the experience scale showing great composure to pull it out of the fire. First was veteran fullback Riaan Viljoen, a real stand-out player on the day, who scored a great try in the 83rd minute to narrow the gap to a single point. Up stepped youngster Zeilinga, who showed his readiness for bigger rugby in slotting the tricky touchline conversion to win the game. Zeilinga remains the competition’s top points scorer and the result maintains the Sharks XV’s position at the top of the South Section log.
The Sharks XV next take on Free State in a home game that will serve as the curtain raiser to Saturday’s Super Rugby clash between the Sharks and the Rebels.
Scores:
Western Province (23): Tries by Michael van der Spuy, Rayn Smid. Conversions: Gary van Aswegen (2). Penalties: van Aswegen (3)
Sharks XV (24): Tries by S’bura Sithole, Sizo Maseko, Riaan Viljoen. Conversions: Fred Zeilinga (3). Penalty: Zeilinga
Nice! The boys are doing good.
so much for joubert showing experience and leading from the front
Who are the Limpopo Blue Bulls?
The Pietersburg (Polokwane) Blue Bulls supporters club.
They are going to get many a klap but well done to them that they can even be playing in the competition.
The Vodacom is supposed to be a breeding ground for youngsters, not has beens like Marius Joubert. One of the Sharks worst buys ever
I have to really question how a guy like Odwa is keeping S’Bura out of Sharks Super Rugby.
@CapeShark (Comment 6) : it’s quite simple. Odwa can catch, pass and tackle. Until S’bura masters those basics, Odwa is going to be ahead of him.
No excuse for Durban based fans not to get to the Park nice and early on Saturday. Catch 2 games of hopefully good rugby. It should be televised as well so hopefully the rest of us can see what the Vodacom Cup team has to offer.
Just a correction to the article. Marius Joubert is the Captain, not Jandre Marais.
The team for Saturday:
1. Dell
2. Hadebe
3. Van Dyk
4. Hay
5. Marais – Peet
6. Majola
7. Stander
8. Mtembu
9. Venter
10 Zeilinga
11 Maseko
12 Williams
13 Joubert
14 Sithole
15 Prinsloo
16 Marais – Franco
17 Mienie
18 Lewies
19 Meyer
20 Ungerer
21 Fisher
22 Van Tonder
@insider (Comment 9) : Thanks for that. Where’s Franna Kleinhans this week?
Good to see Lewies back.
@insider (Comment 9) : you saying Marius captained last week as well? That wasn’t announced…
Marius captained last week as well. Franna has a groin injury but should be back after Easter.