The first big game of the day.Griquas know that they really need to win this game in order to progress to the semi-finals. They only need two log points to shut the Cheetahs out, but their chances of scoring four tries and still losing, yet by fewer than 8 points don’t look great. They’re going to be going all out to shock the star-studded Sharks team, just as they’ve done to WP and Free State on this very field in 2009.
For the Sharks, the equation is simple. Win the game, score four tries and then hope like hell that the Lions manage to keep Province out in Johannesburg. It’s an all-or-nothing for the Sharks, because whether they win the game without a bonus point, or lose it, they’ll still end second and face the Bulls in the semi. That is a scenario that everybody wants to avoid, it would seem.
Kick-off in Kimberley is at 15h00.
Teams:
Griquas: 15 Riaan Viljoen, 14 Bjorn Basson, 13 Jaco Bekker, 12 Barry Geel, 11 Trompie Nontshinga, 10 Naas Olivier, 9 Sarel Pretorius, 8 Jonathan Mokuena (captain), 7 Davon Raubenheimer, 6 Wesley Wilkins, 5 Jacques Lombaard, 4 Cecil Kemp, 3 Ruaan du Preez, 2 Ryno Barnes, 1 Albertus Buckle.
Replacements: 16 Dries Kruger, 17 Drew van Coller, 18 Brendon Snyman, 19 Rohan Kitshoff/Heinrich Stride, 20 Donald Stevens, 21 Wilmaure Louw, 22 Gavin Passens.
The Sharks: 15 Stefan Terblanche (captain), 14 Odwa Ndungane, 13 Adrian Jacobs, 12 Riaan Swanepoel, 11 JP Pietersen, 10 Juan Hernandez, 9 Ruan Pienaar, 8 Ryan Kankowski, 7 Michael Rhodes, 6 Keegan Daniel, 5 Alistair Hargreaves, 4 Steven Sykes, 3 John Smit, 2 Bismarck du Plessis, 1 Tendai Mtawarira.
Replacements: 16 Craig Burden, 17 Jannie du Plessis, 18 Albert van den Berg, 19 Jean Deysel, 20 Rory Kockott, 21 Andries Strauss, 22 Waylon Murray.
Referee: Mark Lawrence
Assistant referees: Gareth Lloyd-Jones, Lourens van der Merwe
TMO: Shaun Veldsman
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GO SHAAAAAARKS 😆
if the sharks want to be CC Champs they need to beat bulls. does it really matter whether do it in semis or a final.
Come Sharkies! Do me proud!
I predict that the required expansive game that Kwasse will be expected to play will allow us some space to score our bonus point tries. 😎
Kwasse looking enterprising up front and ALMOST score under the posts. 😯
😯 Viljoen does a Frans from 5m from the touch line and 5m inside his own half and slots a droppie. 😯
Kwasse 3 – 0 Sharks
Sharks drill Kwasse in the first scrum.
Off the back of that scrum it goes through the hands with ST on the end of it and he dummies for the line. 😎
Ru kicks the conversion from 7m out from right touch line. 😎
Kwasse 3 – 7 Sharks 6 mins.
Keegs gets blown up for being ahead of the kicker. Kick is about 13 m from left touch line 30m out. Viljoen slots it.
Kwasse 6 – 7 Sharks
Now Ruan is blown for being ahead of the kicker but it’s in the Kwasse 22 so no damage.
WHAT A TRY!!!!!
From our 22 and a quick turnover, Adi eventually gets it on the right wing and runs it up to just after the Kwasse 22 and toes it forward for Ru to snaffle it and fall over the line. 😎
Converted from an easy position.
Kwasse 6 – 14 Sharks
Interestingly Sharks have only got 41% possession at this point. 😯
GO SHARKS straight to a home final we go!!! 😀
Penalty for Kwasse pulling the maul down. ST takes the penalty. WTH? We need 4 tries and we cannot lose our current spot to the Bulls. Stupid decision which is paid in kind with Ruan missing. 🙄
They learnt their lesson for not kicking the penalties last week I see. 😆
Sharks looking alot more fluid this week.
Penalty for Mokuena not releasing. Now ST goes for the lineout.
Another penalty for a Griqua going of his feet.
Try Japes off a clever grubber through from Adi cross field! TMO approves!
@klempie (Comment 19) : That grubber was very similar to the one Barney did against the ABs.
And Ru converts from 5m from the left touch line.
Kwasse 6 – 21 Sharks 22 mins.
Kwasse score with some very slick passing from just inside the Sharks half.
Geel over the line. Naas converts from 5m from the right touch and it is a SHOCKER.
Kwasse 11 – 21 Sharks 25 mins.
Adi jou biskut!
AND BONUS POOOOOOOOINT!!!!
Bis gets pushed over after Kwasse duff up the kick off. Man, we’re playing well. Although it should be said that the Kwasse aren’t looking very good either.
Ru converts from 8m from the left touchline. Wow, where was this kicking during the Lions series? 😕
Kwasse 11 – 28 Sharks. 27 mins.
Hey klemps the kick wernt that bad. It was in the middle of the poles… Only one were the corner pole!
Wow, we are really drilling them. Trying to make up the PD on WP at this point may not be out of the question. The PD to Province was 43 at the start of the game. It’s now down to 26.
Bis has gone off after hurting himself when he grounded the try. Hopefully not serious. Barney is on.
@Rahul (Comment 26) : Howzit boet. 3 of the four conversions have been tricky. He was missing easier ones for the Boks.
Damn, I hope we haven’t just lost Bis for the season…
@klempie (Comment 27) : Barney has always been on. Burden replaced Bis 😉
@robdylan (Comment 29) : He looked sore but not upset boet so I think it might be okay.
@robdylan (Comment 30) : Then Suipgat Blades cocked up. 😉
Odd One misses a breadbasket opportunity to basically fall over the line with the ball after one of the Kwasse fumbles the ball in front of the line.
Unlucky. Ruan kicks the ball 75m over the dead ball line. 🙁
Hargo and Rhodes both looking good
OMW!!! LOL! The Kwasse with 4 okes on an empty line knock the ball on. ON GE LUKKIIIIIIG
we’ve gone to sleep already – you can see it
HT Kwasse 11 – 28 Sharks.
First objective accomplished with the BP now they must see if they can open it up and score 26+ unanswered points.
@klempie (Comment 36) : FORRR KENNNNNN DOMMMMM
@klempie (Comment 38) : somehow I just don’t see it. I reckon we’ll shut up shop here, bloody dangerous against these guys. They refuse to realise when they’re beaten
Basson and Viljoen would be great acquisitions…
@robdylan (Comment 37) : I don’t see that.
@robdylan (Comment 40) : Ideal scenario would be to let them have four tries and lose within 7 and then hope the Lions can deny Province 5 points. But as you say, way too risky.
i have two observations so far, if this game finishes as a bonus point win for the Sharks, then the wp-lions game will have so much more riding on it, also gareth lloyd-jones looks like he will become an excellent referee
send Jannie on at looseheed for the second half. Can’t risk Beast missing next week
@robdylan (Comment 41) : im sure i heard that basson is heading pretoria’s way and i doubt viljoen will move to Sharks coz of too much competition
@robdylan (Comment 45) : Beast is off and Jannie is on.
@klempie (Comment 47) : Jannie’s at tighthead though. Seems stupid. 😕
Smit at 1 now – mistake
i read some more transfer news in the star today, apparently both jonothan mokuena and marius delport are heading to the lions, maybe the Lions will need another no.8 after losing their incumbent, just a thought 😉
Burdeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeen!!
The loosies just crunch the Kwasse all the way up to the line with Craig finishing off.
Rob what was that you said about falling asleep? 😕
Ru misses.
Kwasse 11 – 33 Sharks.
imagine how well we’d be doing if Kanko had actually pitched today 🙂
wow, but Basson is a goofy-looking fellow 🙂
Damnit man. Geel over and converted.
Kwasse 16 – 33 Sharks 46 mins.
PD to WP is noooooow 28.
@klempie (Comment 51) : hmmmm
Sharks! Whats the point difference between us and that cape side?
my word, but Viljoen has the mother and father of all big boots
@Rahul (Comment 56) : See 54.
@klempie (Comment 58) : Make that 23… 🙄
We need wee pee not to score a bonus point then! Never mind geel… Im starting to see red! Wtf?
time to start playing again, boys…
@klempie (Comment 59) : Whoops. I mean 33…
@klempie (Comment 62) : Naas puts the PD to Province up to 35 with the conversion.
What about the sharks letting griquas slip into fourth plays so that they can play them again in the semis… 😕
WHAT
Craig jou doring!!!
A
TRYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY
Lovely flip pass from Ru to Burds to finish that off.
PD to Province back down to 28. Kwasse within 5 metres now.
I know what’s gonna happen here 🙂
PD to Province back up to 33 now… 🙄 soft try
Did you see the concentration on burdens face while trying to hold onto that pass! Hehe
Naas misses the conversion.
Kwasse 30 – 40 Sharks
OK now I think we must definitely try and let them finish within 7! 😆
Bonus point 1 of 2 for Griquas??
@robdylan (Comment 70) : Tell us. 🙂
look the shaks need to defend much better if we wanna win this thing 😯
@mbayshark (Comment 74) : They only get the second one if they finish within 7 of us…and don’t beat us. 😉
A Ru penalty pings off the cross bar winning us a scrum for a knock on.
What a super try!! 😛
OK the PD to Province is down to 28. lol. I’m struggling to keep up.
kanko with a walk-in try, good interplay 😀
@klempie (Comment 77) : Jip maybe we can let them through for a few tries towards the end. Its all in our hands now 😆
Kwasse 30 – 45 Sharks
@klempie (Comment 79) : i think all that will matter is if wp get a bp or not, save urself the maths
Our defense is diabolical. We will never win the CC like this.
@war1 (Comment 83) : Lions to kick some WP but
crazy game this. Loving it!
the kwasse have had an epic season, but im not sure they deserve a semi spot
@mbayshark (Comment 85) : that would be awesome!
Hargs goes off – my man of the match
can somebody please SHOOT FUCKING SAREL PRETORIUS
@war1 (Comment 87) : Exactly. Which is why we want to face them in a semi.
@robdylan (Comment 90) : sorry – my bad. Need to calm down
lots of discussions in the shark camp…
Sharks do the business. What I expected.
@war1 (Comment 87) : Exactly. Which is why we want to have them in a semi.
Swannie – what a player 🙂
@robdylan (Comment 86) : How many tries? Must be at least 10. 😎
@robdylan (Comment 90) : he is a good player, reminds me of jano vermaak
@mbayshark (Comment 93) : talkative guys 🙂
@robdylan (Comment 96) : too true
@robdylan (Comment 92) : No problem. It’s happened to the best of us. Nice to you reprimanding yourself and the hypocrisy levels are waning. 😉
Come on Kwasse!
Kockott is passing!!! 😯
So States make the semis. 😐
giving Griquas teh points they need here is too risky, given that we don’t know if we’ll end up playing them 🙂
@McLovin (Comment 104) : I know. I almost want Province to get their BP win now. 😐
@war1 (Comment 103) : I nearly fainted
@klempie (Comment 106) : You’d rather play the Bulls than the States? 😯
@robdylan (Comment 105) : They can’t score 15 points in 3 mins dude. 🙄
@McLovin (Comment 108) : the bulls did not look impressive last night
@McLovin (Comment 108) : We’ll have to play them regardless. With our record against the Cheetahs, I’d rather let Province deal with them.
GO Lions 😈
@war1 (Comment 110) : Might be, but a semi against them will be a different kettle of fish.
@klempie (Comment 111) : Let Province deal with the Cheetahs I mean.
Well, that’s it. Well done Kwasse. Would have liked to see you in the semis. Good season. Tough luck.
FT Kwasse 30 – 45 Sharks
sorry for kwasse, well done to the states and come on lions!!
Hey I just realised. My pre-season prediction of the Lions finishing in the bottom 3? Bang on. 😆
@klempie (Comment 111) : I see. Well you guys beat the Bulls then and we beat the Cheetahs.
we’d better not give away so many soft tries next weekend
Adi MoM
adi is mom, i thought he played very well
Extremely well done to The Griquas for coming this far and this close, well done. Well done Sharks with the win. 😀 GO LIONS!!!