The first semi final today sees the Sharks hosting the Bulls in Durban, a match that the Bulls did not think they would be taking part in with a few weeks to go in the regular season, but with good results in the final weeks they have managed to squeeze into the play-offs.
The Sharks have held back on making wholesale changes since the return of the Springbok players, opting to utilise the experience from the bench, with Beast Mtawarira and Willem Alberts sure to have a huge effect in the second half. This does give the players who have gotten the Sharks this far to get the experience of playing in playoff rugby, something that could come in handy during the Super Rugby season.
The Bulls have gone about things completely differently, relying on their Springboks to bolster their team and force their way into the playoffs, looking for one more good performance from the tired Boks to get them into the final next weekend. The battle between Morne Steyn and Pat Lambie should epic, as is almost every other one on one match up.
Sharks: 15 Louis Ludik, 14 JP Pietersen, 13 Paul Jordaan, 12 Tim Whitehead, 11 Lwazi Mvovo, 10 Pat Lambie, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Keegan Daniel (captain), 7 Jean Deysel, 6 Marcell Coetzee, 5 Anton Bresler, 4 Jandré Marais, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 Kyle Cooper, 1 Dale Chadwick.
Replacements: 16 Craig Burden, 17 Tendai Mtawarira, 18 Wiehahn Herbst, 19 Steven Sykes/Peet Marais, 20 Willem Alberts, 21 Charl McLeod, 22 Meyer Bosman.
Blue Bulls: 15 Zane Kirchner, 14 Akona Ndungane, 13 JJ Engelbrecht, 12 Francois Venter, 11 Bjorn Basson, 10 Morné Steyn, 9 Jano Vermaak, 8 Arno Botha, 7 Jacques Potgieter, 6 Dewald Potgieter (captain), 5 Juandrè Kruger, 4 Flip van der Merwe, 3 Werner Kruger, 2 Willie Wepener, 1 Morné Mellett.
Replacements: 16 Chiliboy Ralepelle, 17 Frik Kirsten, 18 Wilhelm Steenkamp, 19 CJ Stander, 20 Francois Hougaard, 21 Louis Fouché, 22 Dean Greyling.
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GO SHARKS
Weather report for us in Gauteng please?
@Bite me (Comment 2) : It’s cloudy and rainy in Pretoria. 😉
Sharks u21 13-14 WP u21
4min to go
And we SCORE!! Du Toit over!
Conversion missed. 18-14 to the Sharks.
78min
WP score in the final minute. They will advance to the final…
FT Sharks u21 18-19 WP u21
Absolute heartbreak for the youngsters!
@Argex (Comment 9) :
PROVINCE!!!
Got to feel for Sharkies though. Two extremely good U21 teams. Toss of the coin decided it really.
@Argex (Comment 9) :
Any idea why Cheslin Kolbe took over kicking duties from Timo Swiel?
Had a bloody shocker by the look of it.
Flippin stupid play from the U21’s. They deserved to lose for trying to wind the clock down in their own 22. All that was needed was a kick to touch and contest the line-out around the half way mark.
Pieter Stef is going to be huge for the Sharks in the near future.
Sharks Forever!!!
What happened with the u/19s?
Go Sharks!
Why’s Hougaard on the bench? 😐
Ping pong stuff atm.
Ludik you beaut.
Penalty Sharks. Bulls not binding in the scrum. Lambie going from long on a wet field. 😕
Short.
Sharks keeping it in hand now and looking dangerous.
Keegs stabs one through. It bobbles into touch. Bulls throwing in 7m from their own line.
Ah man. The ball is so slippery.
Bulls into Sharks territory for the first time in ages. But Sharks steal it back.
anybody got a good site to stream from, vipbox not working too well???
Bulls killing the Sharks scrum.
Lambie puts one out on the full. Bulls lineout on our 10m.
The Bulls are very physical…Sharks doing well to scramble…but how much can they take?
First Sharks scrum coming up I believe.
Sharks back in Bulls territory.
Sharks looking dangerous, and then handling lets them down again.
Crowd enjoying Whitehead scragging Sideshow.
Sharks have 66% territory.
Bulls offsides. Penalty from long again. I’m not confident given the conditions.
It’s there! Well done Pat.
Sharks 3 – 0 Bulls
21 mins
Sharks drill the Bulls in the scrum and win a penalty in the middle of the field.
Lineout on the 22.
@klempie (Comment 37) : ..which the Bulls steal.
But Steyn carries it back into the 22, and Steyn puts it out on the full. 😆
Hell we are making a lot of mistakes 🙁
@JarsonX (Comment 39) : Yeh but I can’t blame them. They’re trying to play ball-in-hand with a bar of soap.
Which Shark farted his shorts to shreds?
@JarsonX (Comment 41) : Chadwick 😛
Morne kicking better the last 2 games…
@klempie (Comment 40) : True
@JarsonX (Comment 42) :
Sharks into the 22. Looking good!
Bulls must have the dumbest props after Jannie…
Mellett is binned for tripping Lambie on his way to scoring.
Sharks 6 – 0 Bulls
30 mins
Sharks back in the 22!
Penalty advantage. Guessing offsides.
That’s the best I’ve seen Mvovo do ever…usually his just a strong bash it up runner…
@klempie (Comment 51) : Was for not releasing.
This should be a doddle.
Sharks 9 – 0 Bulls
33 mins
Territory and possession in the 70%’s for the Sharks.
Bulls struggling with conditions…
There’s Morne…both him and Jano overdoing the up and under…and both executing poorly kicking into the Sharks 22…
Potgieter, Bresler and Jannie clash heads. Jannie is off for a concussion test, but apparently there is a new rule allowing for him to return if he is ok.
Domkop Dean is on for Potgieter.
Shit. Reinach had an opportunity but slipped when he chipped it.
HT Sharks 9 – 0 Bulls
Here’s the second half.
Are refs aloud to shout out tips 😈
Bulls giving away a lot of penalties…
Sharks taking their chances…
Lambie is a clever oukie.
Sharks have a scrum just outside the Bulls 22.
Jacques Potgieter front runner in making mistakes…and not doing much else…
Sharks into the 22.
Lambie has a penalty after the Sharks fluff a lineout. I think Potgieter held on under attention from Lambie.
Sharks 12 – 0 Bulls
46 mins
Gangnam Style blaring on the PA… 😕
Vermaak off, Hougaard on.
Marcel/Wolla double team Potgieter.
Bulls are 5m out.
Come on Sharks!!!
COETZEE you fucking beauty!! Gets his hands on the ball two metres from our own line. Lawrence awards the turnover. There’s some chat from the Bulls and he changes it to a penalty.
Great def from Sharks…although that was a tough call on the Bulls…Sharks fell over at that ruck…even if ball is in the air it still a ruck…
Reinach holds Hougaard up and rips the ball off him!
Sykes on!
3 Bulls on!
Bulls front row replaced.
Sykes is on.
Bit aimless from SuperPat there.
Beast on!
Alberts on!
BEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAST is on for Chadwick. Alberts is on for Deysel. MAN we’ve got a great bench. 😈
Sharks team just got much better with Alberts and Tendai comming on…
Bulls have a penalty in Sharks territory for the first time in the match.
Bulls having the upper hand now.
Steyn sets up a lineout on the 22.
Bulls into the 22, but they cough it up and the Sharks clear.
Twice now the Bulls not going for 3 pointers.
Bulls have some lucky possession in our half.
Bulls setting something up and Venter passes into touch.
There’s a scuffle…it’s going to the TMO to see who started it.
Nothing in it really.
HAHA! Nice try Keegs!
Scrum Sharks after all that.
A whole lot of time wasted on nothing…
Keegan agreeing with Mark on the step over…but still asking for a yellow???
Lol
SO many turnovers in contact.
@Hmmm (Comment 94) : He had to have a crack at it! 😛 And he wasn’t asking for yellow. He wanted a penalty.
Bulls have a lineout about 28m out.
60 mins.
Bulls just outside the 22.
Bulls into the 22.
Sykes not rolling away in front.
Steyn going for goal.
First kickable penalty…what will Bulls do…
Will Morne kick it over?
Sharks 12 – 3 Bulls
61 mins.
After 62 min Morne has 0 running meters gained 😯
WOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! Lambie dinks one over Ndungane and force the Bulls back into their 22.
Keegs wins the ball off Bulls throw in.
Bosman on for Whitehead.
Penalty Sharks! Bulls go down in the scrum. SuperPat will have an easy opportunity from the 22.
Sharks 15 – 3 Bulls 😎
67 mins
Bulls have a 25m lineout.
Sideshow holds on and the Sharks can clear.
Marcel charges Hougaard down and keeps the Bulls deep in their 22.
Hougaardt trying to pick the ball up in the slide and sliding right passed the ball…
Sharks have the ball 5m out!
Hougaardt 2nd consec chargedown…
Big mistake taking off Vermaak…
MVOVO!!!!!
Shit it may be in touch.
Looks good to me!
Given!
Conversion off the posts.
Sharks 20 – 3 Bulls
75 mins.
Let’s hope weather in KZN for once is great for sports during the final…
Sports in KZN (esp the last month) has been boring due to weather)…
Foche and Morne on at the same time…Bulls were never gonna score…
Bulls deep in Sharks 22.
They have a 5m quick tpa penalty.
Sharks defending like demons,.
Lost forward! Reinach bungs it up the field. The Bulls come back.
Morne gone ugly…fore arm in the mouth of Ludick…
Time is up. Ludik is down due to a swinging arm by Steyn.
Bosman knocks the penalty into touch. Game over.
These Bulls really are bad losers. 🙄
FT Sharks 20 – 3 Bulls
Hiding considering the conditions.
Hope Steyn gets cited and banned.
@JarsonX (Comment 127) : What matters most is that they’re losers. 😈
YES YES YES
sharksssssss!!!
@klempie (Comment 130) :
@klempie (Comment 130) :
YES YES YES GO SHARKS!!!!!!!
Well done Sharks!
Well done Sharks!
well done sharks!
SuperPat is MoM.
Lambie Man of the Match again!
@JarsonX (Comment 140) : Made Steyn his bitch from a tactics perspective.
We played exactly the right kind of game for the conditions and opponents. Well done Sharks!
I thought Lawrence got some calls wrong that went against the Bulls, but hey, that´s how it goes against us when Pro refs our games.
Bring on the WP!
@klempie (Comment 141) :
The best was Steyn had 0 running meters after 63 min into the game…