Ken Borland

The plucky scrappers from Kimberley tore into their defensive duties but ultimately the big city boys of the Sharks prevailed as they beat Griquas 30-16 in their hard-fought opening round Currie Cup fixture at Tafel Lager Park on Saturday.

It was not the most clinical display by the Sharks, but they were more composed at the key moments and better at converting the vital opportunities that came their way. And the key to their victory was probably the two tries they scored in two minutes in the third quarter that gave them a healthy 25-6 lead after they went into halftime 10-6 up.

The first try came through slick work by wing Werner Kok, who grubbered down the line for centre Jeremy Ward to dot down; the second was through a quickfire counter-attack as the Sharks attacked down the left wing, scrumhalf Jaden Hendrikse was up in support as usual and he sent lock Hyron Andrews galloping away for the try.

But Griquas fought back. Wing Eduan Keyter finished brilliantly through a kick through by centre Andre Swarts and then made the break that led to his fellow wing Daniel Kasande rounding off a brilliant counter-attack. But the Griquas’ effort, feisty as it was, lacked polish and their ill-discipline and poor finishing cost them in the end.

The Sharks were under pressure in bot the scrums and lineouts, which made it difficult for them to produce sizzling rugby. But a rolling maul try by replacement hooker Kerron van Vuuren in the 79^th minute saw them escape from the frying pan with a bonus point that certainly was a bonus.

Scorers

Griquas – Try: Eduan Keyter. Penalties: George Whitehead (2).

Sharks – Tries: Phendulani Buthelezi, Jeremy Ward, Hyron Andrews, Kerron van Vuuren. Conversions: Boeta Chamberlain (2). Penalty: Chamberlain. Drop goal: Chamberlain.

The Sharks have to beat the Bulls and get a bonus point at Kings Park on Saturday if they are to be in the Rainbow Cup final, which means they have to score four tries. That will probably mean they will try to play an even quicker game against the Currie Cup champions, but captain Lukhanyo Am said on Tuesday that they also have to be smart in how they play.

If the Bulls score four tries and get a bonus point then it probably won’t matter who wins the game because their points difference is so much better than the Sharks that the home team would need to beat them by 34 points just to draw level. So Am’s charges can’t just throw caution to the wind and go all-out trying to just score as many tries as possible.

“We’re not going to shy away from our DNA, but the Bulls present a different threat to the Lions and we need to try and find the balance between running, flashy rugby and smart, tactical rugby on the right side of the field. We’ll want to bring energy and continuity and we’ll be trying our best to get into the final,” Am said on Tuesday.

This will be the last time the likes of Am, Makazole Mapimpi and Siya Kolisi will be playing for the Sharks until the end of the chockablock Springbok schedule towards the end of the year. The Sharks do, however, have nine players in the extended Springbok squad and their clash with the dominant force in domestic rugby for the last year will be thrilling.

*Perhaps the biggest surprise after the Sharks officially confirmed on Tuesday that Stormers hooker Bongi Mbonambi will be joining them at the end of the Lions tour was that the Springbok star had held out for so long before signing his new contract.

Mbonambi was already poised to join the Sharks back in March, when his Roc Nation stablemate Kolisi had already been unveiled as a key signing for the Durban franchise.

The talented 21-year-old Fez Mbatha has been the Sharks’ first-choice hooker recently, but Kerron van Vuuren and part-time flank Dylan Richardson have also had plenty of time in the middle of the front row. Former Maties and SA U20 hooker Dan Jooste is also under contract at Kings Park.

There will be top-flight domestic rugby in South Africa this weekend as the Free State Cheetahs, looking to quickly get up to speed for the Currie Cup, will be taking on a Toyota Invitational XV in Bloemfontein on Saturday at 4pm.

The match will be the first the Cheetahs have played since March 28 when they hammered the Eastern Province Elephants 71-12 in the preparation series, having been excluded from the Rainbow Cup, which is on a bye week in South Africa. With the Currie Cup set to get underway on June 19, the Free Staters need some competitive action as they look to regain the trophy they won in 2019.

The Invitational XV will be made up of players who are on the fringes of their Rainbow Cup franchises and will be coached by Ricardo Loubscher and Daan Human, who are both part of the Springbok management.

“We’re excited because we haven’t played for two months and we’re really looking forward to getting rid of the rust. This is a very important match because we don’t play in the Rainbow Cup so we have to look after ourselves and make sure we get some quality opposition before the Currie Cup. You can train as much as you want, but on the field is where you see what’s working and what’s not.

“Our guys had two weeks off and we’ve trained for six weeks in the last two months. But they also need match-fitness and I don’t think the Lions and Bulls are going to lose too many players to the Boks, plus there are a lot of overseas players around, so the Currie Cup is going to be a very strong competition. But we have a lot of quality players too and it’s sad they did not get the chance to show that in the Rainbow Cup,” Cheetahs coach Hawies Fourie said on Monday.

Harold Verster, the managing director of the Cheetahs, said top-level rugby has been sorely missed in Bloemfontein, but he is confident it will return soon.

“We’ve been in the cold for a while, but now we can look forward to the Currie Cup, which will be played home and away, starting in June. We are still positive and looking forward and there are still one or two more games we are looking at. I’m very positive that the Cheetahs will be playing at a higher level, SA Rugby are working really hard on that process.

“In the meantime we’re trying to keep our heads up. We’ve been through difficult times before and we will get through this too. Participation in a new European competition has been pending for a couple of months now, Covid is causing problems with that though, and the decision has to go through the highest level of European rugby. But there are positive signs,” Verster said.

The slow poison of the Bulls was too much for the Sharks in the second half as the Currie Cup champions romped to an impressive 43-9 win in their Rainbow Cup match at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday night.

The Bulls led 12-9 after an attritional first half in which their flyhalf, Morne Steyn, kicked four penalties and opposite number Curwin Bosch replied with three for the Sharks.

But the pressure was mostly exerted from right-to-left at Loftus Versfeld in the second half as the Bulls simply squeezed the Sharks out of the game. Flyhalf Steyn’s kicking, both at poles (7/7) and tactically, was outstanding and, together with scrumhalf Embrose Papier, they convincingly won the kicking battle.

And thus the Bulls controlled territory and scored two second-half tries to undermine the title challenge of the Sharks, who were top of the log by two points when they came to Pretoria.

The Sharks defended bravely for much of the third quarter, but eventually replacement prop Lizo Gqoboka went over from close range for the opening try in the 53^rd minute.

Although the Bulls’ victory was based on their superb forward display, their backs also produced some fine rugby and wing Stravino Jacobs scored the second try in the 68^th minute. Even then, it came after replacement flank Elrigh Louw had produced a powerful break down the right, from where the Bulls quickly went left and Jacobs had plenty of time and space to score.

The tremendous effort of the pack was then rewarded with a massive rolling maul try dotted down by replacement hooker Schalk Erasmus and substitute flyhalf Chris Smith then strolled over for the bonus point try in the final minute as the Sharks’ defence eventually capitulated.

Steyn’s control of the game and superb kicking made him an obvious choice for man of the match, but the scrummaging, lineout work, breakdown effort and gain-line steel of the Bulls pack was simply outstanding.

The imperviousness of the Loftus Versfeld fortress under Jake White continues, stronger than ever.

Scorers

Bulls – Tries: Lizo Gqoboka, Stravino Jacobs, Schalk Erasmus, Chris Smith. Conversions: Morne Steyn (2), Smith (2). Penalties: Steyn (5).

Sharks – Penalties: Curwin Bosch (3).