• SOCCER KINGS GIVE SHARKS A RUN FOR THEIR MONEY
SHARKS (8) 19 KINGS (14) 17 ET us not beat about the bush with this one. The Sharks were nothing short of terrible in scraping home against a Kings team that for 70 minutes of the match threatened to reign supreme at Kings Park.
In fact, they were nine minutes from one of the greatest upsets in 21 years of Super Rugby when a magnificent 55m penalty from Sharks fullback Curwin Bosch nudged his team in front to spare his side considerable embarrassment, not to mention the loss of four vital log points.
The Kings could even have snatched it at the death when a long-range penalty by Sharks discard Lionel Cronje went wide, but not by that much.
The Sharks had hoped to bank five points at home against a Kings team that had come into the game with seemingly nothing to offer.
After the fizz and intensity of the Sharks’ back-to-back wins over Aussie teams in the Brumbies and the Waratahs, this performance was a bad joke. There was no crackle and buzz from a Sharks team that had hoped to smash a side that last week was spoken about as being certain for the chop in a new-look Super Rugby competition.
Perhaps that is what fired up the Kings for a memorable performance against a home team that never got out of the starting blocks. The Sharks grew increasingly desperate as the game wore on, but no catalyst emerged and they simply blundered on, bereft of inspiration.
Debutant flyhalf Benhard Janse van Rensburg had a disappointing game and that highlighted the loss ton injury of captain and flyhalf Patrick Lambie the week before. It looks like Lambie is going to be hard to replace. The 20-yearold Van Rensburg made numerous errors in the first half an hour and was subbed in the
L45th minute. The Sharks were poor in virtually every aspect of the game while the Kings were solid and well directed by Cronje at flyhalf, while openside flanker Chris Cloete had a brilliant game.
It was a clumsy opening quarter from the Sharks, which was as much down to a forgettable start for the former SA Under 20 flyhalf as was to the Kings’ fighting attitude.
The Sharks took a fifth minute lead through a Bosch penalty but with their flyhalf showing nerves, the mistakes came and when he had a kick charged down, Kings No 8 Ruaan Lerm was on hand to score near the posts.
Former Sharks Currie Cup flyhalf Cronje converted for an unlikely lead on 21 minutes.
The Sharks seemed to be stung into action and when in the 25th tighthead prop Ross Geldenhuys was sin-binned in front of the Kings’ posts for a professional foul, the Sharks kicked for the corner, and Lourens Adriaanse was on the back of a driving maul to score in his 50th Super Rugby game. It would have been especially pleasing for the prop because early in the game he had been held up over the line.
But the 8-7 lead was shortlived. A few minutes later, a loose pass from lock Ruan Botha bounced favourably for wing Makazole Mapimpi, who sped down the touchline for a try. Cronje converted for a 14-8 half time lead.
It was worrying, too, for the Sharks that they were twice penalised for scrumming infringements in the first half.
Two minutes after half time Bosch kicked his second penalty to narrow the deficit to a point at 14-13 but not long after Cronje pushed it out 17-11.
There was panic in the air at the Shark Tank and in five minutes into the second half the half back pair of Janse van Renburg and Cobus Reinach were pulled off for Garth April and the experienced Michael Claassens, while Daniel du Preez made his long awaited comeback for youngster Jacques Vermuelen.
Eventually Claassens provided a spark when a quick tap penalty from him in the Kings’ 22 resulted in an overlap out wide for wing Kobus van Wyk to score, but Bosch missed the conversion and the Kings remained in front by a point at 17-16. Unfortunately for the Kings, in the same movement that led to the Sharks’ try, they had probably their best player in Cloete sin-binned for a late tackle.
The Sharks took the lead for the first time in the 71st minute when Bosch kicked the match-winning beauty from just inside his half.