Sharks get the job done
Not perfect but Gold’s men will be happy with win over the Sunwolves
Sharks . . . . . . . . . . . (21) 40 Sunwolves . . . . . . . . . .(19) 29
THE only thing that needed to be done yesterday evening was win and, at 40-29, that was the case for the Sharks as they head into the play-offs. But for the coach, players and fans, there was the expectation of much more than victory against the Sunwolves.
Many would have seen the game as a chance for the Sharks to stretch their attacking legs before a quarter-final against either the Lions or a New Zealand team, but it was a far tenser affair.
At half-time the Sunwolves were more than just in the game, they were a mere conversion away from matching the Sharks’ score. However, in a scrappy affair, the Sharks managed to score at just about the right times to keep the plucky Japanese at bay.
There were a few reasons to head down to Kings Park yesterday, it being JP Pietersen’s and Kyle Cooper’s last home game, but there was also an expectation that the Sharks would roll over a Sunwolves team that has been porous in defence. However, even though the Sharks did manage to get over the tryline a few times in the first half, the Sunwolves matched them.
It may not always seem so on the field, but Gary Gold is a tactical man and he has an astute rugby mind. He said during the week that the worst thing a team could do was to try to match the Japanese in a game of touch rugby, and as such it was some good old-fashioned grunt that led to Coenie Oosthuizen barging over from close range for the first try.
This was soon backed up by a try for Lwazi Mvovo under the posts, leaving the Sunwolves reeling, down 14 points in seven minutes.
However, that may have made the Sharks a little overconfident because the Sunwolves reacted from their first attacking opportunity to emulate Tony Woodcock’s try in the 2011 World Cup final, scrumhalf Kaito Shigeno slicing through the line-out to score.
It was probably the wake-up call the Sharks needed because they struck back through Pietersen off a sweeping counter-attack that started in their 22.
Towards the end of the half the Sunwolves sniffed more of a chance as they got their second score through the explosive No 12 Mifiposeti Paea.
Then, as the hooter sounded, lock Faatiga Lemalu got over in the corner, leaving it up to flyhalf Yu Tamura to level things at the break. However, the conversion slipped wide, giving the Sharks the slenderest lead, 21-19.
After what must have been a tongue lashing at the break, the home team came out firing, showing intention to keep ball in hand as it was moved to Andre Esterhuizen to score in the corner just a minute into the second half.
From there the action took a back seat as the sides battled to string enough phases together to break the other’s defence.
The Sunwolves then earned a penalty to keep in touch.
Finally, perhaps with the size of the occasion starting to hit him, Pietersen came bustling down the touchline as he made a break and a fantastic offload to Garth April, who scored to give the home side some breathing room.
A special moment towards the end was last year’s Craven Week star, Curwin Bosch, scoring a try in his second game for the Sharks’ Super Rugby team, surely a taste of things to come from the youngster.
Unfortunately, that score was cancelled out soon afterwards by a second try for Paea.
With victory over the Sunwolves secured, it is now a nervy wait for the Sharks to see whether the Lions can top the overall table with a win in Argentina late tonight.
If the Lions make history by topping the table, it will mean a third meeting with the men from Johannesburg, with the previous encounters not going even slightly in the favour of the men from Durban.