Lambie’s men show a lot of promise as they keep lead until late in the game

THE hope, or should that be the aim, was two from two for the Sharks when they headed to Australia for their opening games, and tour, against the Reds and Brumbies.

All was on course up until 71 minutes yesterday, when the Sharks lost the lead, and eventually the match, 28-26 at a steamy Suncorp Stadium.

Of course, the Reds are not the same team as they were in 2011, where they surprised many by beating the Crusaders to be crowned champions.

In the last three seasons they have come in 13th twice and 15th in a real fall from grace. However, following the sacking of clueless coach Richard Graham in the middle of last year, the Reds had begun their revival.

Nick Stiles is a Queenslander through and through, and a passionate one at that; they have recruited well too, bringing back other men of the soil in Quade Cooper and Wallaby captain Stephan Moore, as well as Wallaby legend George Smith. But enough about how good the Reds are, or should be this season, it was a game that the Sharks essentially lost rather than the Reds won.

The first try essentially set the tone for the game as the Sharks pounced hungrily on a loose ball from Quade Cooper after forcing some defensive pressure on the only team that had possession in the early stages.

The Sharks, despite indicating throughout the Currie Cup and into the lead-up of this season that they were going to be an attacking threat, defended their way to a halftime lead.

The Sharks held their defensive line against the Reds, who dominated possession, and they even scrambled well; a wily move at the base of the posts by veteran Scott Higginbotham the only way for the home team to get their first try. But even as they headed into the sheds, with a three point lead, you just felt that the Sharks’ approach would not hold for a full 80 minutes.

The opening stanzas of the second half showed that coach Robert du Preez had given them a hairdryer treatment about attacking intent, and so they looked to move the ball around. But be it rustiness, or humidity and a slippery ball, the Sharks were not clinical enough in their execution.

Eventually they went back to their tried and tested methods, picking up a try from a maul and a flexing of forward muscle, still leading the game, but through a lot of luck and poor kicking from Cooper.

The result cannot be disputed, for had kicker Cooper been on form off the tee, the Sharks would have been chasing from before the halftime break. And the performance cannot be wholly praised, but there were certain promising signs, and as is usual for a first match, a lot of work-ons.

Pat Lambie was in remarkable form, controlling a tough game. His kicking off the tee was immaculate – except rather dramatically for the last and potentially match- winning penalty.

His halfback partner Cobus Reinach also look really sharp and has added another, more tactical, kicking game to his repertoire. Super Rugby debutant Lukhanyo Am also had an outstanding game, in defence and in his jinking and powerful runs.

It is easy to get disheartened in a tight loss against a team whose reputation has taken a knock, but the signs were there, and the coach will not let the team rest on their laurels as they get ready for the Brumbies in a rare eightday turnaround next week.

ALL-ROUNDER: The Sharks’ Lukhanyo Am had an excellent outing in his Super Rugby debut, despite his team losing in Brisbane.