Lions put Sharks firmly in their place
at Kings Park IF THE Sharks thought they were South Africa’s best Super Rugby bet, the Lions reminded them of their inferior status and the work needed to shed that tag.
The Lions were hardly required to click into a higher gear as they showed up the Sharks’ inability to locate a cohesive attacking plan.
Kings Park has long been a miserable destination for the Lions. With their efficient showing, they bagged their first Super Rugby win in Durban in 16 years.
Coach Johann Ackermann was part of the unit known as the Cats.
Having shown a conservative but forceful side to themselves, the Lions showed the Sharks pragmatic rugby is the way forward when you balance an effective kicking game with the requisite territorial execution.
The Sharks were dealt a terrible blow when Marcell Coetzee was WEAK LINK: Coenie Oosthuizen of Sharks held up during the Super Rugby match against the Lions at King’s Park yesterday stretchered off in the 32nd minute after overextending his left knee in a tackle by Lions captain Warren Whiteley.
That was just one of the many problems the Sharks had as they struggled against a snarling Lions scrum. As long as Coenie Oosthuizen continues as the Sharks’ starting tighthead, their scrumming woes will have no end.
The Sharks conceded four firsthalf scrum penalties as Dylan Smith had Oosthuizen for a threecourse meal while Tendai Mtawarira’s leadership and scrummaging were examined. He failed on both counts.
While the Sharks tried to match the Lions’ running game, they seemed to forget the Lions come with a menacing physical package.
Once the Sharks’ skittish running medication wore off, the Lions’ far superior structure started to show and it came as no surprise when Andries Ferreira wormed over in the 14th minute.
It needed Marius Jonker’s close attention from the TMO box but it was the correct call. He was also called into action in the 35th minute when Lionel Mapoe crossed over but again the correct decision was made. This time, Sharks director Gary Gold would not be able to accuse the TMO of being “incompetent” and a “cheat” as he did to Johan Greeff during the Sharks-Crusaders game on March 26. The Lions made his team look as pitiful as the Northwood Boys High School team belted 39-8 by DHS in the curtain-raiser.
Despite their general lack of attacking potency, the Sharks ran more metres (392) than the Lions (211), had more carries (107-90) and parity in terms of defenders beaten (17-19). These statistics now point to personnel errors more than systemic mistakes.
This was apparent in the third minute when a series of delightful offloads saw Coetzee held up on the tryline with his support runners arriving too late.
Another example was in the 29th minute when Oosthuizen chose to take the ball into contact with a three-man overlap to his right.
Decision-making cannot be coached, which is where the Lions had the edge.
The Lions showed their smarts by keeping the hosts pinned in their half for large stretches of the second half. The paucity of tries pointed to a far more controlled stanza, which was what the Lions wanted. When the Sharks kids hared onto the pitch when they thought Angus Gardner had blown the game, it summed up the messy nature of the Sharks night.