Sharks make it four on the bounce

Sharks (30) 37 Golden Lions (7) 21

● A smart first-half performance allowed the Sharks to ease past the Golden Lions at a wet King’s Park yesterday.

It was the Sharks’ fourth consecutive bonus point win in the Currie Cup this season and they remain unbeaten while the Golden Lions were consigned to a second straight defeat.

The way the first half ended was a stark contrast compared to how the game started. While the Sharks drew first blood through a third-minute Robert du Preez penalty, it was the Golden Lions who scored the first try through Sylvian Mahuza five minutes later.

The saturated conditions were never going to allow for fluid passing, and Lions pivot Shaun Reynolds picked out Mahuza with a pin-point kick-pass.

The hosts were shocked into action and took full control of the game, while Du Preez extended their lead with two penalties,

With the Sharks bossing the collisions, showing better enterprise and respect for the conditions, they scored their first try through number eight Daniel du Preez in the 24th minute.

The twin, who had a superb game, started the try from the base of a scrum and the Sharks recycled the ball well.

While the grounding needed the television match officials’ intervention for Louis Schreuder’s 34th minute try, there was no doubt as to the dominance of the Sharks in the build-up as the younger Du Preez again broke from the base of the scrum before he offloaded to his scrumhalf.

The Golden Lions’ misery was compounded when lock Marvin Orie was needlessly yellow-carded for his hand making contact with Hyron Andrews’ face.

The visitors paid for Orie’s indiscretion when Luke Stringer muscled over for a try two minutes later. The half-time deficit was going to be difficult to overturn, and the Sharks scored their fourth try in the 48th minute through Du Preez.

The Lions had the better of the second half, with late tries by James Venter and Wandisile Simelane, but the ship had long sailed.