Rugby news from KwaZulu-Natal:
Cell C Sharks Secure Knock-out Position :
The Cell C Sharks closed out their Vodacom Super Rugby pool stage commitments with a 40-29 defeat of the visiting Sunwolves at Growthpoint KINGS PARK in Friday evening and in doing so, secured their wildcard entry into the knock-out rounds.
Director of Rugby Gary Gold had emphasised the need to deliver a powerful performance that would give his team the necessary confidence and continuity to go into the knock-out stages in a positive frame of mind and six tries will bring smiles, but perhaps not the four conceded.
The Sunwolves have offered tough opposition at times in this, their inaugural season of Super Rugby and certainly played with fire in their bellies.
Not only did the Cell C Sharks start off on a high note with Coenie Oosthuizen diving over in the third minute of the game, but in quick time, three minutes later and they doubled the score when Lwazi Mvovo killed the opposition for pace.
But if anything, it goaded the Sunwolves into action rather than demoralising them and they came back with a try of their own, exploiting a hole at lineout time.
JP Pietersen, playing in his final game at Growthpoint KINGS PARK, was next to score, Rhyno Smith sparking the move and Odwa Ndungane providing the final pass.
In their final match of the competition, the Sunwolves were always going to go out with a bang rather than a whimper, but they were finding the going tough against an equally fired up home side with plenty more to play for.
The second half started in similar fashion to the first with an Andre Esterhuizen try in the corner getting the ball rolling, but there was plenty of fight in the Sunwolves who pulled back to 28-22 with a quarter of the game remaining.
It was a dangerous time when all kinds of problems could have arisen, before Garth April showed his ability, scoring a great try with the game poised on a knife’s edge.
The 11 point margin was extended to 16 when Curwin Bosch ran onto the perfect chip and chase and the result was clearly sewn up.
With time almost up on the clock, the Sunwolves showed their perseverance with a fourth try to bring some respectability to the scoreline, but ultimately they were no match for the Durbanites.
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Preview: The Cell C Sharks vs Sunwolves:
This evening’s clash with the Sunwolves might be their final Vodacom Super Rugby clash of the pool stages, but the Cell C Sharks will look to gain entry to the knock-out rounds with an emphatic and clinical performance.
It’s not only about the win, but also how they achieve it.
There were signs of rustiness in the match against the Lions following a month-long enforced break for the midyear Test series between the Boks and Ireland, particularly in the first half, but a stronger showing in the second 40 and then improvement against the Cheetahs has set the Cell C Sharks up nicely to finish their pool commitments on a high and take not only confidence into the next round, but also some continuity and consistency.
“It’s critical that we put on a good performance; we were poor against the Lions with some slightly good signs in the second half, again good signs in the second half against the Cheetahs,” explains Director of Rugby Gary Gold.
“We know we need to put a performance together, something where we’re clinical. A performance that’s all about our execution and what we do.”
And he admits that despite battling in their maiden year of Super Rugby, the Sunwolves have not been push-overs.
It hasn’t been the most successful inaugural tournament for the Japanese as far as the statistical log table goes, but delving deeper, it is clear that they have made things tough for some of their opponents. The Stormers had to contend with a 17-all draw in their match in mid-May, while the Jaguares who have troubled many a side were sent packing with a fairly emphatic 36-28 defeat at the hands of the Japanese side. The Bulls had to fight hard for a three point margin of victory, while it was only a one-point difference against the Cheetahs.
“All of the Sunwolves’ opposition have had to work hard for their points and we’re taking this game seriously, for many reasons,” explains Gold. “We need a good performance, we need to come out of this game feeling confident , that our combinations have worked and that the things we’re trying to do are working well; hopefully leading into a quarter-final the following week.”
With the Bulls breathing down the Cell C Sharks necks, knowing that any slip-up can be punished, Gold acknowledges that they are masters of their own fortune.
“Our destiny is in our hands, but this is a real test of character, we have to step up to the plate. By and large – the first half against the Lions aside – we’ve been good all season. The one thing we’ve shown all year has been proper fight in what we do.”
And fight they will.
“We need to have our wits about us, we’re going to have to work very hard in the first 20 to 35 minutes to wear them down, and if we do, we’ll have a good night. But if it’s close at half-time, it’s going to be a tough evening.
“We must stick to our structures, be defensively strong. This team will not give up.”
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Burger aiming for new heights
