Rugby news from the Home of the Kings:
Sharks run riot against Kings:
The Cell C Sharks dispelled any thoughts that fatigue might trip them up in their last match before their bye as they smashed the Southern Kings 53-0 in a one-sided Vodacom Super Rugby derby at Kings Park on Saturday.
It was the Kings’ second biggest defeat of the season as the Sharks ran in eight tries to comfortably bank a bonus point as they finished off the second phase of their season ahead of the break in fine style. The Sharks dispelled any thoughts that they may be challenged as they galloped along at better than a point a minute for much of the first half.
For a long time this season, the Kings have lamented the soft moments that have gifted their opponents openings and points. Those soft moments have often been the turning points in their games.
There may have been one quite early in this game. Although the Sharks were leading 8-0 heading to the quarter hour mark after Patrick Lambie had been sent in for his first try off an overlap situation that saw Paul Jordaan blazing down the left touchline before his inside pass sent the skipper in for the try, the Kings were still very much in the game. They were imposing themselves physically and their defence was organised and accurate.
Indeed, they looked like they were building up to a try that would bring them right back into it when skipper Steven Sykes, back on his long-time home field, was pulled up just short of the line beneath the Sharks posts. However somehow the Kings conspired to lose the ball from there, and Lambie picked up the ball almost on his own line.
The pivot ran free and then when it looked like he might be pulled in, just beyond the halfway line, he transferred to pacy outside centre Paul Jordaan. And once Jordaan had the ball, there was no stopping him. After Lambie kicked the conversion it was 15-0 to the Sharks, and the Kings must have thought that was it as far as the contest was concerned, as they capitulated quite tamely after that.
In next to no time Willie le Roux, who made the initial incursion off a scrum on the centre spot, had taken a return pass from the free running Jordaan to score his team’s third try. And then the impressive Jordaan, deservedly so, ran in a good try of his own to make it 29-0 after just 24 minutes.
Andre Esterhuizen then went over next to the posts and JP Pietersen slid over in the right corner as the Sharks finished the first half 43-0 up.
Lambie, in superb individual form, then capitalised on another of those Kings soft moments, to extend the home team’s advantage to 48-0 as he, completed the score himself. Lambie’s place-kicking boots deserted him when he hit the posts in trying to convert the eighth try, scored by Thomas du Toit, but to be honest, the Sharks were poor in the second half because their job had been done long before then.
The Sharks were impressive in almost all facets of the game, as the scoreline suggests, and winning so comprehensively after their long sequence of tough games and their even more difficult travel schedule was a noteworthy achievement for them. It means they will stay in contention behind the Emirates Lions in the battle for supremacy in Africa Conference 2.
Once again loose-forward Keegan Daniel was central to much that went right for the Sharks and if you want to find a reason why the Sharks are suddenly gathering momentum and looking so much better than they were a few weeks ago, then look no further than the return of the former regular Sharks captain.
The current captain, Lambie, isn’t in bad form either, as his personal contribution of 23 points will indicate, while centre Jordaan appears to be gaining confidence in every game. The Sharks are in a good space after this bonus point victory and should enjoy the extended six week break they enjoy as they take their second break one week before the start of the June international window.
For the Kings it was just another of those days where they tried hard, and gave as good as they got in the second half, but just gave away too many points to soft moments – be they spilled balls or weak points on defence.
No-one likes being whitewashed, and that is what happened to the Kings in this game. It will be scant consolation to them, perhaps more a lesson that is taking a while to be absorbed, that the times they came closest to scoring led to the Sharks scoring off their mistakes.
SCORES
Cell C Sharks – Tries: Patrick Lambie 2, Paul Jordaan 2, Willie le Roux, Andre Esterhuizen, JP Pietersen, Thomas du Toit. Conversions: Patrick Lambie 5; Penalty: Patrick Lambie. Southern Kings 0
Five-try Free State whip Kings:
The Toyota Free State XV chalked up a third consecutive victory when they beat Eastern Province Kings 35-15 (halftime 21-10) in their new provincial tournament rugby fixture at a cold and windy Nelson Mandela Stadium, Port Elizabeth, on Friday evening.
Free State were coming off back-to-back victories over the Lions and the Sharks while the Kings had suffered a heavy loss against Western Province in Cape Town in their previous match last weekend.
Eastern Province dominated the early exchanges and drew first blood with a seventh minute penalty slotted by flyhalf Michael Brink.
But Free State hit straight back with try by hooker Joseph Dweba from a driving maul off a lineout on 10 minutes. Flyhalf Sias Ebersohn slotted the conversion.
Another try from a lineout by Free State scrumhalf Ruan van Rensburg and an Ebersohn conversion from the corner saw the visitors lead 14-3 after 19 minutes.
But the Kings narrowed the gap with a superb try by left wing Athi Mayinje who received the ball at pace in the midfield at halfway and jinxed his way through the defence to score. Brink added the two points.
Dweba then got his second try after sustained Free State pressure on the stroke of halftime. Ebersohn was again on target with the conversion to take the teams into the break.
The first 20 minutes of the second half had Free State dominating proceedings but at the same failing to make an impression on the scoreboard because of a spate of errors. The Kings also defended well but had their opponents’ handling been better they could have racked up a serious lead.
The Kings were dealt a blow when replacement front rower Mzuvukile Sofisa was shown a yellow card. Free State immediately took advantage of their extra numbers and replacement hooker Tiaan Liebenberg mauled his way over for the team’s fourth try. Ebersohn maintained his perfect record with the boot by slotting the conversion.
Minutes later it was prop BG Uys’ turn to cross the tryline for Free State when he picked a loose pass in 22m area with eight minutes to play. Ebersohn had no trouble with his fifth conversion.
Kings centre Somila Jho scored a consolation second try for the homes side just on fulltime.
SCORERS
EP – Tries: Athi Mayinje, Somila Jho; Conversions: Michael Brink; Penalties: Michael Brink
Free State – Tries: Joseph Dweba (2), Ruan van Rensburg, Tiaan Liebenberg, BG Uys; Conversions: Sias Ebersohn (5)
Denver, Ohio win in bonus-point fashion in Week 13 of PRO action
