Super Rugby Round 12 presented us with two fantastically entertaining local derbies, with the Sharks being the disappointment of the weekend.
Highlanders 48 Cell C Sharks 15
Highlanders – Tries: Gareth Evans, Waisake Naholo, Patrick Osborne, Mark Reddish, Aaron Smith, Brendon Edmonds and Elliot Dixon; Conversions: Lima Sopoaga 5; Penalty: Lima Sopoaga
Cell C Sharks – Tries: Tendai Mtawarira and Bismarck du Plessis; Conversion: Fred Zeilinga; Penalty: Fred Zeilinga
The Sharks have a huge and loyal fan base around the world and this performance would have been painful for them to watch. Take absolutely nothing away from the Highlanders. Their performance was sublime, with some intelligent kicking to pin the Sharks back in their own half and some devastating running. The Sharks though were a mere shadow of their teams of the past. In defense, players did not trust each other to make the necessary tackles and their ball handling was really poor. No coach can take the blame for international players that cannot catch a rugby ball. Sharks supporters might want to skip this bit and move on to the Cheetahs versus Stormers game….
The Highlanders were first to score after George Osbourne bent the Sharks defensive line. Gareth Evans scored after slipping a weak tackle from Odwa Ndungane. The two flyhalves then traded penalties to make the score 10 – 3 to the Highlanders. The Sharks were awarded a penalty in front of the uprights and decided to kick for the corner. Their lineout drive was repelled and after some indecisive passing between the Sharks backline players that lead to a breakdown, Sharks prop Beast Mtawarira crashed over for a try.
The Highlanders then pulled out a decisive lead after a try to each winger. George Osbourne scored after the Sharks eventually ran out of defenders and Waisake Naholo was on the receiving end of an inch perfect kick pass from Lima Sapoagao. The Sharks had their own opportunities to score and were twice held up over the line.
Unusually for the Highlanders, they butchered a try when they looked certain to score and the Sharks were able to hack the ball out into touch. In the ensuing lineout, the ball was slapped back wildly into the Sharks in goal area. Conrad Hoffman was embarrassed by the chasing Mark Reddish, who took advantage of his slow decision making on how to handle the rolling ball by sneaking a hand past him to score a cheeky try. The next Highlanders try was set up by Richard Buckman, who again split the Sharks midfield defense to offload to Aaron Smith to score.
Replacement prop Brendon Edmonds was next to score after some sublime stopping and passing to get into the Sharks 22. Edmonds was able to cross over under the poles for the try after 3 phases of players running around the corner to take the pass, draw the player and then pass. The Sharks responded with a consolation try through hooker Bismark du Plessis after the obligatory drive off the lineout. The Sharks misery was still not over, with Elliot Dixon scoring after a number of pick and go phases. Sharks fans probably willed Marty Banks’ conversion to go wide so that their team did not have to suffer the indignity of suffering a second fifty point loss of the season.
The Sharks brains trust will need to take stock of their current situation and decide what is best for the future. Should they stick with the likes of Matt Stevens, Mouritz Botha and Odwa Ndungane for the rest of this season or move on to blooding youngsters for next season?
Toyota Cheetahs 25 DHL Stormers 17
Toyota Cheetahs – Tries: Michael van der Spuy, Rayno Benjamin and Clayton Blommetjies; Conversions: Joe Pietersen 2; Penalties: Joe Pietersen 2.
DHL Stormers – Tries: Dillyn Leyds and Duane Vermeulen; Conversions: Demetri Catrakilis and Kurt Coleman; Penalty: Demetri Catrakilis
The Cheetahs were really up for this game and upset the more fancied Stormers outfit, despite missing 5 injured Springboks. They spoiled the Stormers tight phases all afternoon and walked away deserved winners in the end. The Stormers will regret some of their tactical substitutions as well as some really sloppy handling.
The Cheetahs started with an early penalty via Joe Peterson. The Stormers nearly scored straight after that as Siya Kolisi was about to score, only to have Ryno Benjamin rip the ball off him. The Cheetahs worked their way up field and after some scrappy play by teams just short of the Stormers tryline, the unfortunate Kolisi dropped the ball. Cheetahs outside center Michael van der Spuy scooped up the loose ball to split Juan de Jongh and Damain de Allende to score. The Cheetahs try that followed that one was nothing short of spectacular. A misjudged box kick by Nick Groom was spun out to debutant Sergeal Pietersen, who put through a perfectly weighted chip kick, which the flying Ryno Benjamin collected centimeters off the ground to dot down in the corner. The Stormers replied with a try of their own after some patient drawing and passing by both Duane Vermeulen and Schalk Burger. The Cheetahs simply ran out of defenders and Dillyn Leyds was in for the try.
At half time, Stormers coach Alister Coetzee decide to inject more creativity into the back line and made the big call to pull Demetri Catrikilis from the field, who has kicked 27 consecutive successful place kicks, and replace him with young Kurt Coleman. This proved to be pivotal in the outcome of the game as Coleman proceeded to miss all four of his kicks at goal, including the final penalty kick which would have earned the Stormers a losing bonus point.
It was the Stormers who did score first in the second half, albeit in the 55th minute. After numerous pick and go’s as well as two quickly taken penalties, it was Stormers skipper Duane Vermeulen who eventually crashed over to the right of the uprights.
The Cheetahs last try was the result of some delightful trickery. Lock Francois Uys received the ball in midfield and delivered a delayed pass to fullback Clayton Blommetjies, who had run the perfect line outside of him to split the defense of Schalk Burger and Scarra Ntubeni, to score under posts from 45m out. Burger appealed that he had been obstructed by a dummy runner, but to be fair he had already bought the dummy and the TMO ruled the move to be fair.
This has been a tough tournament for the Cheetahs players and their ecstatic response to the final hooter was testimony their tenacity and commitment.
Vodacom Bulls 35 Emirates Lions 33
Vodacom Bulls – tries: Piet van Zyl (2), JJ Engelbrecht, Pierre Spies. Conversions: Handre Pollard (3). Penalties: Pollard (3)
Emirates Lions – tries: Faf de Klerk, Jacques van Rooyen, Jaco Kriel. Conversions: Elton Jantjies (3). Penalties: Jantjies (4)
The Bulls started this game with real intent and it looked as if the Lions were starting down the barrel of a serious hiding. After a sweeping back line movement, a ruck was formed 5m out from the Lions tryline. Bulls scrumhalf Piet van Zyl saw that the pillar defense had not been formed and it was a simple reach out from the base of the ruck for him to score.
In the 9th minute, Van Zyl was in for this second score after a the Bulls broke out from their own half. Two passes between unlikely midfielders Victor Matfield and Flip van der Merwe and a run down the touchline by Bulls number 8 Arno Botha eventually saw Van Zyl receive the final pass for him to run in and score. The Bulls can be fortunate that the try was not referred to the TMO as Botha’s pass to Van Zyl was surely forward.
The Lions responded almost immediately with a break out try of their own. Right wing Ruan Combrink split the Bulls defense and passed inside to Faf de Klerk, who stepped inside Jessie Kriel to score next to the posts. Bulls flyhalf Handre Pollard responded with two penalties to keep them ahead. Not to be outdone, the Bulls won possession in a lineout and from the pick and drive center JJ Engelbrecht received a short pass to jinx his way through the Lions defense. It was the type of run that made him such a promising player and has not been seen for a very long time.
The Lions responded with some quick phase play to wear the Bulls defense down, with Jacques van Rooyen grabbing the opportunity to score his first Super Rugby try. After looking like they were going to be hammered, the Lions had successfully kept themselves in the game with the high tempo game plan, which the Bulls defense had problems containing.
The Bulls final try came after Pierre Spies took a quick tap penalty 5m out from the Lions tryline and barged over in the corner. The Lions did not have the time to set their defense and were caught completely by surprise. Handre Pollard put the result beyond doubt with a long range penalty, although the Lions did have different ideas and scored the final try of the game to secure them a losing bonus point. Replacement scrumhalf Ross Cronje broke the Bulls defensive line and passed to wing Courtnall Skossaan. A ruck was formed just short of the Bulls line and it was left to the hard working flank Jaco Kriel to dive over for the score.
So what did we learn from Super Rugby Round 12? Firstly, you cannot hope to win a competition of this quality without a flyhalf with a strong place kicking record. Secondly, Francois Hougaard’s new-found lease on life as a winger should be appreciated. Despite his desire to play at scrumhalf, the Bulls were less effective as an attacking force when he replaced the injured Piet van Zyl. He is no longer the number one scrumhalf at the Bulls, so how he expects a recall to the Springboks in this position is beyond me.
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