Durban - Scrumhalf Dewaldt Duvenhage broke the hearts of the Sharks with a 78th-minute try to snatch a 15-10 (halftime 7-7) victory for DHL Western Province in their Absa Currie Cup match at Mr Price Kings Park in Durban on Saturday.

Duvenhage also kicked a crucial 61st-minute penalty to level the scores on a day when the various kickers from both sides failed with five of their nine kicks at goal.

It was no more than a young, injury-depleted Western Province side deserved for their courageous showing against a Sharks team that is chasing a home semi-final but failed to bring any spark or ambition to the game.

The Sharks' main problem lay in a turgid backline that was shuffled before kick-off with Meyer Bosman moving to flyhalf, Marius Joubert at inside centre and Stefan Terblanche at fullback. A competent pack, with locks Jean Deysel and Ross Skeate, and loose forwards Keegan Daniel and Marcell Coetzee to the fore, battered away at the brave Western Province defence, but the backline proved totally unable to make anything of all the front-foot ball.

Midway through the second half, Sharks coach John Plumtree made the extraordinary decision to replace his most dangerous back - outside centre Adrian Jacobs - and keep Bosman and Joubert on the field, as Freddie Michalak came on at flyhalf.

The Sharks made an excellent start to the game, camping in Western Province territory for the first 10 minutes before Deysel exploded over the tryline from close range, Bosman slotting a good conversion in gusty conditions (7-0).

The swirling wind would be too difficult for Western Province flyhalf Lionel Cronje, who missed penalties in the 17th and 20th minutes, but the visitors made a good second quarter count when Danie Poolman scored a 29th-minute try.

Western Province bashed away at the Sharks line from close range, before long passes out wide found wing Poolman, who stepped inside and then went out to score a fine try, well-converted by Cronje (7-7).

Western Province could have grabbed the lead three minutes before halftime as Poolman was quickly on to Terblanche, who tried to run a good kick from Cronje out of his own 22, earning a penalty, but the flyhalf hacked it wide.

Bosman would also be well wide with a penalty attempt before the break and the largely inexperienced Western Province team showed fine composure, patience, belief and determination to win a second-half arm-wrestle that was not pretty to watch.

Sharks replacement scrumhalf Charl McLeod was not quick enough to release in the tackle for referee Mark Lawrence's liking, Duvenhage slotting a tricky penalty to put Western Province in the lead for the first time (10-7) in the 61st minute.

The Sharks once again chained several phases together, relying on their forwards to do the hard work while their backs posed in overcast conditions, and hooker Kyle Cooper broke well to earn a penalty. Michalak, brought on to do a hospital job with ball in hand, kicked the penalty and the scores were level again (10-10) after 71 minutes.

It was what Michalak did afterwards though that would prove so costly for the Sharks. With just two minutes of regular time remaining, Michalak tried to chip through the excellent Western Province defence, but his kick was charged down. Duvenhage exploded into action, getting an exquisite little touch to the ball with his boot as the Sharks scrambled to cover, before the Paarl Gym product sped clear to regather and slide over the line for a fine try and a match-winning effort that could well be a crucial moment in Western Province's Currie Cup campaign.

Western Province's oft-maligned tight five also deserve credit for a fine effort in matching their Sharks counterparts, while loose forward Siya Kolisi showed he will be a brilliant asset for the Capetonians going forward.

Given that the forward exchanges were fairly even, the fact that the Western Province backs had much more pace, verve and imagination than their counterparts makes their victory a most deserved one.

Scorers:

The Sharks - Try: Jean Deysel. Conversion: Meyer Bosman. Penalty: Freddie Michalak.
DHL Western Province - Tries: Danie Poolman, Dewaldt Duvenhage. Conversion: Lionel Cronje. Penalty: Duvenhage.

Teams:

Sharks: 15 Stefan Terblanche, 14 Sibusiso Sithole, 13 Marius Joubert, 12 Meyer Bosman, 11 Lwazi Mvovo, 10 Frederic Michalak, 9 Charl McLeod, 8 Keegan Daniel (captain), 7 Jean Deysel, 6 Jacques Botes, 7 Ross Skeate, 6 Anton Bresler, 5 Eugene van Staaden, 4 Kyle Cooper, 3 Dale Chadwick.

Substitutes: 16 Mondie Hadebe, 17 Wiehann Herbst, 18 Jan Andre Marais, 19 Marcell Coetzee, 20 Conrad Hoffman, 21 Jacques-Louis Potgieter, 22 Adrian Jacobs.

Western Province: 15. Heinrich Steyl, 14. Danie Poolman, 13. Berton Klaasen, 12. Marcel Brache, 11. JJ Engelbrecht, 10. Lionel Cronje, 9. Dewaldt Duvenage, 8. Nizaam Carr, 7. Siya Kolisi, 6. Nick Fenton-Wells, 5. De Kock Steenkamp, 4. Adriaan Fondse, 3. Brok Harris, 2. Tiaan Liebenberg (captain), 1. JC Kritzinger

Substitutes: 16. Deon Fourie, 17. Frans Malherbe, 18. Tertius Daniller, 19. Nick Koster/Pieter Louw, 20. Louis Schreuder, 21. Johann Sadie, 22. Conrad Jantjes