Vodacom Super Rugby
Brumbies outsmart Sharks
2013-03-16 18:53
Durban - A stunning first-half display from
the Brumbies ensured they maintained their unbeaten start to the Vodacom
Super Rugby season with a convincing 29-10 bonus-point victory over the
Sharks, at Kings Park, in Durban on Saturday.
Jesse Mogg, Joseph
Tomane, Matt Toomua and Henry Speight all scored tries in a one-sided
opening 40 minutes for Jake White’s team as they led 26-3 at the
interval.
The hosts looked better after the break and they scored
a first try of the season via Ryan Kankowski, but their improvement was
not good enough to sway the result as they missed the chance to climb
top of the South African conference on their way to a first loss of the
campaign.
VIDEO: Sharks v Brumbies
At the start, the Brumbies took just five minutes to
cross for the opening try, which came after some good phase play through
the middle and ended when the ball was collected wide by Mogg to barge
his way over on the right.
Christian Lealiifano added the
conversion and seven minutes later the Australians were at it again as
they doubled their try tally thanks to some quick hands in the build-up,
with Fotu Auelua brilliantly offloading to Tomane on the left to go in
on the left corner.
There was finally some respite for the hosts
at the end of the first quarter when the visitors were penalised for not
rolling away allowing Patrick Lambie to thud over from straight in
front.
But the men from Canberra, coached by Springbok World
Cup-winning coach White, continued to soar in attack and Toomua was next
to cross after more slick handling and superb recycling in the lead-up - Lealiifano, Auelua, Tevita Kuridrani and Ben Mowen.
With five
minutes remaining to the interval, the Brumbies secured their bonus
point try when their forwards emphatically overturned a scrum and Toomua
floated a fine pass over to Speight on the right to dot down in the
corner.
That rounded off a superb opening showing and left the home crowd in shock as their side trailed by 23 points.
The
visitors again began with some intent after the restart and twice
turned down the chance to kick at goal, instead opted to set-up
line-outs.
But the Sharks slowly clawed their way back,
eventually scoring their only try when Kankowski picked up and carried
over following a spate of penalties conceded by the Australians inside
their own 22.
The Brumbies’ first points of the second half
eventually came from a Lealiifano penalty after Kankowski was punished
for an illegal tackle and they continued to control thereafter until the
final hooter sounded.
Teams:
Sharks:15. Louis Ludik, 14. Odwa Ndungane, 13. Paul Jordaan,
12. Francois Steyn, 11. JP Pietersen, 10. Patrick Lambie, 9. Charl
McLeod, 8. Ryan Kankowski, 7. Keegan Daniel (captain), 6. Marcell
Coetzee, 5. Franco van der Merwe, 4. Anton Bresler, 3. Jannie du
Plessis, 2. Craig Burden, 1. Tendai Mtawarira
Substitutes: 16.
Kyle Cooper, 17. Wiehahn Herbst, 18. Pieter-Steph du Toit, 19. Jacques
Botes, 20. Cobus Reinach, 21. Meyer Bosman, 22. Lwazi Mvovo
Brumbies:
15.
Jesse Mogg, 14. Henry Speight, 13. Tevita Kuridrani, 12. Christian
Lealiifano, 11. Joe Tomane, 10. Matt Toomua, 9. Nic White, 8. Fotu
Auelua, 7. George Smith, 6. Ben Mowen (captain), 5. Sam Carter, 4. Peter
Kimlin, 3. Ben Alexander, 2. Stephen Moore, 1. Scott Sio
Substitutes:
16. Siliva Siliva, 17. Ruaidhri Murphy, 18. Scott Fardy, 19. Colby
Faingaa, 20. Ian Prior, 21. Robbie Coleman, 22. Clyde Rathbone