Sharks clinch Currie Cup

Cape Town - Sharks young flyhalf Patrick Lambie scored 25 points in a 30-10 triumph over Western Province Saturday in the Currie Cup final.

Lambie, who turned 20 this month and is set to tour Britain and Ireland next month with the Springboks, scored two tries and kicked three conversions and three penalty goals.

Halfback partner Charl McLeod, another outstanding figure as the home team achieved an unexpectedly large victory margin, completed the tally with an opportunist try.

Province captain and flanker Schalk Burger touched down just before half-time and the try was converted by veteran fly-half Willem de Waal, who also kicked a penalty goal.

After a first half that produced 33 points, the second half was scoreless until two minutes from full-time when Lambie latched on to a loose ball and dived for a try he converted to complete a memorable Currie Cup season.

Sharks played like men possessed for most of the first half and led 23-10 at half-time as they sought a second title within three years after defeating Blue Bulls in the same ground.

Province were first to score with De Waal landing a penalty on 92 seconds after home captain and centre Stefan Terblanche was penalised for not releasing the ball.

But Lambie levelled with a fourth-minute penalty awarded for a ruck infringement and soon after a superb try by McLeod had many in the capacity 52 000 crowd on its feet celebrating.

McLeod kicked ahead after Sharks won a turnover, left wing Lwazi Mvovo won the race for possession and passed back to the scrumhalf who raced over the line unopposed and Lambie converted from in front of the posts.

De Waal, leading scorer in the competition this season, missed a kickable penalty attempt before Sharks delivered another huge blow to the visitors as Lambie waltzed past several tackles and held off Burger to touch down.

Lambie converted and added two penalties while De Waal failed again with a shot at goal to leave Sharks 23-3 ahead 26 minutes into a frenetic opening half staged in perfect conditions.

The desperation of 32-time champions Province showed as Burger was penalised for a high tackle on Lambie, who narrowly missed the resultant penalty and failed with an even more ambitious effort soon after.

Groggy Province finally spent some time in Sharks territory as half-time approached and Burger was credited with a try after a rolling Province maul drove Sharks back over the line. De Waal converted to close the first-half scoring.

Province came out firing in the second half, camping in the Sharks half for long periods, but as the game passed the hour mark there was no addition to the scoreboard as the home team defending superbly.