Sharks slay sorry Stormers
2014-07-12 21:05
Cape Town - The Cell C Sharks have warmed up for next week's Super Rugby play-offs with 34-10
win over coastal rivals, the Stormers, at Newlands on Saturday night.
As it happened: Stormers v Sharks
With
the boot of flyhalf Frans Steyn contributing 14 points in the Sharks'
19-10 half-time lead, the Stormers were unable to find their way back
into the match despite a spirited second-half display.
Since the
Crusaders had earlier on Saturday recorded a 34-8 bonus point win, the
Sharks needed to do the same, as well as win by more than 35 points, to
snatch a second position on the season-end standings.
As the
Sharks were saddled with a near-impossible task to make that happen, the
result had no bearing on their play-offs fortunes and they will host
the Highlanders in Durban next week.
The Sharks were forced into a
late change when scrumhalf Cobus Reinach pulled out injured and was
replaced by Charl McLeod in the starting team, with Stefan Ungerer
coming in on the bench.
In the early exchanges, Steyn was on
target with one of two penalties in the first four minutes when the
Stormers infringed at breakdown play (3-0).
Sharks flank Willem
Alberts was sin-binned in the 14th minute and shortly after Stormers
flank Nizaam Carr scored a try from rolling maul, flyhalf Kurt Coleman
added the conversion (7-3). The Sharks worked their way back into the
contest, with Steyn slotting three penalties for a 12-7 lead.
Coleman
reduced the deficit with a 35th minute penalty but the Sharks extended
their lead on the stroke of half-time, with a converted try by centre
Paul Jordaan (19-10).
Four minutes after the restart, a fifth
Steyn penalty meant the Sharks went 22-10 ahead.
In the final stages of
the match, the Sharks managed to break the Stormers' stranglehold in
defence with break-outs from their own half and with tries awarded to
Sibusiso Sithole and Steyn.
Scorers:
Stormers 10- Try: Nizaam Carr; Conversion: Kurt Coleman; Penalty: Coleman
Sharks 34 - Tries: Paul Jordaan, Sibusiso Sithole, Stefan Ungerer; Conversions: Frans Steyn (2); Penalties: Steyn (5)
Teams:
Stormers:
15. Jaco Taute, 14. Gio Aplon, 13. Sailosi Tagicakibau, 12. Juan de Jongh, 11. Cheslin Kolbe, 10. Kurt Coleman, 9. Nic Groom, 8. Duane Vermeulen, 7. Schalk Burger (captain), 6. Nizaam Carr, 5. Ruan Botha, 4. Michael Rhodes, 3. Pat Cilliers, 2. Tiaan Liebenberg, 1. Alistair Vermaak
Substitutes: 16. Stephan Coetzee, 17. Sti Sithole, 18. Martin Dreyer, 19. Manuel Carizza, 20. Siya Kolisi, 21. Louis Schreuder, 22. Peter Grant, 23. Seabelo Senatla
Sharks:
15. SP Marais, 14. S’bura Sithole, 13. JP Pietersen, 12. Paul Jordaan, 11. Lwazi Mvovo, 10. Francois Steyn, 9. Cobus Reinach, 8. Ryan Kankowski, 7. Willem Alberts, 6. Marcell Coetzee, 5. Stephan Lewies, 4. Anton Bresler, 3. Jannie du Plessis, 2. Bismarck du Plessis (captain), 1. Thomas du Toit
Substitutes: 16. Kyle Cooper, 17. Wiehahn Herbst, 18. Lourens Adriaanse, 19. Etienne Oosthuizen, 20. Jean Deysel, 21. Charl McLeod, 22. Fred Zeilinga, 23. Tonderai Chavhanga