The Sharks beat the Golden Lions 24-10 in a storm-interrupted Currie Cup match at Kings Park on Friday night, reports SIMON BORCHARDT.
Robert du Preez’s men now have 47 log points from 11 matches, and cannot be caught by the second-placed Free State Cheetahs, who have 30 from nine.
The Lions remain fourth on the log, a point ahead of the Pumas, and five ahead of the Blue Bulls, who have a game in hand and play Western Province on Sunday.
As was the case in Durban last Saturday when the Sharks beat the Bulls 18-5, pouring rain made conditions difficult for both sides.
However, the hosts were still able to race out to an 8-0 lead after 10 minutes, thanks to a penalty from Curwin Bosch and a converted try to Thomas du Toit. It was sparked by Michael Claassens, who collected a Lions grubber just outside his 22 and booted the ball ahead. The Sharks then swamped Jaco van der Walt close to his tryline and forced a turnover from which their loosehead prop scored.
Bosch extended the lead with his second penalty, before a dropped pass from Garth April gifted the Lions a 5m scrum. They dominated it and thought they had scored a try, but after watching the TV replays, the officials correctly ruled that there had been an obstruction.
Referee Stuart Berry then decided to suspend the game, because the thunder and lightning had become too close together, but play resumed 15 minutes later.
The Sharks suffered a setback eight minutes before the break when Keegan Daniel – who had been superb in the lineouts – was yellow-carded for a shoulder charge in an off-the-ball scuffle. But the hosts didn’t concede any points while the veteran flank was off the field.
The scrums had been a mess throughout the match – much to the referee’s frustration – and it was from a set-piece penalty that Van der Walt finally got the Lions on the board in the 54th minute.
But that was cancelled out by another Bosch penalty, and the Sharks then struck a telling blow when Odwa Ndungane raced away to score after Rohan Janse van Rensburg lost possession in the tackle. Bosch nailed the touchline conversion and added a drop goal.
S’bu Nkosi thought he had scored his ninth try of the competition late in the game after kicking the loose ball ahead, but replays showed he had failed to ground it after a fumble from Van der Walt.
Anthony Volmink then scored a last-minute try for the Lions, but it meant little as the Sharks celebrated their 10th win in 11 matches.
Sharks – Tries: Thomas du Toit, Odwa Ndungane. Conversion: Curwin Bosch. Penalties: Bosch (3). Drop goal: Bosch.
Golden Lions – Try: Anthony Volmink. Conversion: Jaco van der Walt. Penalty: Van der Walt.
Sharks – 15 Garth April, 14 Odwa Ndungane, 13 Tristan Blewett, 12 Marius Louw, 11 S’bu Nkosi, 10 Curwin Bosch, 9 Michael Claassens, 8 Dan du Preez, 7 Jacques Vermeulen, 6 Keegan Daniel, 5 Ruan Botha (c), 4 Tyler Paul, 3 Ross Geldenhuys, 2 Franco Marais, 1 Thomas du Toit.
Subs: 16 Akker van der Merwe, 17 Juan Schoeman, 18 Jean Droste, 19 Tera Mtembu, 20 Cameron Wright, 21 Inny Radebe, 22 Rhyno Smith.
Golden Lions – 15 Jaco van der Walt, 14 Sylvian Mahuza, 13 Harold Vorster, 12 Rohan Janse van Rensburg, 11 Aphiwe Dyantyi, 10 Ashlon Davids, 9 Marco Jansen van Vuren, 8 Fabian Booysen, 7 Cyle Brink, 6 Kwagga Smith, 5 Marvin Orie, 4 Rhyno Herbst, 3 Jacobie Adriaanse, 2 Robbie Coetzee, 1 Jacques van Rooyen (c).
Subs: 16 Sti Sithole, 17 Pieter Jansen, 18 Johannes Jonker, 19 Robert Kruger, 20 Len Massyn, 21 Bradley Thain, 22 Anthony Volmink.
Photo: Steve Haag/Gallo Images
