Sharks battered in Bloem
7 Oct 2006
The Vodacom Cheetahs beat the Sharks 30-14 in Bloemfontein on Saturday to ensure a home Absa Currie Cup final against the Bulls.
Free State led 24-0 after 30 minutes, and although the Sharks fought their way back into the game through two tries, the result was never in doubt.
Midweek predictions of a dour forward battle couldn’t have been further off the mark as both teams sought to play attacking rugby.
The mind games started pre-match as Dick Muir made six changes to the team he had announced on Thursday. Francois Steyn shifted to fullback to accommodate Butch James at flyhalf, meaning Brent Russell was dropped to the reserve bench as JP Pietersen slotted in on the wing. In the pack, Johan Ackermann, Skipper Badenhorst and Keegan Daniel all started.
The plan backfired spectacularly as the new combinations failed to match the intensity with which the home side began the match.
The Cheetahs could have scored as early as the sixth minute when star wing Phillip Burger broke the defensive line and offloaded to Kabamba Floors. However, he failed to hear the call of the support runner on his inside and the move petered out.
They didn’t have to wait much longer after that to open the scoring, though.
A centrefield scrum, inside the Sharks’ 22, saw the Cheetahs get a strong right shoulder. Willem de Waal collected the ball flat and swung a long cut-out pass to Gavin Passens who stepped inside Odwa Ndungane to score. De Waal’s conversion and a subsequent penalty sent the Cheetahs into a commanding 13-0 lead after 14 minutes.
The game was marred by niggle between the players and when Johan Ackermann was sin-binned in the 15th minute for punching, the Cheetahs capitalised.
They pressured the Sharks with a series of backline forays, one of which resulted in the TMO turning down the claim for a try.
That seemed to spur on the hosts and it was from yet another centrefield scrum that they scored their second try. Joint Man of the Match Bevin Fortuin ran a fantastic line and received an inside switch off his pivot. Great support play from Ryno van der Merwe saw the eighthman cross for his ninth try of the season.
Muir responded with a series of personnel changes, as Russell, Bismarck du Plessis and Deon Carstens were sent on in an attempt to pull the Sharks back into the match. The Cheetahs though compounded their misery with their third try on the match, with Floors (the other Man of the Match) the catalyst.
Seemingly aimless backline play finally bore fruit when De Waal timed his pass perfectly to put Floors into space. The former Sevens star drew a defender and dished the pass out to Passens who out sprinted Pietersen to double his try tally. De Waal’s successful conversion meant the Durban-based side were under serious pressure.
But they are known to be a resilient team and launched a comeback by scoring tries either side of the break.
Russell sparked life into a unimaginative backline, and he was central to a 38th minute try, when he doubled around to collect a sublime no-look pass from Waylon Murray, drew Fortuin and passed for Pietersen to score. Ruan Pienaar converted from the right hand touchline.
The Sharks produced a sustained period of pressure and 12 minutes after the break they made it 27-14, when Du Plessis emerged from a rolling maul, following a 5m line-out, to score.
But a series of handling errors, the most notable coming from Jacques Botes who knocked on after Russell had seared down the left touchline and put him into a certain try scoring position, denied the visitors the chance of a memorable comeback.
Ultimately, Meyer Bosman broke their resistance with a 43m penalty, adding to De Waal’s earlier effort, to open the gap to 16 points and send them into the Absa Currie Cup final.
Cheetahs - Tries: Gavin Passens (2), Ryno van der Merwe. Conversions: Willem de Waal (3). Penalties: De Waal (2), Meyer Bosman.
Sharks - Tries: JP Pietersen, Bismarck du Plessis. Conversion: Ruan Pienaar.
By Ryan Vrede
374 Comments
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8 Oct 2006, 12:48 pm
Ek dink ook nie Fester se eksperiment met Gerrie Brits het sy saak gehelp nie
8 Oct 2006, 12:50 pm
kevin w,
Fokof.
As jy nie n sin vir humor het nie, ignoreer my posts.
8 Oct 2006, 12:51 pm
kevin het jy gehoor die BLOUBUL het gepraat!
8 Oct 2006, 12:54 pm
en waar is die grootbek david Crampeasy nou wat mos die Staat as vervelig en voorspelbaar beskryf het?
Kom jou ****** krimineel, ons wag!
8 Oct 2006, 12:57 pm
Bulle gaan Chetahs BREEK die saterdag…en ek gaan daar wees om dit te sien!!
8 Oct 2006, 12:57 pm
post campese ook hier?
8 Oct 2006, 13:01 pm
amazing when some dumb bonehead makes a derogatory comment, it always was said in jest!
Nee BaasBlou, ek het net klomp kak liedjies gekoor!
8 Oct 2006, 13:04 pm
Well, we all knew what the outcome of this game was gonna be anyways.
8 Oct 2006, 13:18 pm
Okay, kevin w, i meant it.
So what?
8 Oct 2006, 13:28 pm
you are a sad individual … i don’t need to try paint my first comment a pretty picture
8 Oct 2006, 13:34 pm
GWB
Hoe sien jy die game in Euro? Watter kanaal? Boerboel was daar en hy kon fokkol sien nie.
8 Oct 2006, 14:13 pm
Skysport 3.
Op n pirate box!
8 Oct 2006, 17:41 pm
Vrystaaaat !!!
Cheetahs gonna have steak Saturday…
8 Oct 2006, 17:42 pm
Time to beat **** Muir around the ears Keo?
The Sharks under performed because he stuffed up the selection for the third time this season. When will he learn to use James, Russell and Steyn effectively?
Although Jake White is often criticised for his dour continuity policies, **** Muir has not yet shown what he has learnt from all his combinations this year. Nor is there any clear indication of what his S14 run on team will be. I doubt that he knows either. The lack of stability in the Sharks back line is part of their performance problem.
8 Oct 2006, 18:02 pm
**** faded badly in the CC ,2006, a few bad blunders
not playing his best side in Kimberly cost the Union a lot of money
Changing the run on team yesterday didnt confuse the Cheetahs but his own team took a while to find each other
8 Oct 2006, 18:22 pm
Moet se daai Steyn ventjie moet mooi opgepas word, kan nie glo hy is maar net 19 nie!
Lyk nie bang vir verdedig nie, sal hom graag in een posisie wil sien speel, die dat hy een week heelagter speel dan losskakel is k@k!
Muir het lelik misgetas met sy span keuses, wys jou net weer jy kan nie om vir die trots van n trui te speel koop nie,Lensing hul 1.3m per jaar kontrak is in die 1e 20min afgehaal,Ackermann pateties,tyd om pakket te vat ou bul!
Sharks en S14…Mmmmm weet nie so mooi nie,hul afrigter is te veel gepla om die een span aan te kondig en n ander op te stuur.
Bulle…kry fort loftus terug en wen tuis voor daai skare, ja moontlike semi plek wag!..en wen die odd oorsee game.
Stormers…blink toekoms wat wag,lekker jong span om mee vorentoe te gaan.
Leeus…speel soos in die 2e helfte van CC en dinge kan gebeur!
Cheetahs…met Rassie weet jy nooit.Dink hul kort diepte in sekere posisies.
Eintlik probeer ek vir myself klein kry hoekom ons nie die blerrie S14 kan wen nie!
8 Oct 2006, 18:58 pm
Muskadel, wat ek nie kan kleinkry nie hoekom ons so stadig uit die blokke kom, kyk maar na 3 games skarrel ons vir punte, vergeet die 2 local Derbys. Ons moet eerder die local derbys los speel en sorg dat die verloorder minstens 2 bonus punte kry, OK dis onmoontlik om te “rig”.
Jys reg n span kan jy nie koop nie, en met ondeurdagte aankope kan jy lelik onmin saai en spangees opduiwel. Ek hoop die Bulle het hul spelers behoorlik “gebrief” oor die rede waarom Wickus gekontrakteer is.
8 Oct 2006, 19:08 pm
Sal graag wil sien hoe HM en Pote vir Wicus gaan gebruik, wel hys n beter kaptein opsie as Frikkie…
8 Oct 2006, 20:39 pm
Kaptein aseblief, Hy moet eers werk om kaptein te word, Hulle saal gary botha of Matfield kies. en ok vir fourie du preez speelers wat lank al by ons is
8 Oct 2006, 22:49 pm
Jannes..poephol,net gese hy sal n beter kaptein as Frikkie wees(tong in die kies)…mooi lees!
8 Oct 2006, 23:13 pm
praat nie net oor jou nie baie mense het gese hy moet bul kaptain wees wat ek dink is ‘n bietjie dom vir ‘n ou wat pas in die span kom
9 Oct 2006, 09:54 am
Ackerman did not punch the guy, but he pushed him in the face. the stupid linesman, says ” i definitely saw him punch but i dont know which part of the body he punched” — the dude just wanted to get his mug on the TV — he was smiling and trying to speak at the same time. What a load of codswhallop
9 Oct 2006, 13:13 pm
333 Dit het geresult in ‘n drie was nogal goed.
9 Oct 2006, 17:23 pm
Where is Campussy Now?
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