Sharks surge into final
12 May 2007
The Sharks overcame a brave fightback by the Blues to claim an emphatic 34-18 victory in Durban.
The hosts may have finished with a flourish, with Butch James and Waylon Murray crossing the tryline, but the scoreline doesn’t reflect just how close the Blues came to scoring an unlikely win. The Sharks produced a performance worthy of Super 14 champions in the first half, but went horribly off the boil thereafter. With a 14-6 lead at the break, they should have finished the Kiwis off.
But you can bet any encounter featuring teams from these two countries is going to have it all; highs and lows of epic proportions and a home crowd fraught with emotion. This playoff delivered everything it promised and more, with the bottom line being a third crack at the title for the East Coasters with the added advantage of playing this game on their own pitch.
The game began in a tentative manner, with both teams reluctant to take any risks. The Blues won their first line-out and mauled 40m towards the Sharks goal line. Isa Nacewa missed the ensuing penalty kick, but the maul was one of the few instances where the Blues had any sort of ascendancy in terms of forward play.
The visitors maintained possession, but the hosts maintained composure. They squandered a few opportunities early on and had to take their awesome defence to new levels of desperation and intensity, but amongst the 50 000-plus Sharks crowd, there was not one supporter who had any doubt. The team fed off the cheers and absorbed the pressure firstly in the second quarter and a few minutes from time to win the game.
Ryan Kankowski was a real standout and rewarded Dick Muir’s faith with another superb performance. He dragged defenders tens of metres from several line-breaks before the sheer weight of numbers brought him to ground. He was the catalyst that reversed the momentum in the first half, as the Sharks began to find parity and send in wave after wave of belligerent attack.
The Blues defended well initially, but as they game wore on, they did their best to spoil and slow the Sharks assault. Be it through a timely hand in front of the pass, or bodies on the ground, the first half was all about survival for them, and Nacewa kicked a vital penalty at the end of the first half to keep them in touch at 14-6.
The threat of the Sharks pack was manifest, and they duly dominated for most of the game. The scrum monstered the visitors, several set-pieces crumbling as the power of Carstens, Smit and Botha pulverised their Blues counterparts.
The line-out was even more secure, with Smit and Johann Muller combining beautifully. Muller was also prominent in the loose and on hand to finish the only try of the first period. A few desperate passes were thrown as the Sharks searched for an unmarked attacker. With the goal line under his nose, the Bok second-rower was never going to miss out.
The Blues did enjoy some success at stages of broken play. George Pisi was full of running and in ominous mood off the step, and Anthony Tuituvake produced a few threatening surges as well. Isaia Toeava was quiet in the first half, but conjured two pieces of rugby magic that allowed the Kiws back in the game. Soon after the break, Toeava rounded the blindside and had both Butch James and Frans Steyn committed to the tackle. A deft pop on the switch allowed Rudi Wulf to finish.
Toeava was again influential in the Blues’ second try where he broke and offloaded to Nacewa. Nacewa did not enjoy the best game with the boot, but kicked the conversion from in front of the posts to extend the visitors’ lead to 18-14.
An excruciatingly tense period followed as the Sharks tried to get into the Blues half and restore the lead. The forwards were again brilliant in mauling the Blues off the line-out, and referee Stuart Dickinson had no option but to award the penalty when the Blues collapsed the maul. Percy Montgomery goaled the penalty which brought the Sharks within one point, and from then on the Sharks played smart rugby and forced the Blues to make all the mistakes.
While Dick Muir will not be happy with the way his side squandered a handy lead, there were some encouraging signs. The Sharks strengths on defence and in the scrum were once again patent, but their sublime display in the line-out is what will give them confidence against the Bulls or Crusaders next week, who are both very clinical in this department.
Sharks – Tries: Johann Muller, Butch James, Waylon Murray. Conversions: Percy Montgomery (2). Penalties: Montgomery (4). Drop goal: Butch James.
Blues – Tries: Rudi Wulf, Isa Nacewa. Conversion: Nacewa. Penalties: Nacewa (2).
By Jon Cardinelli, at Absa Stadium, Durban.
55 Comments
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12 May 2007, 22:30 pm
Congrats to the Sharks you are deserved winners it was a great match. and to my Blues team you had a chance but needed to play for the full 80mins but I am glad you made the Semis because that is an achievement in it self.GOOD ON BLUES.
13 May 2007, 00:48 am
Well done Sharks – a fantastic open game, great to watch and minimal mistakes given the frenetic pace.
Both teams desrve to be in the final really but the Sharks ought to take it if the can repeat this game.
37. Get real man, There is no way he could see Jacobs slip down behind him and it all happened way to fast to intentionally stomp, and he was focussed on continuing through no hurting someone behind him.
13 May 2007, 02:48 am
congrats sharks!!!!zhak , comment 37 , it was a clear accident , dont think the player deservved to be sited.
13 May 2007, 04:56 am
Congratulation Sharkies.
You can go all the way. I think you deserve to become the first SA winner of the S12 or S14.
Sharks have been the most consistant of the SA Teams over the years. Final should be a great match.
Sharks fans on here among the best natured of all fans. (there are exceptions to this of course).
Once again enjoy the moment.
13 May 2007, 10:18 am
Yeah go the Shawks – hottest babes look to be in Durban, thats good enough for me. Besides all those Bulls supporters are one eyed fanatics, i agree that shawks fans are the best of the bunch, they even clapped off toeava when he got injured.
Cant wait for the final – i can see the shawks scoring more tries and without altitude the kicking will probably favour them as Steyn has the biggest boot since Nasty Botha – Will be a good battle up front, could be the best final ever and a hell of alot beta than the fog fest
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