WP shut out champs
11 Jul 2009
WP kept the Sharks tryless in a 29-15 upset at Newlands on Saturday.
The driving rain and slippery under-foot conditions prescribed a more conservative approach, an approach best suited to WP flyhalf Willem de Waal. WP got off to a dream start when All Blacks lock Chris Jack charged a Rory Kockott-clearance in the opening minute, but this match was primarily a battle of the boot.
De Waal goaled Jack’s try from the touchline and went on to kick three more penalties in the first half. It was only through Kockott’s equally accurate efforts that the Sharks were able to go to the shed trailing 16-12.
When presented with possession in midfield, the hosts sought to give the ball plenty of air, either probing for territory or launching the high-bomb. These tactics appeared successful as the Sharks spent the majority of the first period in their own half, but on occasion, WP failed to acknowledge their options outside. Wingers Sireli Naqelevuki and Frikkie Welsh could have been replaced by cardboard cut-outs and it hardly would have changed a thing.
The WP lineout pinched a few off the Sharks’ throw with Jack and fellow new recruit Anton Van Zyl making a big impact. The Sharks’ scrum won a few penalties, but they definitely didn’t have it all their own way with the WP eight applying plenty of pressure.
Kockott kept the visitors in touch with four penalties, but missed his fifth attempt right on the stroke of half-time. After the break, the Sharks’ scrummie saw his sixth shot also fall short as the visitors battled to gain any ascendancy.
No 8 Keegan Daniel was then sin-binned for an infringement at the maul and WP proceeded to score 10 points in his absence. Van Zyl made an incisive break and drew two defenders before freeing up Morgan Newman. Newman acted as a link to Naqelevuki, who hauled in a stray pass to power through the last Sharks’ tackle attempt and score.
De Waal was in unstoppable form with the boot, goaling another touchline conversion. He added a further penalty moments later to take WP to a comfortable 26-12 lead.
Kockott managed to find his radar when Van Zyl transgressed at the breakdown, but WP continued to lead the fight in both the territorial and possessional stakes. When Sharks pivot Guy Cronje did get the ball, it was all he could do to hack it upfield. The Sharks’ midfield hardly featured from an attacking perspective.
The significant period on defence began to tell as the game entered the final quarter. The WP backs grew more adventurous and exploited some tired tackling, speedsters like Juan de Jongh coming into their own.
Johann Muller’s men refused to give in, but their desperation became more patent as the clock wound down. Muller opted to kick for touch with 17 minutes remaining. It was a decision that backfired as the WP forwards managed to affect the turnover while De Waal obliged with the clearance.
The Sharks sustained another debilitating blow when Muller left the field with an arm injury. Just as Jean de Villiers’s injury in the Stormers vs Sharks Super 14 match cost the hosts on that occasion, so did Muller’s departure on this occasion. They battled for composure, and even though WP made a number of errors, the Sharks failed to capitalise.
The defending champions will have plenty to ponder following this performance. They were outdone by an underrated WP tight-five and obliterated by the WP loose trio at the breakdown. Ultimately, this allowed men like De Waal to do the rest.
It seemed fitting that De Waal kicked a massive 50m penalty in the 75th minute to put the result beyond doubt. The ball bounced off the crossbar and looped over. WP had all the luck in this fixture, but they were also good enough to make most of their opportunities tell.
By Jon Cardinelli
218 Comments
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11 Jul 2009, 19:18 pm
superbul … hy het 1 game in Super 14 opgekom en sleg gesspel..ook ‘n skop voor die pale gemis.. Burton het nog baie om te leer …. regtig niks om excited te raak nie… maar net nog ‘n transformation speler in my oe … dan kies ek eerder Earl Rose
11 Jul 2009, 19:19 pm
#143 Veltie: Dink amper hy is n bok wat 10 toetse agter sy blad het met 45 minute op die veld, moerse goed
11 Jul 2009, 19:19 pm
nog ‘n ding …. groot verskil het gekom toe Tiger vir Zane vervang ….
11 Jul 2009, 19:19 pm
#144 Boerboel: I’m good thanks, just going out to a Blues Night tonight. Picnic packed wine chilling friends due any moment!!
You recovered now….Nurses ceased giving you ‘palpitations’!!
11 Jul 2009, 19:20 pm
Congrats to all my WP mates here. Well done to your team.
Chris Jack looked really pleased to get mom. Well done to him on his first CC game.
11 Jul 2009, 19:20 pm
#153 Sir_Charles__Napier: Where did someone with a title learn to speak Afrikaans like that???
11 Jul 2009, 19:21 pm
Bulle se probleme lê op slot en losskakel.
Volgende week is dit Jack/van Zyl teen Steenekamp/vd Merwe, en, De Waal teen Francis/Brummer
Skaal swaai dadelik in WP se guns.
As ek BB se afrigters is, sal ek vir Pedri op slot kies, hy het in die 2003/4 seisoen gereeld daar gespeel.
Die WP, Cheetahs, Lions en GW se doelwit moet wees om die Bulls en Sharks uit te skakel al voor die 11de rondte van die CB, want as hul Bokke terug is, is dit weer dieselfde storie as laasjaar.
Die Sharks het nou klaar een verloor, maar dit was weg van die huis. As jy Bulle en Sharks wil uitskakel, wen hul op hul tuisveld, dan raak dit moeilik vir hul om die semi’s te haal.
Maar soos Baas Notha gesê het: jy wen nie CB in die eerste 10 rondtes nie …
11 Jul 2009, 19:21 pm
#155 Puma: Bad luck today Puma, your Kockott looks a very good lad though!!
11 Jul 2009, 19:21 pm
Veltie,
Niks teen hom of enige speler nie tjom.
Hy is ‘n 9 wat die game van ‘n 10 speel.
Ek dink Rocket is moerse talentvol, hy is net nie ‘n talentvolle 9 nie.
11 Jul 2009, 19:21 pm
#147 Sir_Charles__Napier: funny , like Gary said the more we practice the luckier we get
11 Jul 2009, 19:22 pm
Guy Cronje, the Sharks Fly Half was by far the Tjarks’s weakest link….
11 Jul 2009, 19:22 pm
#152 superBul: lol…ek voel regtig vir die ou. kan nie lekker wees om n pion te wees nie…
so van pione gepraat…ou earl was weer hondk*k vandag…
11 Jul 2009, 19:22 pm
Prrrrooooovvvinnnncceeee!!!!!
11 Jul 2009, 19:22 pm
I know there are quite a few areas of concern for Province, but there were a lot of positive signs today.
They can build on this.
Next week clash against the Bulls will be fantastic as it will give them a chance to see if the improvement is sustained.
Fans may want to complain that they’re missing their Boks, but remember the remainder should be on par with those of WP as they are also not Boks.
Again, today’s game was a huge confidence builder!
11 Jul 2009, 19:22 pm
carol …. ek het met ‘n paar afrikaanse meisies gekuier toe ek hier was met die britse leeus …. die waglys is lank :p .. maar ek kan erens vir jou plek maak
11 Jul 2009, 19:23 pm
#141 grootblousmile: English please…..I couldn’t read a word you said yesterday!!
11 Jul 2009, 19:23 pm
#154 carol: Sounds good Carol. Enjoy.
See our team is not doing too well against those Aussies in the first test. Could still land up a draw. England just need too bat very well when Oz declare. Still early days yet test series still a long way to go.
11 Jul 2009, 19:23 pm
#159 PissAnt: ja, maar onthou – hy moes vandag sy nuwe nr 10 beskerm.
11 Jul 2009, 19:23 pm
Lekker om finally die f*kken Sharks te wen
11 Jul 2009, 19:23 pm
niemand het gese WP gaan die curry cup wen nie..en hulle sal nie, maar mens moet admit – week 1 was hulle die beste span en klaar
11 Jul 2009, 19:23 pm
Well done WP, great win okes.
I think it was game over for the Sharks from the Jack try. They were bested on all fronts. Luke is a player of note, all kak aside. I think there is life in old Ricky yet. As for de Waal, boet, you could’ve been a Bok.
Sharks; KAK. What the fluck… I was looking for a good start to the season, but
Muller is not captain material. Sharks were under the gun but he could not rally his boys. Let too many things get away.
oh well, early days yet.
GO SHARKS!!!
11 Jul 2009, 19:23 pm
#155 Puma:
Thank you Pumes!
11 Jul 2009, 19:24 pm
Just got back from a wet newlands !! Lekka game , did not expect the result and was pleased with the performance , the backs looked very well drilled in the second half and showed glimpes of things to come. Just happy re the result and the way we played in some parts of the game
11 Jul 2009, 19:24 pm
#154 carol: Yep, fully recovered but I miss the nurses!
11 Jul 2009, 19:25 pm
#22 wooden spoon: The crowd looked small but there was about 20000 plus there tonight
11 Jul 2009, 19:25 pm
#165 Sir_Charles__Napier: GBS translation please!!
11 Jul 2009, 19:27 pm
Veltie,
Sal anner dag verder praat.
Ek is uit, cheers.
11 Jul 2009, 19:28 pm
#167 Puma: The rain came at the right time I think! WRS just loves the cricket…..Should be a fun time if we don’t get thrashed that is!!
11 Jul 2009, 19:29 pm
#164 Sheriff: You are right Sheriff. The remainder are on a par with WP as they only have 2 Boks out of their team as Sharks and Bulls have many out. So its equal at the moment in the CC. Then if we do get our Boks back it wont be a contest. Another thing to think about. Then think our Boks will only be back in September by that time the CC will know who will be in the running. Bulls and Sharks only get their Bok players back very late this year.
Weather in Cape Town is really awful this time of year. Rather be even be up here in the highveld. Durbs though is best in the winter months.
Hope Grant and Justrugby had a great time. Weather and all I think with the win they did.
11 Jul 2009, 19:29 pm
#177 PissAnt: drop me a line when you have a chance….rvdhorst1@hotmail.com cheers
11 Jul 2009, 19:29 pm
Long live the king!!! Luke is the magic in the team… 4 games 3wins… only lost to the Lions…by a whisker.. If he leads the team to a win against the Bull… it will be all down hill to the CC final
11 Jul 2009, 19:29 pm
#174 Boerboel: The only downfall of a speedy recovery….no more nurses!! Hahahaha
11 Jul 2009, 19:30 pm
#166 carol: Sorry…
OK, Lady of the Mannor, I have to leave now….it’s Saturday night… and I expect all the “jimjobs” like Napier to arrive here on the blog shortly
Goeie nag sustertjie.
Die lewe is ‘n Lied !
(PS ! WP, the Bulls are coming for you biggggggggggg time)
11 Jul 2009, 19:30 pm
What was pleasing was the handling of Province despite the bad conditions.
Team has been injected with awesome experience and these guys have inspired the youngsters today.
What many forget is that Schalk Brits did not play for Province today, that alone is worth 10 points for Province.
De Jongh looked exciting the few times he ran with Frikkie Welsh nice and aggressive at 14.
Let’s hope and pray for good condition next week in Pta to see how this team is really progressing!
11 Jul 2009, 19:31 pm
#179 Puma: Grant and Justrugby took their 12 year old girls to the match. I texted them and said forget the pub, those girls deserve hot chocolate and cake after that match!! Bet they are frozen!
11 Jul 2009, 19:32 pm
#178 carol: Rain was good for our team (I am goind to be English for now. Well am English speaking but am supporting England all the way.
I love the cricket Carol as you can see from my posts here when the Proteas play. Just hope England just bat it out when the Aussies declare. KP must not have a rush to the head this time. His shot that got him out was crazy.
11 Jul 2009, 19:32 pm
grootblou …enjoy flamingo’s …. klink dis al waar jy gan regkom vanaand ou perd …
11 Jul 2009, 19:32 pm
#180 Veltie: We can have that chat next month. I will be in Cape Town… I will choose the place and time and pay for the drinks
11 Jul 2009, 19:33 pm
#183 grootblousmile: Ons praat weer more Afrikaans Broer. Goeie nag, goeie mens. XXXXX
11 Jul 2009, 19:34 pm
#186 Puma: Sorry for typos in all my posts. Having a braai tonight with the neigbours
Must be the good red wine
11 Jul 2009, 19:35 pm
#179 Puma:
I’m not so sure about that Pumes.
If this team can build confidence and you add the likes of Jean de Villiers and Schalla then things could get very interesting.
But let’s not worry about that now. What is important for today is that Province got their campaign off to a very positive start.
We are delighted but will not get ahead of ourselves.
I sense a turnaround, but want it to be bit by bit.
11 Jul 2009, 19:35 pm
#190 Puma: sorry once again another mistake. neigbours = neighbours.
11 Jul 2009, 19:36 pm
#186 Puma: Great to have you on our side, nice for you to return the complement. As I am allowed to be a honourary Saffa you may be an ‘Invitational Englishman’ for the Ashes series!!
Must go now…..enjoy your evening.
11 Jul 2009, 19:36 pm
#188 Langenhoven: enjoy Cape Town and would love to take you up on that drink. But am in england. Will be back in cape town towards the end of the year.
11 Jul 2009, 19:37 pm
#190 Puma: Puma never bother with the typos, we always understand you. I just ignore my mistakes….
11 Jul 2009, 19:38 pm
Really must go now, byee all ***
11 Jul 2009, 19:39 pm
#191 Sheriff: Congrats on your team anyway Sheriff. They won and thats great.
If you add Burger and JdV and Sharks add Smit, Beast, Ruan, Fransie, Adi and JPP maybe it would be no contest. MAYBE.
For now just happy for the WP supporters. Chris Jack looked really very happy to get the mom award.
11 Jul 2009, 19:40 pm
good night all. lekker slaap almal. praat volgende week.
11 Jul 2009, 19:41 pm
Who does Province play next weekend ???
11 Jul 2009, 19:41 pm
#194 Veltie: I will meet you in England then… I will choose the place and time..and pay for drinks
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