Cheetahs shock Sharks
17 Oct 2009
Jacques-Louis Potgieter slotted a last minute drop to knock the Sharks out of the Currie Cup at Kings Park.
The Cheetahs have come back from the dead in the league stages in the competition, and did the same in this semi as they trailed 18-3 early in the second half. But a remarkable comeback, aided by the Cheetahs flyhalf scoring 18 points, secured one of the great upsets in the competition as they won 23-21.
The Cheetahs were expected to trouble the Sharks at the scrum, breakdown and with their attack. They did just that, and throughout the opening 40 minutes they produced most of the play. Looking at the scoreboard however, it wouldn’t have told. The Sharks led 15-3 at the break, 10 of those points coming in the final 10 minutes, but for the visitors it was a half of lost opportunities.
No 8 Ashley Johnson was held up inches from the tryline, while Potgieter’s goal-kicking problems were initially exposed. He missed nine points off the boot from two penalties and a drop, and playing with the wind, trailing by 12 points was far from Naka Drotske’s plans.
Heinrich Brussow – who was easily the best player on the park on the day – delivered yet another masterclass at the breakdown, but when the Sharks did force turnovers they made it count. Stefan Terblanche opened the scoring from a long range effort from their 22 after 10 minutes. Ruan Pienaar also slotted a penalty from another Sharks counter, while the scrumhalf’s try on the half-time hooter came from JP Pietersen’s break in their own territory, the Bok winger brushing off tackles and linking brilliantly.
The Sharks had little possession and territory, while their scrum was a shambles. The Sharks attempted to win the territorial battle largely via the educated boot of Juan Hernandez and his array of different kicks, but they had little ball to do it with. The Cheetahs conversely looked to run as much as possible, but couldn’t convert their pressure into points.
They were also winning a number of the personal battles, especially at the scrum and breakdown, with referee Marius Jonker rewarding them with many penalties. Both sides’ lineouts struggled and as a result, neither side constructed much play.
The visitors’ hopes of an upset were also hampered after half-time when Richardt Strauss had to be substituted. They had no specialist hooker cover and Johnson had to move into the front row, further curbing their plans to attack the Sharks’ set-pieces.
Early in the second stanza, the story of the opening stages was clearly exemplified. As soon as the defending champs got into opposition territory, Hernandez put over a drop to extend the lead. Corne Uys then had a chance to score from a chip, but failed to hold on. Potgieter slotted a penalty and cancelled out the Argentinean’s effort, but yet again the Cheetahs would have felt they should have gained more from their work.
Finally the underdogs made it count. Impressive tighthead WP Nel carried a number of defenders on his back to surge over the line and put his side back into it at 18-13 after 52 minutes. When Frans Viljoen looked to have dotted down four minutes later, the Cheetahs should have been in the lead. Somehow Jonker referred with his assistant ref and they ruled a forward pass, but it wouldn’t matter in the end.
Just two minutes later they wouldn’t have worried about that when Potgieter ran 50m to score. A shocking pass from Pienaar was lapped up by the flyhalf, putting the visitors in front for the first time since the opening five minutes.
Pienaar reclaimed the lead, and while the Sharks dominated territory in the last quarter, they failed to close out the match. Decision-making was poor as Hernandez, Terblanche and Adi Jacobs all went for drops when they had the visitors on the ropes. Ironically, it was Potgieter who was the one who dropped into the pocket to seal the result.
By Grant Ball
323 Comments
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17 Oct 2009, 15:45 pm
#91 Porto: Yeah, but its a shame that we can’t have a Loftus final. Now we have to go to that horrid city and crush the Sharks like empty beer cans.
17 Oct 2009, 15:46 pm
#95 Porto:
Isn’t there a nursery school that you can go and stir in?
17 Oct 2009, 15:47 pm
#101 BlueBlood: like last year?
17 Oct 2009, 15:47 pm
#95 Porto: #78 Porto: i know you’re a doos!
17 Oct 2009, 15:47 pm
Sharks aren’t going to the final. Its going to be in Cape Town FS vs WP
17 Oct 2009, 15:47 pm
And they wonder why Bulls fans are described as boorish…
17 Oct 2009, 15:48 pm
Adi the destroyer.
17 Oct 2009, 15:48 pm
#102 David: Best not to answer people that David. It just gives them more attention. Ignore him.
17 Oct 2009, 15:49 pm
Duck a duck
17 Oct 2009, 15:49 pm
straight through?? didn’t touch anything at all?
17 Oct 2009, 15:49 pm
What a game…
17 Oct 2009, 15:50 pm
very very unlucky
17 Oct 2009, 15:50 pm
Might be a card here.
17 Oct 2009, 15:52 pm
Good Work Swannie!! Dont take any kuk from these farmers.
17 Oct 2009, 15:52 pm
Hang on,whats this then hey? Come on Cheetahs, I wanna go to Loftus.
17 Oct 2009, 15:54 pm
#102 David: That wouldn’t be as much fun. I like to get under the skin of the racists on this blog, they are so predictable
17 Oct 2009, 15:54 pm
Another try Cheetahs. Looks like Cheetahs could win this.
17 Oct 2009, 15:54 pm
Thats better you rubbish cheetahs.
17 Oct 2009, 15:54 pm
Told you Sharks are choking again as we speak. Its a Cheetah’s – WP final next week.
17 Oct 2009, 15:54 pm
CHEETAHS!!!!!!!
17 Oct 2009, 15:54 pm
SHOCKING!!!!
17 Oct 2009, 15:55 pm
#104 Transformation: What does doos mean, is it a good thing?
17 Oct 2009, 15:57 pm
Sharks lucky to have 15 on the field at the mo.
17 Oct 2009, 15:58 pm
Sharks with all their national players are really useless!!!
Cheeters should have been 20+ by now if they made use of the opportunities they had in 1st half. Please keep the lead. Cannot take these glory boys from the kingdom of Kwa Zulu.
17 Oct 2009, 15:59 pm
Back in the lead!! Now no more stupid mistakes
17 Oct 2009, 15:59 pm
come on sharks
17 Oct 2009, 15:59 pm
#124 Peter Mkata: Card that guppie.
17 Oct 2009, 16:00 pm
Ruan gets the kick over. Sharks ahead by a point.
Hang in there Sharks. One point ahead is enough to win. Just keep focused now.
17 Oct 2009, 16:00 pm
#122 Porto: Good reply –
17 Oct 2009, 16:03 pm
unlucky juan
17 Oct 2009, 16:04 pm
#124 Peter Mkata:hey mhlekazi kunjani?
17 Oct 2009, 16:04 pm
What a game! Oops, stupid knock by the Staat. Btw, Puma, see how gracious us WP fans are?
17 Oct 2009, 16:04 pm
Ruined a really great take. Johnson has had a great game.
17 Oct 2009, 16:05 pm
Brussouw player of the year
17 Oct 2009, 16:06 pm
heinrich is THE man!
17 Oct 2009, 16:06 pm
Come you rubbish cheetahs, do something.
17 Oct 2009, 16:06 pm
The Diamond.
17 Oct 2009, 16:07 pm
#132 WP Till I Die:
At least until the next game.
17 Oct 2009, 16:07 pm
Brussow is exceptional.
17 Oct 2009, 16:08 pm
Awesome defence! Come on Sharks!!!!
17 Oct 2009, 16:09 pm
#129 Senga:
17 Oct 2009, 16:09 pm
David, at least we’re not revelling in every Cheetah score like they were in the Lions WP match
17 Oct 2009, 16:09 pm
Chelsea lose 1-2 at Villa.
17 Oct 2009, 16:09 pm
FFS, ADI WTF ARE YOU THINKING???
17 Oct 2009, 16:10 pm
If I see one more drop goal attempt I am going to scream!!
17 Oct 2009, 16:10 pm
trying drop kicks every time shows just how much they fear the big choke again. A team that believes in their ability goes for tries not drop kicks.
17 Oct 2009, 16:10 pm
#142 WP Till I Die: WP fans brought that on themselves by cheering for the Lions the week before
17 Oct 2009, 16:11 pm
#142 WP Till I Die:
Aren’t we?
17 Oct 2009, 16:11 pm
the sharks like stransky said can’t string any backline moves for **** all these missed drop kicks.
17 Oct 2009, 16:12 pm
#146 skopskiet: to be fair Hernandez tries drop-kicks all the time anyway, he does it for Argentina and SF too. He’s pretty good at them.
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