Sharks take top spot on Super Rugby ladder
The Sharks climbed to the top of the overall Super Rugby standings when they beat the Jaguares 33-19 in Durban on Saturday.
The home side dominated the game for large periods and they outscored their opponents by four tries to three in hot and humid conditions at Kings Park.
The Sharks opened the scoring in the fourth minute when lock Hyron Andrews collected a neat tap-pass from Andre Esterhuizen to run in and evade a couple of defenders for a fantastic try.
Flyhalf Curwin Bosch was unable to convert from a difficult angle.
The home side thought they were in again three minutes later when wing Makazole Mapimpi collected a pin-point cross-kick from Bosch before running a for a score. However, play was brought back for a knock-on by a Sharks player in the build-up.
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Despite that setback, there was just no stopping the Sharks in open play and they soon got that second try when No.8 Sikhumbuzo Notshe was put into space from a quick-tap penalty to sprint in for the score. Bosch added the extra two points and the Sharks were 12-0 ahead after 10 minutes.
The Jaguares got their first points in the 18th minute after wing Santiago Carreras did well to collect Joaquin Diaz Bonilla’s cross-kick in the Sharks’22 before diving over for the try.
Bosch made it a 10-point ball game in the 23rd minute with a penalty before a moment of brilliance from Aphelele Fassi helped set up the Sharks’ third try.
The fullback split the Jaguares’ defence into two in the midfield and then chipped and gathered the ball before being tackled in the Jaguares’ 22. The ball then went wide to centre Andre Esterhuizen, who went over in the corner for a fantastic try.
Bosch converted the try for a 17-point lead.
However, the Jaguares stayed in touch in the 36th minute when fullback Joaquin Tuculet ran in for his team’s third try after a patient build-up in the Sharks’ 22.
At half-time it was 22-12 in favour of the Sharks.
It was the perfect start to the second half for the Sharks with Bosch converting two penalties into six points for a 16-point lead after 48 minutes.
And a few minutes later they gave the Jaguares a taste of their own medicine when hooker Kerron van Vuuren scored the Sharks’ fourth try after a powerful driving maul deep in the Jaguares’ 22.
Things went from bad to worse for the Jaguares in the 61st minute when scrumhalf Gonzalo Bertranou was yellow carded for some cynical play.
The Sharks also had a man in the bin in 74th minute when Aphelele Fassi was yellow carded for a late hit with no arms.
It was the visitors who had a final say in the match when Sebastian Cancelliere powered his way over the tryline after sustained pressure in the Sharks’ half.
– Rugby365
WATCH: Wallabies and Waratahs utility Kurtley Beale could be heading overseas.
Comments on RugbyPass
All I can say after reading this bitter, sour, sad piece is… Thank you very much! This will be read in the change room just before kick off on 31 August…
169 Go to commentsLook, we know contradicting opinions and wacky comments bring readers and clicks, so well done to RP for allowing always-wrong-Ben to say something here. However RP needs to put a disclaimer next to his comments for their own credibility. NZ was and is incapable of acknowledging their opp beating them. They refused so with Ire and with Arg in 2022 and also the Boks in 2023 x 2. Nothing Ben says here holds water, NZ attacked backwards, except when Kolisi and Kolbe was off And cyncialy took out Bongi, we played without lineouts for 75mins. Kolisi and Kurt-Lee almost scored twice. Thats 3 vs 2 for Boks, but the Boks opportunities was legal. Boks should have been 16-3 up by half time. Tacticaly the Boks attacked better defended better scrummed better (without a hooker) kicked better and crossed the whitewash more times. Boks beat Fr Eng Nz to win in 23, comeon give some credit at least. Even Federer Verstappen NY Mets, Mamoa, was able to see a great human sport achievement by the Boks and their DNA Boks #RWC27 !🏉
169 Go to commentsForget the 85kg bit, that can become something else. However I do like the one off test on ANZAC day idea. SR plays Fri/ Sat, test players travel Sunday and the squads have the full week together before playing Saturday. Rest of SR has a week off. Either involve women's teams in same location or in the other country and rotate annually. Herbert is right in that change is needed.
3 Go to commentsI’ve read loads of nonsense before but this article takes the cake. Or perhaps someone changed the date for April Fool's Day.
3 Go to commentsReally Rugbypass? Ben Smith I think you forgot what the Springboks did to the All Blacks at Twickenham 8 weeks earlier? Springboks 35 All Blacks 7. There is alot of ifs and buts in your article. The All Blacks threw the sink at the Springboks and unfortunately they were not good enough regardless if they played with 14 men or not. It was the Springboks who forced the All Blacks to make mistakes! Sorry but not Sorry the Springboks is the best ever Rugby World Cup Nation in the world. 4 Cups baby!
169 Go to commentsYou just backed the Boks with that fantastic review! Well done! Have some cake!
169 Go to commentsBen Smith please write up something better than this. The Springboks would have won the world cup if you were 15 men on the field. They would have found a way, they always find a way to beat the All Blacks.
169 Go to commentsWow, there is a lot of “could have” and “ should have” in this waist of time dribble. I love the deportation in this story to search for a glimpse at a silver lining. Here are the facts, NZ was a badly coached and undisciplined shadow of their former glory. They never took the lead in a game they were never going to win.
169 Go to commentsGOTTA MAKE ‘THE GEORGE’ HAPPEN!!!! That’s a great idea! A trans Tasman midget battle on ANZAC Day. I don’t think the ABs Wallabies game should be a one off winner takes all though, just the first match with the other two later in the year with the RC. Reason being, no one will ever shut up about how aussies couldn’t win it when it was a 3 match series.
3 Go to comments@Ben smith. Thats knock out rugby. So honeslty who cares?
169 Go to commentsIt will interesting to know which Irish players said that…
2 Go to commentsNaaaww boys will be boys! Now run along ya wee scamp! Don’t let us catch you at again😏
1 Go to commentsGreat to have Ethan Blackadder back in the Crusaders in the last few weeks. One of the best all round loose forwards around. He played so well last week against the Rebels. Fantastic attitude Ethan has and his comments are spot on.
2 Go to commentsThe author is 100% right. The Springboks know that they don't have near the natural attraction, mana, skill and mystic the All Blacks have. So, Chasing the sun 1 & 2 was concocted to overblow the Boks image on the back of a corruptly obtained “win". It's marketing ploy to force the Boks delusion as the World's Best. I guess World Rugby is also not to be believed when it came out with an apology about how the final was officiated. And if the 2023 final such a superb game by the Boks, then the Boks crying about Referee Bryce Lawrence for decades is also deserves a laugh. Chase the sun and get burned like a moth. A very well written literary piece that tore the Boks and Chasing the sun farce to shreds. 🖤All Blacks🏉
169 Go to commentsI’d say France was far more hard done by in the 2011 final than the All Blacks in this game. Joubert simply refused to call a penalty against the All Blacks in the last quarter even directing an All Black to drop a ball he picked up in an offside position rather than penalizing him. This article also totally discounts the efforts of PSTD. Ask Jordie how well he played. Or the backup flank who played hooker for the entire game. Siya was also a brilliant tackle by Richie from scoring a blinder. Pollard was also fantastic. Look I don’t like the boks style but the only thing more questionable than the content of this article is the timing of it. Get over it already
169 Go to commentsDad Marty was also a handy rugby player for Linwood back in the day. Great bloke. Sensational softball career.
2 Go to commentsWhat ifs are always dangerous. If you look at the game before Sam cane got sent of SA was dominating. You could make the argument the going down to 14 men rallied the troops and made them have to play to win which is always dangerous.
169 Go to commentsOmg… you are bruised And battered Benny. Stop crying … the scoreboard speaks. What a pathetic lover you are.. 🤣🤣🤣
169 Go to commentsThis is the single worst piece of journalism I have ever seen since your last one. As a neutral, who really states that there should be an asterisk next to a win? You are an utter embarrassment to real AB fans, journalism and that joke of a house which pays you for this nonsense. Get a life, Ben.
169 Go to commentsGuys. Cancel the World Cup champions after this analysis. It changes everything. Ben knows. We’ll have to unengrave the Bokke off the trophy and hand it to the ABs, now that I’ve been enlightened about this illegitimate win. This needs to be done. Now!
169 Go to comments