CURRIE CUP WRAP: Sharks challenging inland dominance

With four league games remaining it looks likely that the Hollywoodbets Sharks XV are poised to be the coastal team most likely to advance to the semifinal round of the Carling Currie Cup in September.

While a youthful DHL Western Province surrendered the initiative in their wet weather game against the Toyota Cheetahs in Cape Town to drop to four points behind the top four on the log, the equally young Sharks team continued the charge they started against the ADT Golden Lions two weeks ago by thumping Suzuki Griquas in Durban on Sunday.

The comprehensive win and the try scoring bonus point that came with it has lifted Nick Hatton’s team above WP on the log and after the win against the Lions and the come from behind draw against the Airlink Pumas in Nelspruit it is the Sharks who are suddenly flying.

Although light rain fell during the game, the young Sharks team continued to impress with their passing and running as they condemned the team from Kimberley to their fifth defeat of the campaign.

Veteran Lionel Cronje at flyhalf is an important cog in everything the Sharks are doing right, Springbok scrumhalf Jaden Hendrikse was sharp on his return from injury, but it was again the age-group players that dominate the Durban team that were most impressive.

After a slow start, JP Pietersen is doing a great job, and the way the players have embraced an inclusive wide and often innovative attacking game will please the Sharks’ Vodacom United Rugby Championship coach John Plumtree.

UPWARD TREND CONTINUES

It is unlikely many, if any, of the Sharks Currie Cup team will play in the URC when they are at full strength but the Sharks team playing in the domestic competition is continuing the upward trend that started for the Durban franchise when they snuck into the Investec Champions Cup by winning the Challenge Cup final.

Talking of slow starts, the Cheetahs made a slow start against Province, but then adjusted to the inclement conditions and after scoring two pick-and-go tries in quick succession they recovered from a 13-point deficit to clinch the bonus point win that saw them end the weekend effectively tied with the Lions but behind because they have one less win than the Johannesburg team.

That was because of the draw the Cheetahs managed against the Vodacom Bulls the previous week, a game where they fought back from a 24-3 deficit. The Cheetahs are certainly making a habit of coming back at opponents, although it is a fairly widespread trend if you consider what the Bulls did to WP two weeks ago and how the Sharks fought back at Mbombela Stadium last week.

So far it is WP who are showing the opposite trend, with comfortable leads being squandered. However, given the youth in the team, the Cape side are getting something out of the domestic season regardless of how it finishes up.

If they want to continue their development into the knock-out stages, they will have to win against the Lions in Johannesburg on Saturday, which is definitely not an easy task for them.

The Bulls continued on their winning way and retained their top spot on the log by doing what was expected of them against the struggling Novavit Griffons.

CARLING CURRIE CUP RESULTS

ADT Golden Lions 55 Airlink Pumas 12

Vodacom Blue Bulls 55 Novavit Griffons 21

DHL Western Province 19 Toyota Free State Cheetahs 26

Hollywoodbets Sharks 40 Suzuki Griquas 21


WEEKEND CARLING CURRIE CUP FIXTURES

Airlink Pumas v Vodacom Blue Bulls (Nelspruit, Friday 5:15pm)

ADT Golden Lions v DHL Western Province (Johannesburg, Saturday 3pm)

Toyota Free State Cheetahs v Hollywoodbets Sharks XV (Bloemfontein, Saturday 5:15pm)