The Cell C Sharks overcame some initial spirited resistance and then a late surge from a youthful Sigma Lions side but had enough control to run out comfortable 45-31 victors in a high scoring Carling Currie Cup match at Emirates Airlines Park in Johannesburg on Saturday.
The two stand-outs on the day for the Sharks were scrumhalf Cameron Wright, who has an excellent field kicking boot on him in addition to many other attributes, and hard-working lock Reniel Hugo. The latter produced a kick that eventually resulted in a try for the Sharks in the second half, while the former was responsible for the territorial ascendancy that the Sharks enjoyed in the first half and paved their way for the win.
The Sharks looked superior in both names on paper and experience before the game, and in truth, they were the better team from the start and always looked to have things in control. However, it was the Lions who scored first when after resisting plenty of early pressure, flyhalf Vaughen Isaacs launched a cross-kick from under his own posts that bounced inwards into wing Bolwin Hansen’s hands and he ran three-quarters of the length of the field to score.
The Sharks recovered quickly from the setback though, with the Lions failing to hold onto possession after initially the selfsame Hansen, who sadly had to leave the field injured not long after, had appeared to field cleanly when the ball was kicked onto him at the restart. From there, the Sharks showed good patience as they built up first to the right and then back to the left, with wing Marnus Potgieter profiting from some poor Lions defending as he went over untouched in the corner.
That was just two minutes after the Lions had taken their lead and they were never to lead again. The Lions, with Vincent Tshituka excellent in defence and in carrying the ball, were resilient and competitive until the 26th minute, when the Sharks set up an attacking position through a Wright 50/22.
They didn’t take immediate advantage, and the Lions ended up with the put-in at a defensive scrum, only for a heel against the head to be exploited by Wright, who surged through down the short side for the try that put the Sharks into a lead they were never to relinquish.
CHAMBERLAIN KICKS A PSYCHOLOGICAL KILLER
It was mostly a good night with his place-kicking boot from flyhalf Boeta Chamberlain, who had a few off-days in the United Rugby Championship recently, and he will feel more confident. He added two penalties, plus one from inside his own half on the stroke of halftime that would have been a psychological killer for the Lions, to two well taken conversions from the angle as the Sharks took a 20-7 lead at the break.
The scrums were mostly hard-fought but it was at the lineouts where the Sharks had distinctly the better of the battle, with Hugo and tall No 8 Mpilo Gumede excellent in their attempts to disrupt the opposition throw. The Sharks enjoyed both 66 per cent possession and territory in the first half.
Those stats suggested they might take control if they scored early in the second half. They did in the fourth minute after the restart when Thembelani Bholi crossed for a try from an attack that was started by a break from Wright that almost put Fez Mbatha over for the score.
But the Sharks never did get to take complete control on the scoreboard to the extent that was threatened, chiefly because an immaculate first-half performance when it came to discipline, with the visitors conceding just two penalties in the first 40 minutes, was marred by three second-half yellow cards.
One of those was shown to Wright when he was guilty of going in high when he produced a try-saving tackle, and it ended his game prematurely. Sanele Nohamba came on as his replacement and also took over the place-kicking duties when Chamberlain was replaced by Inny Radebe.
The Lions scored two tries whilst Wright was off and the Sharks were down to 14 men, with Emmanuel Tshituka dotting down as the heavyweights drove at the line from close range, and then his brother Vincent featured prominently later when he received a pinpoint back-flip pass from fullback Quon Horn and it ended with Divan Rossouw scoring in the left corner.
Before that though, the Sharks had notched their fourth and bonus-point try after the Hugo kick was chased down and No 8 Gumede ended up dotting down. That was in the 53rd minute of the game to put the Sharks ahead 30-12 before the Rossouw try reduced the deficit to 11.
Nohamba then kicked two penalties to further stretch the lead for the Sharks and, for a time, another 50-pointer threatened for the Lions. But, in a helter-skelter last 20 minutes, where it never looked likely that the Sharks would lose but the Lions did take advantage of the Sharks losing two players to yellow cards, the home team came back to grab what in the end was a well-merited bonus point for a team that was outgunned but just refused to say die.
SCORERS
Cell C Sharks 43 - Tries: Marnus Potgieter, Cameron Wright, Thembelani Bholi, Mpilo Gumede and Dan Jooste; Conversions: Boeta Chamberlain 2 and Sanele Nohamba; Penalties: Boeta Chamberlain 3 and Sanele Nohamba 2.
Sigma Lions 31 - Tries: Bolwin Hansen, Emmanuel Tshituka, Divan Rossouw, Morne Brandon and James Mollentze; Conversions: Vaughen Isaacs 3.