By Lucky Vince Pienaar
Whether it was a spillover from their triumphant international tour under Rassie Erasmus remains to be seen, but on Saturday, the Sharks played the game of their lives.
Playing the first match of the United Rugby Championship after the Autumn International tour, they looked every bit like the winning team they should be.
That’s not to say that the DHL Stormers didn’t put up a helluva fight — they did!
That last try that wasn’t: Manie Libbok’s try that was going to give the Stormers a one-point victory. Instead, it was another victory for the Television Match Official, who took the game back to a mistake in the loose scrum. Yes, it was the tiniest of knock-ons, and yes, the TMO was right, but Cape Town fans would question the influence the almighty TMO has over the match.
Sharks (3 tries) 21–15 (1 try) Stormers
Sharks tries: Ethan Hooker, Siya Kolisi, Andre Esterhuizen
Stormers try: Leolin Zas
➤ The Bulls, with or without Springboks, are a masterclass outfit. Their great discipline and commitment to the job at hand gave them a decisive win in the harsh Irish weather against Connacht in Galway.
Connacht’s Sean Jansen was red-carded after the first 20 minutes, and the Bulls’ Celimpilo Gumede was red-carded with 20 minutes to go. Both teams, without their number eights, made it somehow even, but the Bulls were simply too strong.
Connacht (2 tries) 14–28 (4 tries) Bulls
Connacht tries: David Hawkshaw, Caolin Blade
Bulls tries: Sebastian de Klerk, Embrose Papier, David Kriel, Canan Moodie
➤ It was always going to be a tall order for the Lions to beat Munster, but they looked good to score an upset until the 30th minute, with the scores tied at one converted try each.
Without a doubt, Henco van Wyk’s try for the Lions will go down as one of the best individual tries of the URC season. He beat seven opponents with running skill and brute force to score a gutsy Lions try.
The Lions went into halftime with a three-point lead, hanging onto a potential win by their fingertips, but Munster scored two tries in the second half for a seven-point win.
The Lions may not always win, but they are always great to watch. This fast-paced game swung from one end of the field to the other with great ball-handling skills on display. This loss may signal the beginning of the end for the Lions staying in the top eight of the URC, but one thing is certain: they will not go down without a fight.
Munster (3 tries) 17–10 (1 try) Gauteng Lions
Munster tries: Thaakir Abrahams, Shane Daly, Alex Kendellen
Lions try: Henco van Wyk
Pictured above: Canan Moodie scores the Bulls’ fourth try.
Source: Official Blue Bulls
