The Sharks outscored Western Province by four tries-to-two as they won their Currie Cup clash at Kings Park Stadium on Durban on Wednesday evening.
Durban – The Sharks dug deep in sauna-like conditions at Hollywoodbets Kings Park on Wednesday night to engineer a 35-20, bonus-point win over Western Province and remain unbeaten in the Currie Cup.
It used to be only mad dogs and Englishmen who went out in the Durban heat but here were more than 30 young men struggling stoically to make a decent fist of a game of rugby in early February.
For those not living in KZN, it was dangerously hot in Durban and torrents of sweat made the ball as slippery as soap and any hopes of a memorable spectacle were doomed.
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Still, the Sharks scored four good tries and Province two good efforts of their own, and there was much significance in the fact that Curwin Bosch had a much-improved game, plus former Springbok No.8 Sikhumbuzo Notshe had a strong comeback from a long injury layoff.
Predatory instincts see @SharksRugby make it two wins from two in the #CarlingCurrieCup with a clinical performance in Durban 🦈💥#ReachForGold #TheChampionWithin pic.twitter.com/4Z3QTsw2dO
— Carling Currie Cup (@TheCurrieCup) February 2, 2022
Much of the pre-game talk was around the return of Bosch, who has been suffering from a crisis of confidence, and missing an easy shot at goal after just three minutes would not have helped his belief, while five minutes later his opposite number, Tim Swiel, made no mistake from a similar position.
Bosch was well supported, though, by his scrumhalf Cameron Wright, who had an exceptional all-round game.
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As the match hit the 20-minute mark, there was visible relief on the face of Bosch when he booted one over from in front to level the scores, and then there was the curious sight of the normally accurate Swiel missing a shot in front.
Sharks fullback Inny Radebe, after a nervous start, finished off a try in the 25th minute to mark his return from the rugby wilderness and five minutes later a strong try-saving tackle by Yaw Penxe saw a reflex reaction from referee Griffin Colby, who harshly yellow-carded the Springbok wing, plus Swiel nudged the penalty over.
💪 @SharksRugby flexed their muscles after the break to put @WP_RUGBY away in a thrilling #CarlingCurrieCup clash in Durban – match report: https://t.co/Vdyv46mztB@blacklabelsa #TheChampionWithin #ReachForGold pic.twitter.com/3ZubEsyOj5
— Carling Currie Cup (@TheCurrieCup) February 2, 2022
Five minutes before the break, Sharks wing Marnus Potgieter was adjudged ahead of a kick from Wright and from the pressure in the Sharks’ 22. Swiel found wing Leolin Zas (unmarked because of the absent Penxe) with a cross-kick for a neat try, and the conversion meant a 13-10 lead.
There was some justice for the Sharks, though, when Swiel was carded for a neck-high tackle on Marius Louw and Bosch levelled the scores as halftime beckoned, and it meant the visitors would be without their captain and flyhalf for the first 10 minutes of the second half.
And three minutes into the half, flank Mpilo Gumede wriggled over and Bosch nailed a difficult conversion.
The 24-year-old was growing in confidence and a beautiful touch-finder set up a Sharks maul from which hooker Fez Mbatha drove over. Bosch’s conversion attempt hit the upright but the Sharks were comfortably ahead 25-13 and had scored 15 points in Swiel’s absence.
Swiel had barely re-taken the field when Bosch stroked over a long-range effort and then the Sharks scored a magnificent bonus-point try —with the whole backline handling and Potgieter finishing superbly in the corner.
Province kept fighting gamely and with 10 minutes to go they deservedly scored through substitute Kade Wolhuter, who was another making a comeback from a serious injury.
Scorers
Sharks – 35: Tries: Inny Radebe, Mpilo Gumede, Fez Mbatha, Marnus Potgieter. Penalties: Curwin Bosch (3). Conversions: Bosch (3).
Western Province – 20: Try: Leolin Zas, Kade Wolhuter. Penalties: Tim Swiel (2). Conversions: Swiel, Wolhuter
