SA Teams SuperRugby Review: Round 16
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Bjorn Basson. Photo Hilton Kotze (Rugby15)
With two rounds of league action left, three South African teams are well placed as the race for Vodacom Super Rugby play-off places intensifies.
Victories for the DHL Stormers, Vodacom Bulls and The Sharks, coupled with the Reds, Blues, Waratahs and Highlanders losing this past weekend, catapulted the three leading South African sides to the top of the combined log.
South African conference leaders, the DHL Stormers, moved into second place behind the Reds, who lost unexpectadly in Brisbane to fellow Australians the Brumbies on Saturday.
The Sharks’ victory over the Toyota Cheetahs and the Vodacom Bulls seeing off fellow play-off challengers the Waratahs on Friday evening, meant the leading local sides are now all in the top six on the combined log.
In Melbourne on Friday morning (SA time), the DHL Stormers had to wait until late in their match against the Rebels for their bonus point try, which was never really in doubt.
The South African pace-setters outclassed the new kids on the Vodacom Super Rugby block by 40-3 and although the match would probably not go down as a classic, DHL Stormers coach Allister Coetzee would’ve been very chuffed that his team could return to Cape Town having won three out of their four games on tour.
Veteran midfielder Jean de Villiers was a talisman at the back for the DHL Stormers, while young fl yhalf Kurt Coleman looked very
settled on the Bok centre’s inside. De Villiers and Coleman were joined on the DHL Stormers’ score sheet by the experienced Bok duo of Bryan Habana and Jaque Fourie, while Nic Koster (replacement loose forward) scored the crucial bonus point try.
The Vodacom Bulls only managed to score two tries in their 23-17 victory over the Waratahs in Pretoria on Friday evening, but the defending champions won’t be too upset that they didn’t get a bonus point, as they need the victories to keep alive their play-off hopes.
Wynand Olivier’s try – his sixth of the season – game from a set move from a lineout, while Bjorn Basson became the top try scorer thus far this season when he crossed for his ninth try from a brilliant counter-attacking move that started in the Vodacom Bulls’ own 22.
The Waratahs struggled for an hour to cross the home team’s tryline, finally managing their only try through replacement wing Atieli Pakalani from a scrum, which, at that stage, were uncontested. Any hopes the Waratahs had of overtaking the Vodacom Bulls on the scoreboard were dashed in the 68th minute, when referee Craig Joubert red carded the visitors’ replacement lock Pat O’Connor for a head butt. He was not sanctioned any further at a SANZAR disciplinary hearing on Saturday, but his team mate Kane Douglas was not so lucky, copping a two-week ban for a dangerous tackle on Olivier.
The MTN Lions had Hurricanes fans sit up and take notice after a good fi st half performance in Wellington, but sadly they could not keep that momentum up, going down by 27-38 to the Hurricanes on Saturday morning (SA time).
Aaron Cruden scored 23 points for the home team, who trialled 8-20 in the 33rd minute after some encouraging play by the MTN Lions, with Jaco Taute and captain Doppies la Grange banking first half tries. A return of two tour victories from four would nonetheless have shown the vast improvement in the last few weeks by the team from Johannesburg.
The Sharks’ strong second half performance was enough for them to return from Bloemfontein with a hard fought 23-18 victory over the Toyota Cheetahs. Both Sharks wingers, Lwazi Mvovo and JP Pietersen, crossed the home side’s tryline in the final 40 minutes after they were trialling by 11-6 at the break.
Robert Ebersohn and Stefan Terblanche. Photo Denese Lups (Rugby15)
Buoyed by some stirring performances by their replacement, The Sharks moved up to fifth place on the combined log thanks to this victory. Scrumhalf Sarel Pretorius – who joined Basson at the top of the list of overall try scorers – and wing Riaan Viljoen’s tries kept the Toyota Cheetahs in the game, but in the end The Sharks’ experience counted.
Two tough weeks lie ahead for the South African challengers. The Vodacom Bulls travel to DHL Newlands to face the DHL Stormers next weekend, before hosting The Sharks in Pretoria in the final round of league action.
The DHL Stormers’ final game is against the Toyota Cheetahs in Bloemfontein, while the MTN Lions host The Sharks at Coca-Cola Park in Johannesburg on Saturday.
RESULTS AND SCORERS:
Vodacom Bulls 23 vs Waratahs 17
Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
Vodacom Bulls – Tries: Olivier, Basson. Conversions: Steyn (2). Penalty goals: Steyn (3)
Waratahs – Try: Pakalani. Penalty goals: Beale (4) Red card: Pat O’Connor
Melbourne Rebels 3 vs DHL Stormers 40
AAMI Park, Melbourne
Rebels – Penalty goal: Huxley
DHL Stormers – Tries: Habana, Coleman, Fourie, Koster, De Villiers. Conversions: Coleman (2), Rose. Penalty goals: Coleman (3)
Hurricanes 38 vs MTN Lions 27
Westpac Stadium, Wellington
Hurricanes – Tries: Cruden, Gear (2), Nonu. Conversions: Cruden (3). Penalty goals: Cruden (4)
MTN Lions: – Tries: Taute (2), La Grange. Conversions: Jantjies (2), James. Penalty goals: Jantjies (2)
Toyota Cheetahs 18 vs Sharks 23
Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein
Toyota Cheetahs – Tries: Pretorius, Viljoen. Conversion: Sias Ebersohn. Penalty goals: Sias Ebersohn (2)
Sharks – Tries: Mvovo, Pietersen. Conversions: Lambie (2). Penalty goals: Lambie (3)
(SARU Communications)
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