Sharks Snatch Final Spot
Jul 28,2012
The Sharks wrapped up another superb performance, securing a 26-19 win over the Stormers in the Super Rugby semi-final at Newlands on Saturday afternoon.
They will now travel to New Zealand to play the Chiefs in the final next week.
The Stormers started well in the tight exchanges, but at scrum time the Sharks had the upper hand.
The two flyhalves, Peter Grant (Stormers) and Frederic Michalak (Sharks) kept the scoreboard ticking over early on as the two sets of defences held their lines intact.
Grant was on target with a penalty and Michalak scored a penalty and a drop goal to give his side a 6-3 lead.
Just on the half-hour mark the Stormers came to light with several attacking moves sprung from around the halfway line but their most penetrative sortie was thwarted on the Sharks' try line when fullback Joe Pietersen failed to ground the ball.
Most of the Sharks' territorial gains came via up field kicks which were mostly well fielded by the Stormers, but they suffered a lapse just ahead of the half time break and right wing Louis Ludik snapped up the bobbling ball before he ran in for the first try of the match. Michalak added the conversion to open up a 10-point lead.
The hosts looked for a strong first-half finish but their pressure merely gave them a penalty opportunity which Grant goaled a minute before half time (13-6).
Both teams returned from the break with patches of promising play but with the Stormers looking the more likely to make a breakthrough. However, the occasion seemed to unnerve them and numerous errors crept into their game.
Grant and Michalak each struck with a penalty to retain the seven-point difference after 16 minutes of second half play (16-9).
The Stormers suffered a huge setback just past the hour mark when the in-from JP Pietersen sliced through the Stormers' backline and ran in unchallenged from 20 metres out for the Sharks' second converted try.
With 20 minutes left the home side were faced with a challenge of scoring at least 14 points to save the match.
They wasted no time with a converted try by winger Gio Aplon three minutes later to reduce the margin to seven points.
They were briefly held up as they absorbed a short spell of pressure from the Sharks before they were back in the opposition's 22-metre area where Grant struck with a 73rd minute penalty (23-19).
Michalak, however, hammered the final nail in the Stormers' coffin with his second drop goal to restore what proved to be a match-winning seven-point scoreline difference.
SARugby.com Man of the Match: Louis Ludik and Anton Bresler stepped up in a big way while Bismarck du Plessis’ passion to shake off a huge bump from Eben Etzebeth and Keegan Daniel’s determination galvanised the visitors.
JP Pietersen was sublime and is currently in the best form of his life, but Frederic Michalak shaded the Bok speedster as the Frenchman’s brilliant decision-making and reliable boot guided the Sharks into the decider.
Scorers:
Stormers - Tries: Gio Aplon. Conversions: Peter Grant. Penalties: Grant (3).
Sharks - Tries: Louis Ludik, JP Pietersen. Conversions: Freddie Michalak (2). Penalties: Michalak (2). Drop Goals: Michalak (2).
Comments (12)
Jul 28, 2012 at 19:15:18
Great game Sharkies, Les Freddie had an absolute blinder of a game. Stormpies negative rugby, finally came back to bite them, as expected.
Hopefully HM takes on board the type of rugby that is working in the modern era. That old kick and strangle crap wont work anymore for the Bokke....we have to play an all out attack game in the championship with an acomplished specialists fetcher.
Good luck to the Sharks for the final, but it will definitely be a tough one with the travel fatigue.
Jul 28, 2012 at 20:29:02
Well done Sharks, really impressive! I really hope you guys do it in NZ but I fear it'll be a bridge too far this time. Go on, prove me wrong guys!!
Jul 28, 2012 at 22:05:39
Hmmm, I dunno nj. I think the chiefs set piece is gonna get taken to the cleaners! Alot is going to hang on Cruden, the boy has a nack of finding the holes.
Jul 29, 2012 at 11:12:32
Well done Sharks, desrved winners in an outstanding game against lacklustre opposition, it's a shame more long-distance travelling is involved in deciding the final.
Defence is paramount but tries win games, the Stormers rode their luck and thought all they needed to do was turn up and jet lag would see them into the final.
Terrible parformance, wouldn't have won the final playing that style of rugby.
Plenty of potential, now's the time to rebuild.
Jul 31, 2012 at 11:22:48
time to rebuild ???? your stormer team has been building for 4 to 5 years now already !!!!...time to rebuild with a new coach yes
Jul 29, 2012 at 12:40:44
Well done to the Sharks! Many things to learn from this. First of all the style of play, ok there is some great attacking skills but first of all it starts by the forwards just dominating the opposition. This gives quick ball and plenty of freedom to the backs! Look at the whole season, the Bulls were top of the pile after 10 rounds playing a proper attacking game and the forwards dominating then climbed into their shells and had a horrible second part of the season. The Sharks were looking bad at one point and when they needed to attack to survive in he comp they suddenly became a very different side! It's not just about running from everywhere it's getting the proper things in place that allows a team to have such freedom, and ofcourse then you have to back it up with skill, which the Sharks have been doing near perfectly the last 3 weeks!
On another note think about the team the Sharks will put forward next year! Lambie, Pietersen, Jordaan, Steyn, Mvovo, Fred (don't know if he's finishing), McLeaod, Kankowski, Daniel, Coetze, Alberts, Jannie, Bismarck, Beast, with others like Ludik, Whitehead etc. Not bad at all! Then the Bulls in the near future looking at the likes of Basson, Small-Smith, Serfontein, Pollard, Hougaard etc. in the backline! Then you look at some of the outstanding youngster at the WP and a guy like Goosen at the Cheeaths! If we play our cards right the Bokke will be an incredible force for many years to come!
Jul 30, 2012 at 09:54:44
the defence only mindset is the biggest problem. how AC is still in charge after achieving nothing from 2008 onwards really just baffels the mind. WP rugby should just fire him and appoint a new fresh coach.
@green yeah mate you called it. a attack minded game with a fecther to enable us to produce a high attack minded high ball posession rugby game pattern will make the boks unstoppable but this utter rubish kick and pray your opposing team stuffs up playing style is not suited to modern rugby. we are the only country that embloys that style and it does not work....sorry to say. IT DOES NOT WORK.
Jul 30, 2012 at 09:55:52
we need a fecther in the boks team....full stop enough said. and failing to see that will cost HM not only games but his job if he does not adapt his style of play
Jul 30, 2012 at 13:20:32
attacking rugby is the way the world is playing and if we do not follow then we will be left behind. the rules generally favour the attacking team so we need to change our mentality or be happy with being mediocre
Jul 28, 2012 at 18:58:51
Sharks you beauties! I said it last week I'll say it again-SA's best! One more game boys & we'll complete one of the greatest achievements in sport!