The Cell C Sharks scored an incredible, morale-boosting 15-14 victory over the Highlanders in Dunedin on Friday morning in a brave Vodacom Super Rugby effort that underlined just how much character this team has.
The signs were all positive that this game would prove to be the Cell C Sharks’ turning point. The second match on tour is always a good time for the tourists, having given them enough time to acclimatise to the conditions and shrug off the effects of jetlag.
Added to that the recent history that suggested there was no mental block about playing in Dunedin; the Highlanders had only won two of their last six home games against the Cell C Sharks.
Finally, despite recent results, this is a positive team, a squad with lots of pride and this presented an opportunity, coming as it did against the reigning champions, to really prove a point about their character to fight back.
It would prove to be a match of thrills, of tension and nail-biting nerves.
A technical infringement right from the kick-off as they secured ball and drove it up 15m saw the Cell C Sharks concede the first points inside the first minute of the game through flyhalf Lima Sopoaga. Within five minutes, the misery was compounded as a late, no arms shoulder charge on Cobus Reinach resulted in the nippy scrumhalf limping from the field. The silver lining was Garth April – in for Joe Pietersen at flyhalf – converting the penalty to level matters.
There was some really encouraging attacking play from the Cell C Sharks, relishing the opportunity to play with ball in hand and making great gains en-route to a second penalty which took them into the lead just after the 10 minute mark.
The match could have reached cataclysmic proportions when Willie le Roux was taken out with a shoulder in the air, and with the referee calling this “A very dangerous act of foul play,” the Highlanders were going to be limited to 14 players for the remainder of the game, forced to face the consequences of this incident.
The loss of a man did galvanise a little extra effort from each Highlanders’ player, but they were forced to also try to play a more expansive, broken play style of game which didn’t always have the desired effect against the structured Cell C Sharks’ defence.
Unfortunately, Philip van der Walt who has been an absolute star this season, particularly lately, had to leave the field after colliding with Beast in the tackle, but it marked the return of Jean Deysel into the action half an hour into the match.
The drama-filled match never let up and Stephan Lewies was carded on defence, this after Sopoaga missed two penalty attempts at posts. They mauled the ball over the tryline, but it was held up. Half-time was looming and the tension continued.
They bulldozed over again, it was once more held up and that was the half, a truly brave defensive effort paying dividends for the Cell C Sharks who took a narrow, but important 6-3 lead into the break. They would have walked into the change rooms with positive energy, which would not have been the case had they conceded late points.
It was an incredible start for the Cell C Sharks as they were blistering and clinical on attack, working their way to the Highlanders’ tryline before securing a penalty which April struck from in front to move his team into a six point lead.
Sopoaga converted his second penalty moments later, just as Lewies returned to the fray to renew the Cell C Sharks one man advantage. That didn’t last long as JP Pietersen was yellow carded and Sopoaga equalled matters with just under half an hour remaining.
Another sustained attack, this time the Cell C Sharks again, resulted in a further three points for the visitors, but emphasised just how good both teams’ defence was in that neither had managed to score a try in almost an hour of play.
But that hope was short-lived as Matt Faddes managed to duck under the defence as he dived over in the corner to take the lead for only the second time in the game. Sopoaga’s kicking woes continued as he missed the touchline conversion and the Highlanders had a narrow two point lead going into the final quarter.
It was Test match rugby as both sides looked to capitalise on any rare chances, and rarer than hen’s teeth these were. But the dominant Cell C Sharks’ scrum continued to maintain the upper hand as they earned yet another penalty at the set-piece and April obliged his forwards to put his team back into the lead with five minutes remaining.
Possession changed hands in the Cell C Sharks 22 as they defended heroically, and Sopoaga had a chance to kick his team back into a potentially match-winning lead, but his drop-goal attempt went wide with two minutes remaining.
The Highlanders had a last gasp effort on attack, but the pass on the halfway line went forward and that was the ball game.
The post Cell C Sharks Heroics appeared first on Sharks Rugby.
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