Cell C Sharks Secure Knock-out Position :
The Cell C Sharks closed out their Vodacom Super Rugby pool stage commitments with a 40-29 defeat of the visiting Sunwolves at Growthpoint KINGS PARK in Friday evening and in doing so, secured their wildcard entry into the knock-out rounds.
Director of Rugby Gary Gold had emphasised the need to deliver a powerful performance that would give his team the necessary confidence and continuity to go into the knock-out stages in a positive frame of mind and six tries will bring smiles, but perhaps not the four conceded.
The Sunwolves have offered tough opposition at times in this, their inaugural season of Super Rugby and certainly played with fire in their bellies.
Not only did the Cell C Sharks start off on a high note with Coenie Oosthuizen diving over in the third minute of the game, but in quick time, three minutes later and they doubled the score when Lwazi Mvovo killed the opposition for pace.
But if anything, it goaded the Sunwolves into action rather than demoralising them and they came back with a try of their own, exploiting a hole at lineout time.
JP Pietersen, playing in his final game at Growthpoint KINGS PARK, was next to score, Rhyno Smith sparking the move and Odwa Ndungane providing the final pass.
In their final match of the competition, the Sunwolves were always going to go out with a bang rather than a whimper, but they were finding the going tough against an equally fired up home side with plenty more to play for.
The second half started in similar fashion to the first with an Andre Esterhuizen try in the corner getting the ball rolling, but there was plenty of fight in the Sunwolves who pulled back to 28-22 with a quarter of the game remaining.
It was a dangerous time when all kinds of problems could have arisen, before Garth April showed his ability, scoring a great try with the game poised on a knife’s edge.
The 11 point margin was extended to 16 when Curwin Bosch ran onto the perfect chip and chase and the result was clearly sewn up.
With time almost up on the clock, the Sunwolves showed their perseverance with a fourth try to bring some respectability to the scoreline, but ultimately they were no match for the Durbanites.
The post Cell C Sharks Secure Knock-out Position appeared first on Sharks Rugby.
Full article here: Sharks Rugby – sbuki1030
Fill in the form below to have your blog featured on MyDurban – we will post a snippet and title link to your new blog posts.
Submit and get free press releases here: MyPR Free Press Release | Meet the Durban Bloggers.
