The Cell C Sharks went down 46-19 to the DHL Stormers in their round one Vodacom United Rugby Championship clash at Hollywoodbets Kings Park on Saturday afternoon.
The Stormers, stung by their 35-5 loss to Ulster last week, came to Durban to atone for that heavy defeat and managed to absorb the heat and pressure to register the win.
The visitors took advantage of a lapse in concentration early on to score inside the opening two minutes to take a seven-nil lead and they continued to enjoy possession and territory for the remainder of the first quarter, the Cell C Sharks barely getting a sniff of the ball. The Stormers continued to use their advantage and scored a second try to double their score.
After taking a water break to alleviate the effects of the blistering Durban heat, the visitors added a penalty to stretch their lead and then a third try after the half hour mark pushed them further ahead
The Stormers had come to Durban with a mission and they were certainly troubling the Cell C Sharks, but they find themselves under pressure as the first half wound down and the best continuous period of attack paid off for the home side, finished off by lock Gerbrandt Grobler under the posts, with Curwin Bosch adding the extras.
The first half ended with the Stormers messing up their lineout, but leading 24-7.
The second half unfortunately mirrored the first, a try to the visitors inside two minutes of the start to push themselves 24 points ahead and then the fifth try came after the Cell C Sharks had been knocking on the door of the Stormers’ tryline before possession was lost and the visitors turned defence into points from 90m away.
The Stormers scored again just shy of the final quarter, capitalising on a Cell C Sharks attack that broke down and the loose ball was snatched up in midfield to hand the visitors a 43-7 lead. The response was immediate, a penalty kicked to touch and then a throw to the front of the lineout and return to Dan Jooste catching the Stormers’ defence out, with Bosch converting from out wide.
The Cell C Sharks scored their third try with 10 minutes remaining, having hammered away at the line before Grobler got his second with some quick thinking and an elastic stretch over the tryline.
The Stormers converted a 50m penalty with five minutes remaining and there was no further score, despite both sides putting an enterprising effort into a final effort as the game wound to its conclusion.
Cell C Sharks captain Phepsi Buthelezi admitted afterwards that, “We were never really in it, we didn’t get the start we hoped to and made too many errors, team and individual errors and we unfortunately never got out of that slump.
“After last week’s win, we have to go back to the drawing board because inconsistency is something we’ve been speaking about all season.
“To all our fans and those who came to support us, I want to apologise for that performance, it’s not the standard we aspire to.”
The post Frustration for Sharks appeared first on The Sharks.
Click here to submit your News – free.
Have you tried: Videos From PE?
Quick Durban KwaZulu-Natal Fact: Ties with India – Durban has a strong association with India. In fact, it was here that Indian leader Mahatma Ghandi first embarked on his career as a political and social activist. First bought here as indentured labourers in the late 19th century, people of Indian descent now make up 40% of the city’s population. The Indian influence can be seen and felt throughout the city, from some architecture – the many mosques and temples and the Victoria Street Market – to cuisine. The city is famous for Durban Curry and Bunny Chow, a dish which originated in 1940s Durban.
Watch a Video:
Seaside festive fun at Rocky Bay Resorts