The final pool match of Heineken Champions Cup rugby before the round of 16 produced real fireworks in London before Harlequins managed to win 39-29 having lost the first round match at Hollywoodbets Kings Park in December.
Played under blazing blue skies but in temperatures only just hovering above freezing point, Harlequins were a team under great pressure to advance to the next round and they responded well, scoring at regular intervals and keeping the Cell C Sharks on the back foot and chasing the game.
The Cell C Sharks started like a house on fire, a strong scrum in the midfield allowed the ball to come out cleanly, sent out wide to Aphelele Fassi who chipped into space and Lukhanyo Am was too quick to the retiring defence as he scored the first try inside the opening two minutes.
But Harlequins struck back soon afterwards, a sustained effort that reaped the reward and the successful conversion bringing up the difference with Curwin Bosch’s earlier effort bouncing off the upright.
Minutes later, Quins had doubled their try-count with a speedy attack off a midfield lineout taking them into a 14-5 lead at the 10 minute mark, but scrum penalty inside the hosts’ half saw Bosch making no mistake to cut the lead to six points on the quarter hour.
Quins had their third try soon afterwards, finding space on attack and sending the ball wide. Marcus Smith’s successful conversion taking the home side into a 21-8 lead. Things were looking down and the penalty count was starting to mount, but when Quins didn’t capitalise on the Cell C Sharks’ tryline, but instead saw the ball stolen, the counter attack was instant. Marnus Potgieter powered his way through the defence to set up Jaden Hendrikse and he outsprinted the cover defence to score in the corner with Bosch’s touchline conversion putting his team back within striking distance with 10 minutes of the half remaining.
A Quins penalty pushed them into a 24-15 lead but again, the Cell C Sharks weren’t going to stop the intensity, and quite the most audacious steal from Eben Etzebeth when the Quins scrumhalf put his hands on the ball at the back of a ruck, then took them off and the towering Springbok lock snatched up the ball and galloped the 40-off metres to the tryline, with Bosch’s conversion making it a two point game at half-time.
Quins led 24-22 going into the second half and extended the lead to seven points with an early try in the 42nd minute, earning the bonus point. Quins pulled away with their second try of the second half, turning defence into an 80m attack to lead 36-22 with just under half an hour remaining.
A frustrating period ensued for both sides, unable to make their respective efforts count before Harlequins pushed their lead to 17 points with 10 minutes remaining with another Smith penalty. The Cell C Sharks struck back with the bonus point try of their own, a decisive and powerful effort that Marnus Potgieter closed out and Bosch converted with five minutes remaining.
Sadly, there was a TMO call against the Cell C Sharks in the build-up and the try was denied.
But a sniff of that extra log point ignited the requisite passion and intensity from the Cell C Sharks, with a great team effort finished off by Fassi and the conversion from Lionel Cronje taking the score to 39-29 with a minute remaining.
With more games left to play, the bonus point may prove crucial for a top four finish.
The post Uncompromising Rugby appeared first on The Sharks.
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