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Sharks shocked in Currie Cup opener

rugby12 July 2019 19:14| © MWP
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Tafel Lager Griquas shocked the reigning Currie Cup champions, the Cell C Sharks, with an intelligent, tigerish display in the opening match of the 2019 Currie Cup, thoroughly deserving their bonus-point 37-13 victory at a damp Jonsson Kings Park in Durban on Friday night.

The visitors, who won the SuperSport Challenge Cup, were the superior side throughout, particularly in their game management, outperforming the home team in every aspect of the game. Their captain and general, George Whitehead, had an outstanding game, controlling the game throughout as well as contributing 17 points with the boot.

By contrast, the Sharks – who fielded 10 of their Super Rugby side in their run-on 15 – looked a thoroughly disorganised outfit and new coach Sean Everitt has a mountain of work to do before the Sharks face Western Province next weekend.

The trend was set as early as the second minute when the Griquas’ No 8, Neill Jordan, took advantage of fumbling in the Sharks’ midfield to dash through. Although he was brought down just short of the line, scrumhalf Zak Burger threw a dummy from the resulting maul and had no difficulty in diving over the whitewash.

With heavy rain falling, Griquas tried to play as little rugby as possible in their own half, with Whitehead directing operations with a succession of probing kicks and up-and-unders behind his dominant pack. The Sharks, on the other hand, made plenty of handling errors as they tried to pass their way out of trouble.

The home team were fortunate, in fact, not to concede further tries before halftime with Whitehead kicking a penalty while a frazzled Curwin Bosch, who had a poor game, succeeding with two penalties of his own.

If the Sharks had any ideas about getting back in the game in the second half, they were soon dashed when some comical defending against a Whitehead cross-kick in the third minute of the second period allowed centre Michal Hazner to dive on the loose ball. Whitehead converted to put Griquas 17-6 ahead.

The Griquas’ pack continued to put the supposedly superior Sharks eight under intense pressure, and Whitehead put three more points on the board when the home team’s scrum collapsed.

When the Sharks did find some space, they invariably threw away their advantage through handling errors. Griquas, by contrast, were far more clinical, adapting their play to the conditions.

After Whitehead extended his team’s lead to 23-6 with another penalty, the Sharks enjoyed their only bright moment in the match when they finally put some passes together down the right wing before former Springbok JP Pietersen was brought down just short of the line. Scrumhalf Cameron Wright, much like his opposite number Burger in the opening minutes, dived over from the resulting maul.

The Sharks had thus narrowed the gap to 10 points (13-23) with the final quarter to come but it was the fomidable visitors who surged forward thereafter with replacement forward Wilmar Arnoldi being carried over for a brace of tries from driving mauls, both converted by Whitehead.

It was sign of Griquas’ confidence that the final try was scored after Whitehead ignored the possibility of a safe penalty, kicking for touch instead to set up the maul.

SCORERS:

Sharks: Try: Cameron Wright; Conversion: Curwin Bosch; Penalties: Bosch (2)

Griquas: Tries: Zak Burger, Michal Hazner, Wilmar Arnoldi (2); Conversions: George Whitehead (4); Penalties: Whitehead (3)

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