Pumas roar back in second-half demolition of the Sharks

The Phakisa Pumas kept alive their hopes of reaching the playoffs in the Currie Cup when they roared back from an eight-point deficit at halftime to deservedly beat the Cell C Sharks 27-20 at the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit on Saturday afternoon.

The Currie Cup holders, coming off a bye last week, seemed in control in the first half, running in three tries to three penalties to lead 17-9 at the break, but the Pumas – after being gifted a converted try in the first minute of the second period, never looked back as they controlled the game in all phases and denied their increasingly slipshod opponents any momentum.

The Pumas finally showed their fighting qualities after losing their first three matches in the competition while the Sharks, particularly in the second half, showed the poor form that they exhibited in their opening defeat at home against Griquas.

#CurrieCup - RESULT:

Pumas 27-20 Sharks

It's celebrations for the Pumas and their fans but it's a second loss of the season for the men from Durban. pic.twitter.com/Msy0VBOGYX

— SuperSport (@SuperSportTV) August 3, 2019

In the first half the Pumas and the Sharks shared territory and possession but it was the visitors who looked more dangerous, particularly out wide.

It didn't help that Pumas' loose-forward Willie Engelbrecht was yellow-carded in the eighth minute, somewhat unluckily, for what was deemed an illegal clean-out.

This opened up space for the visitors who attacked with flair, enabling both their wingers to cross the whitewash in the first quarter.

First it was Lwazi Mvovo who accepted a fine overhead pass from replacement centre Marius Louw (on for co-captain Jeremy Ward who was having running repairs for a head injury) to canter over in the left corner.

Then it was the turn of right-wing Kobus van Wyk to show his considerable pace as he picked up the ball following a breakdown in a Pumas' attack to weave his way over.

A GIFT TO THE HOME TEAM

The wing was a mite fortunate in that, heading for a touchdown under the poles, he only just grounded the ball in time before being bundled into touch-in-goal.

The Sharks' third score was an excellent team try, characterised by some quick passing among the forwards and backs and then quick ball from a ruck that enabled flyhalf Curwin Bosch to slice through the thinly populated Pumas midfield to touch down in the right corner.

The Pumas, who struggled at lineout time, kept in touch with their opponents through three penalties from flyhalf Chris Smith while Bosch only converted one of his team's three tries.

The game seemed to turn in the opening seconds of the second half when former Shark Francois Kleynhans intercepted a slack, highly inadvisable pass from Sharks lock Reuben van Heerden on his five-metre line to dive over.

It was a gift to the home team that they never looked back from as the Sharks seemed to lose all self-belief and momentum.

Aside from their lineout concerns it was the Pumas who increasingly dominated up front, launching a series of attacks throughout the half that required desperate defence from the visitors.

The Pumas took the lead for only the second time in the match when Smith kicked a penalty shortly after their first try – and they then scored their second from a rolling maul when replacement forward Simon Westraadt rumbled over.

The Sharks still had the final quarter to overcome a four-point disadvantage but they rarely looked dangerous against their fired-up opponents and in the end it was the by now dominant Pumas who clinched victory with Smith's fifth penalty after Sharks' replacement Craig Burden was yellow-carded for a shoulder charge.

SCORERS

Phakisa Pumas – Tries: Francois Kleynhans, Simon Westraadt. Conversion: Chris Smith. Penalties: Chris Smith 5

Cell C Sharks – Tries: Lwazi Mvovo, Kobus van Wyk, Curwin Bosch. Conversion: Bosch 1. Penalty: Bosch