Sharks fall short against Cheetahs in tense Currie Cup clash

Change of venue but no change in fortunes for Sharks in narrow loss to Cheetahs

The Sharks took their first home game of the Currie Cup season to Sugar Ray Xulu Stadium, Clermont, where they faced the visiting Free State Cheetahs in round three on Saturday evening (5.10pm kickoff).

The Durban side were seeking their first win of the competition in the township in the west of Durban, where entry was free.

Yet there would be no happy homecoming in front of a decent crowd that added a great vibe to the match on Women’s Day as the young Sharks succumbed 7-5.

The Cheetahs piled the pressure on the Sharks through a succession of lineouts in the far right corner with more than 13 minutes on the clock. But the Sharks did well to keep them at bay with desperate defence in the phases that followed. 

The defensive wall eventually cracked as Neels Volshenk barged over the try line for the opening points of the match, with Ntokozo Makhaza converting. The Sharks were also reduced to 14 men in the buildup after lock Corné Rahl was sin-binned.

The match started to loosen up, with the visitors looking dangerous on the break with ball in hand but the home also showed flashes of attacking intent. 

Fullback Jaco Williams was often the spark for the coastal side and Junior Bok star Vusi Moyo used his big boot to good effect at times. The service from scrumhalf Bradley Davis was also crisp and his all-round play was solid.

The match simmered without really coming to the boil as half-time drew closer with neither team able to a land a further decisive blow. The Cheetahs did come close after opting to kick for touch after winning a penalty just inside the Sharks half. A knock-on close to the line denied them after a few phases where they kept the ball tight.

The score was 7-0 at the break. 

Sharks coach JP Pietersen would have been pleased with the defensive resilience of his charges, but they would need to fire as an attacking unit in the second stanza to avoid a damaging third straight loss.

They started brightly, building attacking phases but the Cheetahs did well to cope with the danger. The Sharks were let down by ill discipline as they let the visitors off the hook. Repeated visits to the Sharks 22 yielded little reward for the Cheetahs. 

With the Cheetahs’ lead a slender one, the Sharks were still in the match. The mounting handling errors continued to be their undoing. 

A chip and chase led to a Sharks penalty and they opted for touch. They secured their lineout ball and a pass over the top found charging prop Phatu Ganyane to dot down in the far right corner. The conversion attempt was missed.

The Cheetahs were stung into life and were unlucky not to score straight away. They were camped in the Sharks 22 for the next few minutes. 

The home side had to dig deep once again to shut them out. The pressure was relentless, however, with the Sharks battling to exit their half with time running out. They were feeding off Cheetahs’ scraps on the attacking end.

 A Sharks lineout in the half represented one of the last attacking chances for the home side. A late Cheetahs steal broke the hearts of Sharks fans as the match ended 7-5.

Scores

Sharks XV 5 (0)

Tries: Ganyane; 

Free State Cheetahs 7 (7)

Tries: Volshenk, Conversion: Makaza.