Lions 19 (0) vs Sharks 30 (17)

Lions outclassed by Sharks

Sharks get another rare victory in Lions den

The Lions had another poor first half, trailing 17-0 at the break, and then couldn't get back into the match, although they managed to score three tries in the second half, the same number the Sharks scored in the match. The effort from the Sharks in the first half was enough for them to secure the victory and take four points from the match, leaving the Lions with nothing.

The Sharks had an early opportunity to take the lead when Monty Dumond attempted a drop goal from a ruck on the Lions 22 meter line, but luckily for the Lions he pushed it wide.

The Lions then pressured for the next 10 minutes but got nothing to show for it, and in the 17th minute the Sharks broke out of the Lions stranglehold and came close to scoring a try, but last gasp defense held the Sharks out, although the Lions went offside and conceded a penalty, which Monty Dumond kicked to put the Sharks in a 3-0 lead.

This seemed to ignite the Sharks, and they suddenly started running at the Lions with the Lions seeming unable to plug all the gaps, and Ryan Kankowski darted through a few poor tackles to score under the poles, Dumond converted to make it 10-0 for the Sharks.

Just three minutes from the break the Sharks had a rare visit to the Lions 22 meter area and established another overlap on the right, with Hooker Craig Burden taking a pass from Kankowski to run in the try, again converted by Dumond to make it 17-0 for the Sharks, also the halftime score.

The Sharks also scored first in the second half from a Dumond penalty in the 47th minute, that took the score to 20-0.

The Lions then almost scored their first points of the match when Cobus Grobbelaar gathered the bouncing ball from the kickoff, he passed in the tackle and the next pass was ruled forward.

25 minutes into the second half the Sharks increased their lead from another Dumond Penalty, making it 23-0 for the Sharks.

Finally in the 71st minute the Lions got their first try, when from a penalty line-out the forwards drove the ball over, and Cobus Grobbelaar getting the try. Rose missed the conversion, the score 23-5.

The Lions realised that the forward drive works for them, and just four minutes later Derick Minnie scored a similar try, this one converted by Boshoff to make it 23-12 for the Sharks.

Just two minutes from time the Lions had the misfortune to concede a scrum on their goal line, and the Sharks went for the pushover try, the Lions transgressed in trying to stop it and conceded a penalty try, converted to make it 30-12.

The Sharks went all out for the fourth try in the last two minutes, and this allowed Pieter Engelbrecht to intercept a pass on the halfway line and run in a try, converted by Boshoff to make the final score 30-19 for the Sharks.


The scorers: