Michalak fires Sharks into Super final

Updated July 29, 2012 05:25:56

Former France fly half Frederic Michalak slotted two crucial drop goals and set up one of the Sharks' two tries to spark a 26-19 upset over the table-topping Stormers and set up a Super Rugby final against the Chiefs.

Winger Louis Ludik and centre JP Pietersen scored tries for the Sharks, who not only had to break down the best defensive side in the competition but also overcome an exhausting travel schedule.

Michalak, capped 56 times for France, played with immense composure and variety and ended up with 16 points after also adding two conversions and two penalties.

He was given an easy ride by the Sharks forwards, who dominated the contact areas and set piece, while their marauding loose forwards and rampaging hooker Bismarck du Plessis made plenty of ground with the ball.

"The boys put their bodies on the line and it was tough coming to Newlands having spent last week in Australia," said Sharks captain Keegan Daniel, whose side travelled to Brisbane to beat the defending champion Queensland Reds last week.

"But the boys showed resilience. The front row and the tight five really put their hands up."

The Stormers opened the scoring against their South African rivals when lock Eben Etzbeth barrelled over the top of du Plessis and set up a penalty that fly half Peter Grant easily converted.

The Sharks then seized control of the game, pinning the Stormers back in their own half and going ahead with a penalty and drop goal.

Ludik grabbed the opening try for the Durban-based side when he caught a high kick from full-back Riaan Viljoen, stepped inside and raced away to the line.

Grant, however, reduced the deficit right on half-time when he landed a second penalty to narrow the score to 13-6.

Michalak extended the lead early in the second half when the Stormers were penalised for collapsing a rolling maul from a line-out.

Grant again reduced the deficit with another penalty but Michalak decided the game when he shaped for another drop goal before darting into attack and passing the ball to Pietersen.

The centre's shimmy outside and step inside parted the Stormers' defence and he sped away for the try which, when converted, gave the visitors a 23-9 lead with 20 minutes remaining.

The Stormers seized on the Sharks lethargy in the final quarter, however, and stretched the Sharks left and right through 13 phases before winger Gio Aplon dashed through to score.

Grant added the extra points and kicked another penalty from in front of the posts to leave the Stormers just four points behind with eight minutes remaining.

Michalak, however, was again given a wonderful platform by his forwards and kicked a 76th-minute drop goal from 30 metres out to seal victory and set up a final against the Chiefs in Hamilton next Saturday.

"It's going to take a while to get over this, but we can only blame ourselves, we had 80 minutes to prove we were good enough and we came up short," Stormers captain Jean de Villiers said.

"We get such good support but we don't have a cup to show for it - that's what makes it tough."

Reuters

Tags: sport, rugby-union, super-rugby, south-africa

First posted July 29, 2012 05:22:48

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Hungry Sharks boost play-off hopes

Updated July 07, 2012 09:11:37

The Sharks are one bonus-point victory away from the Super Rugby play-offs after defeating fellow South Africans Northern Bulls 32-10 at Kings Park.

They host Central Cheetahs next Saturday in another South African derby and another bonus-point triumph will assure them of place in the knockout phase, possibly at the expense of title holders Queensland Reds from Australia.

Bulls can also qualify with a bonus-point home win over bottom-of-the-table Golden Lions while Western Stormers are set to top the South African conference and secure a bye into the semi-finals.

Sharks had to win the penultimate-round match to have any hope of finishing among the top six after the league phase of the southern hemisphere provincial championship and laid their victory foundations during the opening half.

Gaining the upper hand from the kick-off through their rampant pack, the Durban franchise scored two tries via Springboks Bismarck du Plessis (hooker) and JP Pietersen (right wing) to turn over 20-3 ahead.

A further try from flank and captain Keegan Daniel four minutes into the second half stretched the advantage to 22 points before three-time champions Bulls hit back with a try from full-back Zane Kirchner.

Fly half Morne Steyn converted to cut the deficit to 25-10 and the home team had to withstand wave after wave of attacks from the Pretoria franchise before breaking out to score the bonus-point fourth try two minutes from time.

Sharks won a line-out deep in Bulls territory and after several attempts to score were repulsed, scrum-half Charl McLeod threw a long pass to full-back Louis Ludik and he dived over for a try replacement back Meyer Bosman converted.

France fly half Frederic Michalak kicked two conversions and a penalty before retiring with an injured right shoulder on 73 minutes and inside centre Francois Steyn planted a 55-metre first-half penalty between the posts.

Sharks showed no ill effects of not having played since June 2 with the Durban team having a bye last weekend after a three-week break for the traditional mid-year Tests.

They won without several injured stars, including fly half Patrick Lambie, lock Steven Sykes and tearaway flank Willem Alberts, one of the stars when South Africa defeated England 2-0 in a three-Test series last month.

Daniel heaped special praise on Japan-bound number eight Ryan Kankowski, whose herculean efforts in a brutal physical battle earned him the the man of the match award.

"I am so proud of the boys - especially Ryan - and we are going to miss him when he goes overseas. This performance demonstrated that we have strength in depth," said an exhausted but smiling skipper.

Bulls captain and number eight Pierre Spies had no excuses: "We could never get going and the better team won. The Sharks were hungrier than us and we battled to get out of our half during the opening 40 minutes."

Sharks: 32 - Tries: B du Plessis, JP Pietersen, K Daniel, L Ludik. Cons: F Michalak 2, M Bosman. Pens: F Steyn, Michalak

Bulls: 10 - Try: Z Kirchner. Cons: M Steyn. Pen: Steyn

AFP

Tags: sport, rugby-union, super-rugby, south-africa

First posted July 07, 2012 09:07:17

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Cooper to miss Sharks clash

Updated July 17, 2012 08:44:51

Super Rugby champions Queensland will weigh up the risk versus reward elements of an appeal after losing playmaker Quade Cooper to suspension for Saturday night's qualifying final.

The Reds suffered a major jolt to their title defence with Cooper ruled out of the sudden-death clash against the Sharks following a marathon judicial hearing on Monday evening.

The Wallabies five-eighth was found guilty of a dangerous tackle after collecting New South Wales centre Berrick Barnes high in the Reds' 32-16 final-round win over the Waratahs last weekend.

He pleaded not guilty to the charge, arguing first contact was on Barnes' chest, but SANZAR judicial officer Paul Tully found the blow justified a one-game ban following a four-and-a-half hearing.

"It's something I didn't want to hear," a gutted Cooper said after the hearing at Ballymore.

"I felt we had a very strong case.

"We're disappointed with the outcome but at the same time I'm sure my teammates will get through this week.

"There's contact with the head all throughout the game and whether it be initial contact, which we disagree with, it was more chest on chest.

"It wasn't anything intentional or anything malicious."

Barnes was forced from the field in a groggy state but Cooper also pointed out another high tackle in the match was only dealt with by a penalty.

The star number ten, coach Ewen McKenzie and defence lawyer Mark Martin will discuss the option of an appeal over the next 24 hours but Cooper hinted they were wary about adding more weeks to his ban.

If the Reds beat the Sharks then Cooper will be free to return for the semi-final against the Chiefs in Hamilton next week.

"Obviously with an appeal there's an opportunity for the one week to become anything from two to three weeks and you run the risk of missing the remainder of the competition," he said.

Back near his best form following his recent return from knee surgery, Cooper's loss is a significant blow to the Reds and an added frustration to the 35-Test playmaker.

"Sitting on the sidelines is not an unfamiliar place but it's one I'm very gutted about," he said.

McKenzie must now choose between utility back Ben Lucas and goalkicking inside centre Mike Harris to start at five-eighth against the Sharks.

Lucas started at number ten in the last match the Reds played without Cooper, a rousing 42-27 win over the Chiefs, who finished as New Zealand conference winners.

Cooper's blow follows similar bad news for the Sharks who were forced to leave rising Springboks star Patrick Lambie at home in Durban due to an ankle injury, while late-season recruit Frans Steyn is ineligible.

Tags: sport, rugby-union, super-rugby, qld

First posted July 16, 2012 19:10:29

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Disallowed try costs Sharks in defeat

Updated June 03, 2012 06:33:37

A controversial disallowed late try cost the Sharks two bonus points as they suffered a shock 38-28 defeat by the Lions on Sunday (AEST).

An assistant told referee Gareth Williamson he was satisfied that replacement back Louis Ludik had grounded the ball over the tryline four minutes from time at a chilly Ellis Park.

But the television match official thought otherwise after a lengthy spell studying replays from various angles and play-off contenders Sharks returned pointless to Durban.

Had former Lion Ludik scored, the Sharks would have received a bonus point for scoring four tries and another for losing by less than seven points in the southern hemisphere provincial championship.

Defeat after four consecutive victories during May saw the Sharks surrender sixth place (the top six teams on the final standings qualify for the knockout phase) to New Zealand outfit Wellington Hurricanes.

The teams are level on 45 points and have won eight matches each, but the Wellington franchise boast a superior points difference and each team has two matches to play.

The Lions were a revelation in the first half, playing with determination and skill that belied the fact that they had lost 11 consecutive matches since beating fellow South Africans the Cheetahs on matchday one last February.

After averaging just 1.5 tries in 12 matches, the Johannesburg franchise scored four before the break against the rattled Sharks and turned with a 32-11 advantage over a team they had never beaten in seven previous Super clashes.

A Sharks side packed with Springboks were a transformed outfit early in the second half, scoring two converted tries in quick succession to leave only seven points between the contestants with 35 minutes to go.

But the black-clad visitors could not maintain the momentum and the rest of the scoring came from penalties, with Elton Jantjies kicking two for the Lions and full-back Patrick Lambie one for the Sharks.

Sharks lock Steven Sykes was sin-binned on 29 minutes for grabbing Lions number eight and skipper Joshua Strass around the neck and home outside centre Lionel Mapoe was punished soon after for not rolling away after a tackle.

Flanks Grant Hattingh and Derick Minnie, Mapoe and right wing Deon van Rensburg scored tries for the Lions and Jantjies kicked three conversions and four penalties.

Left wing Lwazi Mvovo, outside centre JP Pietersen and right wing Odwa Ndungane crossed the tryline for the Sharks and Lambie succeeded with two conversions and three penalties.

Lions: 38 (G Hattingh, D Minnie, L Mapoe, D van Rensburg tries; E Jantjies 3 cons, 4 pens)

Sharks: 28 (L Mvovo, JP Pietersen, O Ndungane tries; P Lambie 2 cons, 3 pens)

AFP

Tags: sport, rugby-union, super-rugby, south-africa

First posted June 03, 2012 06:33:37

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Sharks back in the mix after Stormers win

Updated May 27, 2012 07:04:07

Coastal Sharks played themselves back into contention for Super Rugby southern hemisphere honours when they beat Western Stormers 25-20 at Kings Park.

Their fourth successive win lifted the Sharks into third place on the South African conference log, five points behind the Stormers and three behind the Northern Bulls.

Stormers went into the weekend as overall log leaders after winning 10 of their first 11 matches, but were knocked out of their stride by a combative Sharks team, who dominated the scrums and were stronger at the breakdown.

Sharks were also able to put pressure on the Stormers' lineout, normally one of the Cape side's strengths.

"It was tough, but we came up with a game plan," said Sharks captain and eighth-man Keegan Daniel.

But the Durban side had to withstand a strong second-half challenge as the Stormers fought back from a 19-point deficit with two converted tries by full-back Gio Aplon.

Stormers led 6-3 early in the game after two penalty goals by fly half Peter Grant against one by Sharks full-back Patrick Lambie.

The match changed dramatically in the 18th minute when the Sharks were awarded a penalty in front of the Stormers' posts.

With the Stormers seemingly expecting the home side to take an easy three points with a kick at goal, Sharks scrum-half Charl McLeod took a quick tap and sent out a long pass to French fly-half Frederic Michalak, who twisted over for a try Lambie converted.

A penalty by Lambie was followed by a second Sharks try three minutes from half-time when a powerful scrum set up Daniel to dive over. A conversion by Lambie gave the Sharks a 20-6 lead at the break.

Left wing Lwazi Mvovo squeezed over in the left corner for a third try as the Sharks continued their domination, but a breakaway try by Aplon, who ran 60 metres after picking up a wild pass by Michalak, gave the Stormers hope with 27 minutes left.

Stormers pressed strongly as rain fell in the last 20 minutes with Aplon scoring a second try from a scrum move eight minutes from time.

"We made a lot of mistakes, but the better team won tonight," said Stormers captain and inside centre Jean de Villiers.

Stormers were forced to start with reserve hooker Deon Fourie at flank after Siya Kolisi was ruled out shortly before the match, continuing a string of injuries to their loose forwards.

Sharks: 25 - Tries: F Michalak, K Daniel, L Mvovo. Conversions: P Lambie 2. Pens: Lambie 2

Stormers: 20 - Tries: G Aplon 2. Cons: Peter Grant 2. Pens: Grant 2

Reuters

Tags: sport, rugby-union, super-rugby, south-africa

First posted May 27, 2012 07:02:24

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Sharks down Cheetahs to stay in touch

Updated May 20, 2012 09:49:43

Fly half Freddie Michalak posted 19 points as the Sharks beat the Cheetahs 34-20 in an all-South African clash at the Free State Stadium.

The Sharks enjoyed a slight edge in a bruising encounter, with their direct running taking them over the advantage line, allowing their backs space to run in four tries and notch a vital bonus point.

The Sharks laid down an early marker after keeping the ball from the kick-off for 12 phases and two minutes and 25 seconds, loosehead prop Tendai Mtawarira and hooker Bismarck du Plessis carrying the ball strongly and providing outside centre JP Pietersen with the space to dot down.

Michalak converted to give the Sharks an early 7-0 lead, but their ill-discipline at the ruck and the running of Cheetahs forwards Philip van der Walt, Adriaan Strauss and George Earle led to two penalties for fly half Riaan Smit.

The Cheetahs backs also have plenty of flair with ball in hand and outside centre Robert Ebersohn's marvellous break from the restart led to hooker Strauss muscling his way over for a 32nd-minute try.

Michalak struck back after the Cheetahs defence allowed Riaan Viljoen's booming kick to bounce inside their 22. The 29--year-old got a hand to the ball, regathered and scored only his second Super Rugby try.

Wing Paul Jordaan obstructed the Cheetahs chase at the restart and conceded a penalty, which Smit kicked to level the scores at 14-14.

With the half-time hooter having just gone, the Sharks ran a penalty and wing Lwazi Mvovo crossed over. Michalak converted, before stretching the Sharks' lead to 24-14 with a penalty six minutes into the second half.

Replacement fly half Sias Ebersohn kicked a penalty for the Cheetahs in the 53rd minute, as the Sharks, with Du Plessis in the sin-bin after a second shoulder charge, had their hands in the ruck.

The Cheetahs went into the final quarter 20-24 down after Mtawarira infringed in the scrum and Sias Ebersohn kicked his second penalty.

The Sharks dominated the closing stages, with Michalak increasing the lead to 27-20 with a penalty. The bonus point try came in the 73rd minute when Pietersen stole the ball on the right wing, Mvovo jinked his way deep into the Cheetahs 22 and replacement centre Meyer Bosman dived over.

Michalak added the conversion as the Sharks kept themselves inside the top six and the play-off places.

Cheetahs: 20 (A Strauss try; R Smit 3; Sias Ebersohn 2 pens)

Sharks: 34 (JP Pietersen, F Michalak, L Mvovo, M Bosman tries; Michalak 4 cons; Michalak 2 pens)

Reuters

Tags: super-rugby, rugby-union, sport, south-africa

First posted May 20, 2012 07:13:56

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Sharks devour Force in seven-try romp

Updated May 13, 2012 06:29:23

The Sharks scored seven tries as they romped to a 53-11 victory over an outclassed Western Force in the Super 15 on Sunday morning (AEST).

The bonus-point triumph win after building a 20-6 half-time lead before a modest Kings Park crowd lifted the Durban side into the top six on the southern hemisphere provincial championship standings for the first time this season.

The Sharks' five-point haul raised their total to 36 from 11 matches and they climbed above New Zealand rivals Otago Highlanders (35) and Wellington Hurricanes (34) in the race for play-off places.

Apart from the Australian, New Zealand and South African conference winners, who qualify automatically, the teams finishing fourth, fifth and sixth advance to the knockout phase of the annual competition.

It was the second biggest Super 15 victory margin this year, bettered only by the Bulls' 61-8 demolition of defending champions Queensland Reds at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria two months ago.

Left wing Lwazi Mvovo (two), lock Steven Sykes, outside centre Paul Jordaan, full-back Louis Ludik, replacement hooker Craig Burden and flank Jacques Botes scored tries for two-time runners-up Sharks.

Fly-half Patrick Lambie kicked two conversions and two penalties before retiring injured at half-time after colliding with Force outside centre Nick Cummins on the half-hour mark.

Former France Test fly-half and scrum-half Frederic Michalak replaced the young Sharks star and landed four conversions from five attempts in perfect late autumn conditions in the Indian Ocean city.

Fly-half David Harvey slotted two penalties for the Perth-based Force, who were suffering their ninth loss in 11 outings and lie third from bottom of the table, and right wing Samu Wara claimed a last-minute try.

Narrow losers to the Cheetahs last weekend in their other South African tour match, Force took a sixth-minute lead over the Sharks through a Harvey penalty.

Lambie levelled with a similar score before Sykes barged over under the posts for a converted try and Harvey slotted another penalty on 30 minutes to leave only four points between the teams.

A brilliant break by still-groggy Lambie set up Jordaan for his first Super 15 try and the conversion plus a penalty on the stroke of half-time left the home team 14 points ahead by the break.

Sharks scored their third try less than a minute into the second half with Ludik cutting in to dot down for a try initiated by a break from eighthman and captain Keegan Daniel.

Mvovo, a shock exclusion from the 2011 Springbok Rugby World Cup squad, snatched two intercept tries with his speed giving pursuers no chance before Burden and Botes also went over and Bismarck du Plessis had a try ruled out.

Force were made to sweat before Wara was awarded his consolation try with referee Mark Lawrence referring the score to the television match official amid suspicion that the Australian had a foot in touch before scoring.

Sharks: 53 - (L Mvovo 2, S Sykes, P Jordaan, L Ludik, C Burden, J Botes tries; Frederic Michalak 4, P Lambie 2 cons; P Lambie 2 pens)
Force: 11 - (S Wara try; D Harvey 2 pens)

AFP

Tags: sport, rugby-union, super-rugby, south-africa, perth-6000, wa, australia

First posted May 13, 2012 06:29:23

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Lambie takes Sharks to victory over Highlanders

Updated May 06, 2012 08:31:44

Fly half Patrick Lambie scored all of his team's points to give the Sharks a 28-16 victory over the Otago Highlanders in their Super Rugby match at Kings Park.

Fly half Lambie scored a try and kicked a conversion and seven penalties to hand the Highlanders only their third defeat of the season.

"It was one of our better all-round performances," Sharks captain Keegan Daniel said in a pitchside interview. "We are in the middle of the pack at the moment but we need to build some momentum from this win."

The first half was dominated by the boots of Lambie and his opposite number Mike Delany with both teams guilty of conceding penalties at the breakdown.

Lambie succeeded with all five of his penalty attempts while Delany responded with three of his own.

The Sharks reached halftime holding a 15-9 lead but the visitors could consider themselves a touch unlucky to be trailing as they had dominated possession and territory to such an extent that the hosts had not made a single incursion into the Highlanders' 22-metre area.

The New Zealanders finally made their domination count 10 minutes after the restart when replacement wing Kurt Baker scored in the corner after the Sharks simply ran out of defenders.

Delany succeeded with the difficult touchline conversion as the Highlanders edged into the lead for the first and last time while light rain began falling over the ground.

Lambie continued to haunt the Highlanders with two further penalties before scoring a try when he followed up a wickedly bouncing ball to dot down.

He succeeded with the conversion as the Sharks moved in to a 28-16 lead with just under a quarter of the match to play, a lead that they never relinquished.

"We had opportunities to win but to the Sharks' credit they matched us physically. You have to front up every week in this competition or you get a smack," Highlanders skipper Jamie Mackintosh said.

Sharks 28: Try: P Lambie. Cons: Lambie. Pens: Lambie 7.

Otago Highlanders 16: Try: K Baker. Cons: M Delany. Pens: Delany 3.

AFP

Tags: sport, rugby-union, super-rugby, south-africa

First posted May 06, 2012 07:14:27

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Tahs turn it on to sink Sharks

Updated March 24, 2012 18:00:35

New South Wales avoided its worst ever start to a Super Rugby season after a try in the dying minutes secured a spirited come-from-behind 34-30 victory over the Sharks at the Sydney Football Stadium.

Trailing 30-27 heading into the final six minutes, lock Dean Mumm made a huge run downfield to pave the way for winger Tom Kingston to slide in to score in the right-hand corner and give the Waratahs hope in 2012.

Inside centre Tom Carter almost went from hero to villain minutes earlier when he gave away a penalty from close-range to allow Sharks fly half Patrick Lambie to boot the visitors into the lead.

It was the recalled number 12 who had put the Waratahs into the lead in the 58th minute when he crashed over the line from close range.

The Waratahs were far from perfect but, unlike last week's humiliation against the Western Force, Michael Foley's men backed themselves with the ball in hand to fight back against the South Africans and scored four tries to pick up a fifth bonus point for the season.

In his first ever starting match for the Waratahs, scrum-half Brendan McKibbin was awarded man-of-the-match, for a first-half try and a flawless display with the boot.

McKibbin said the side realised they had to change a few things after successive losses to the Highlanders and Force.

"Definitely our ball carrier fought very hard in the contest and that got us over the advantage line," he told Grandstand.

"And the forwards worked particularly hard to give me some clean ball which allowed us to fire some shots in second phase and get a little bit of momentum after that."

Sharks prop Jannie du Plessis said the Sharks were punished for not playing the full 80 minutes.

"If you look at all the other games in the Super Rugby, it's been won in the last 10 minutes," he said.

"We knew that and the Tahs snatched it at the death.

"We tried our best, it was a great rugby game, unfortunately we couldn't pull it off."

Sharks star hooker Bismarck du Plessis scored a soft try in the 49th minute to put his side up 24-13 and the signs were ominous.

But the Tahs responded with ball in hand and posted tries to full-back Bernard Foley and Carter to take the lead.

When Lambie's late penalty put the Sharks ahead going into the final five, it would have been easy for the Waratahs to throw in the towel.

But Berrick Barnes, in his first game at five-eighth for the year, showed a touch of class to get out of trouble on his own line from a kick-return and set the foundation for the final roll of the dice.

Mumm surged down the field, putting on a huge fend, and after the Waratahs were awarded a scrum, they managed to open up some space a couple of rucks later down the right for Kingston to sneak over for the match-winner.

Waratahs: 34 (T Carter, B Foley, T Kingston, B McKibbin tries; McKibbin 3, Berrick Barnes cons; McKibbin 2 pens)

Sharks: 30 (K Daniel, B du Plessis, L Mvovo tries; Patrick Lambie 3 cons; 3 pens)

ABC/AAP

Tags: super-rugby, rugby-union, sport, sydney-2000, nsw, australia, south-africa

First posted March 24, 2012 17:34:41

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Brumbies fall short against Sharks

Updated March 31, 2012 22:51:54

The Sharks warded off a desperate last-gasp attack from the Brumbies in a nail-biting Super Rugby clash at Canberra Stadium to wind up 29-26 victors on Saturday night.

In an arm wrestle of a game, the visitors looked to have the match wrapped up at 29-19 with 10 minutes to go before the Brumbies scored in the dying minute through Nic White.

Then, after the siren having sounded, the home side played on for another five minutes and gained 50m in the hope of adding more points before finally turning the ball over.

The three-point victory was a significant one for the Sharks - their first away win this season and their first at Canberra Stadium since 1998.

For the Brumbies it was also noteworthy, but only in that it was their first defeat at home this season after four games.

The Brumbies had taken a 16-15 lead at half-time, but the Sharks set themselves up for victory early in the second half by piling on two tries through Willem Alberts and Lwazi Mvovo.

In the end, it was enough to secure them victory in a game where the lead changed seven times.

The game was tight from the outset, but the Sharks were the first to draw blood when full-back Riaan Viljoen scored controversially on the wing in the 22nd minute after appearing to knock the ball on.

But the Brumbies were quick to wrestle back the lead and they did it in style.

Jesse Mogg pulled off the try of the night after leaping onto a team-mate's pass a good 50 metres out and then delivering a kick-and-chase that bounced perfectly over Odwa Ngundane's head and back into Mogg's hands just before the line.

Viljoen crossed again in the 35th minute to give the Sharks another lead, before the Brumbies stole it back before the break courtesy of a Christian Lealiifano penalty.

The Brumbies finished the night with more injury concerns, with Matt Toomua re-injuring his knee and Henry Speight also limping from the field.

Sharks: 29 (R Viljoen 2, W Alberts, L Mvovo tries; F Michalak 3/4 conversions, penalty goal)

Brumbies: 26 (J Mogg, N White tries; C Lealiifano 2/2 conversions, 4 penalty goals)

AAP

Tags: sport, rugby-union, super-rugby, act

First posted March 31, 2012 21:52:27

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Sharks extend Blues' skid

Updated April 13, 2012 20:25:44

The Sharks retained their composure to snuff out a Blues fight-back for a 29-23 victory at Eden Park on Friday, posting their eighth straight win against the New Zealanders.

The Blues' sixth loss in seven games adds to the pressure on coach Pat Lam, who broke down in tears this week recounting how racist "fans" had blamed the team's worst ever start to a Super Rugby season on his Samoan heritage.

The result maintained the Sharks' record as a bogey team for the Blues, who have not defeated the South Africans since 2005 and remain rooted to the bottom of the New Zealand conference after the loss.

It was a deserved win for the Sharks, who scored four tries to two and maintained their attacking edge after the Blues briefly took the lead early in the second half.

Skipper Keegan Daniel was also heartened by the Sharks improved defence, which held firm as the Blues threw everything into attack late in the game.

"I'm proud of the way the boys defended and at the end of the day we scored four tries and scored the bonus point so I'm happy with that," he said.

Handling errors and simple mistakes again proved the Blues' downfall as the Auckland side conceded two early intercept tries to give the Sharks a flying start.

Blues captain Keven Mealamu said his players were stringing together some good phases of play but letting themselves down with poor execution.

"The boys are really trying hard out there but those little things really cost us," he said.

"You just can't play in this competition with that many errors."

Daniel set up the opening try in the third minute, intercepting a loose pass from Benson Stanley and running half the length of the field before being brought down just short of the line.

Lock Steven Sykes roared up in support and bulldozed his way past an ineffectual Blues defence for the five-pointer.

Stanley almost made amends five minutes later, releasing Ma'a Nonu for a driving run but the attack broke down after a knock on from Gareth Anscombe.

Fly half Pat Lambie extended the Sharks' lead with a penalty after 15 minutes, then another Blues mistake gifted the South Africans a second intercept try two minutes later.

Chris Lowrey passed the ball straight to Sharks hooker Craig Burden, who set off from inside his own half, outpacing Rudi Wulf for the try, with Lambie adding the conversion to make it 15-0.

The Blues made it onto the scoreboard through an Anscombe penalty and finally began to exert some pressure late in the opening half as their line-out, another problem area this year, began to click.

The hard work paid off when the Blues won a scrum against the feed, with prop Tony Woodcock forcing his way past two defenders for a try seven minutes from the break.

Anscombe converted the try and potted a late drop goal to narrow the Sharks' lead to 15-13 at half-time.

The Blues maintained their momentum after the re-start, taking the lead when Stanley gathered a loose pass from the base of the Sharks' scrum and touched down between the posts, ensuring an easy conversion for Anscombe.

But the Sharks hit back with two quick tries, the first from Daniel, who darted past two defenders before crossing the line.

The second came after Lambie made a superb line break then offloaded to Tim Whitehead, who juggled the ball while running at full tilt then steadied to score a bonus point try to make it 29-20.

Anscombe cut the deficit to six points with a penalty 15 minutes from time but the Sharks defence proved up to the challenge as the clock wound down, giving then their fourth win in eight games.

Sharks: 29 (S Sykes, C Burden, K Daniel, T Whitehead tries; P Lambie 3/4 conversions, 1/2 penalty goals)

Blues: 23 (T Woodcock, B Stanley tries; G Anscombe 2/2 conversions, 2/2 penalty goals, 1/1 drop goals)

AFP

Tags: super-rugby, rugby-union, sport, new-zealand

First posted April 13, 2012 19:27:57

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Michalak sparks Sharks as Bulls go out

Posted June 19, 2011 06:14:00

French international Frederic Michalak played a key role as the Sharks earned a place in the Super Rugby play-offs with a shock 26-23 win over defending champions Northern Bulls at Loftus Versfeld.

Michalak was selected at fly half ahead of in-form Patrick Lambie, who moved to full-back as the Sharks rung the changes after showing mediocre form in recent weeks.

Michalak's quick passing and unpredictability and Lambie's incursions from the back kept Bulls under pressure and the home team were never in front in what was effectively a knock-out game for the sixth and final play-off place.

For Bulls it could be the end of an era.

Captain Victor Matfield thanked supporters in the 50,000 crowd for what he said had been a "fantastic 10 years" as he and fellow stars Bakkies Botha and Fourie du Preez may have played their last games for the Pretoria franchise.

The loss ended a six-match winning streak by Bulls, who have won three of the last four Super Rugby titles

Not even a laser-wielding Bulls fan could stop the Sharks.

Lambie said he had noticed a laser being shone into his eyes as he lined up place kicks but said the distraction was not to blame for him missing three out of six kicks, which resulted in Michalak taking over the kicking in the final quarter.

Both teams scored two tries, and the Bulls struck back twice within three minutes of the Sharks crossing their line.

Sharks went into a 16-6 lead three minutes before half-time when JP Pietersen came in from the blindside wing and made a searing break which led to a try by Sharks captain Stefan Terblanche.

But the Bulls pulled it back to 16-13 when right wing Gerhard van den Heever went over in the corner after the half-time hooter and fly half Morne Steyn converted.

Bulls threatened to take a familiar ascendancy early in the second half but the Sharks tackled ferociously and made probing attacks when in possession.

They seemed to have wrapped up the points when Lambie came into the line from full-back and the ball was fed to left wing Lwazi Mvovo, who dived over in the corner.

Michalak landed the conversion to put the Sharks 26-16 ahead with six minutes left.

Once again the Bulls came straight back. Francois Hougaard, who had started at scrum half but moved to wing when Du Preez came on, scored and Steyn's conversion reduced the margin to three points.

It set up a tense finish to a bruising match because the Bulls would have reached the play-offs had the match been drawn, so they only needed a penalty or a drop goal to squeeze past their rivals.

But the Sharks held on to earn an away match against the Canterbury Crusaders.

- AFP

Tags: sport, rugby-union, super-14, south-africa

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Sharks come back to earn draw with Lions

Posted June 12, 2011 07:03:00

Fly half Patrick Lambie instigated a second-half comeback as the Sharks snatched a 30-30 draw against the Lions in their Super Rugby clash at Ellis Park overnight.

The Durban-based Sharks trailed 30-9 after 48 minutes before precocious Springbok Lambie spearheaded a remarkable comeback as he scored a try and set up wing Lwazi Mvovo's touchdown that snatched a share of the points at the death.

Several waves of Sharks pressure had eaten up the metres and sucked in the defence when Lambie burst through to score in the 54th minute.

His opposite number, World Cup winner Butch James, then sat out 10 minutes for a dangerous high tackle and the Sharks resurgence gained more momentum.

The visitors made the extra man count in the 69th minute when wing JP Pietersen outflanked the defence to score, Lambie curling an excellent conversion over from close to the touchline to make the score 30-23.

With just three minutes remaining, Lambie then showed exceptional composure under pressure as he threaded a grubber through the Lions backline, wing Deon van Rensburg slipping as he tried to turn around, meaning opposite number Mvovo would be free to speed on to the ball and score.

Lambie then kicked a superb conversion, from five metres in from touch, to level the scores.

The Lions had produced fine rugby in the opening 50 minutes as they scored three well-taken tries.

The home side were more clinical in a scrappy first half, scrum half Jano Vermaak showing great pace to round the defence and score in the right-hand corner, while flank Cobus Grobbelaar scored twice.

James had produced an impressive display, succeeding with all six (three penalties and three conversions) of his kicks at goal, and running the backline in an efficient manner, before his yellow card played a crucial role in the Sharks' stunning comeback.

- Reuters

Tags: sport, rugby-union, super-14, south-africa

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Mvovo levels things up for Sharks

Published:Sunday, June 12, 2011 10:22 AEST

Lwazi Mvovo scores the equalising try during the Super Rugby match between Lions and Sharks on June 11, 2011 in Johannesburg.

Tags: sport, rugby-union, super-14, south-africa

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Sharks bite back to sink Cheetahs

Posted June 5, 2011 06:23:00

The Sharks boosted hopes of a Super Rugby play-offs place by overcoming an eight-point deficit to defeat the Cheetahs 23-18 in a South African showdown.

The winners survived an onslaught after being reduced to 13 players when scrum-half Charl McLeod and flank Keegan Daniel were sent to the sin bin late in the second half by South African referee Marius Jonker.

Sharks signed 28-year-old former France fly half Frederic Michalak from Toulouse this week, included him among seven replacements, but coach John Plumtree kept him on the bench, even when McLeod was yellow carded.

The erratic Sharks dug deep into their reserves of resilience on a chilly evening in this central city to first prevent Cheetahs getting too far ahead and then winning turnovers to gain the possession that brought two tries.

Success at Free State Stadium lifted the Durban team two places to fifth on the table with two rounds left - two points above defending champions Northern Bulls and four in front of the NSW Waratahs.

The Sharks have a tough run-in though, with games against the unpredictable Lions in Johannesburg and the Bulls in Pretoria and may need two victories to seal a top-six finish and a play-offs place.

"We took time to settle, but it was a great win given we often struggle in Bloemfontein," said Springbok captain Smit, who played at loosehead prop instead of his favoured hooker position to accommodate Bismarck du Plessis.

"There were some harsh words at half-time and you saw the difference during the second half. We applied a lot more pressure and won some good turnovers against a Cheetahs team that has grown remarkably this season."

After four consecutive wins, this was the second consecutive loss for the Bloemfontein team and they lie 11th on the table with a home fixture against South African conference leaders Stormers to come following a bye next weekend.

Sharks fly half Patrick Lambie opened the scoring with a penalty before the Cheetahs took control with a try from scrum-half Sarel Pretorius followed by two penalty goals from fly half Sias Ebersohn.

Another Lambie penalty closed the gap to 11-6 at half-time, but the Sharks were flattered given the amount of possession the Cheetahs had and the usually deadly Ebersohn missed a penalty and a conversion.

The second half provided a different story with the Sharks regularly on the front foot and Lambie converted tries by wings Lwazi Mvovo and JP Pieterson to give the Sharks a 23-11 advantage.

Cheetahs wing Riaan Viljoen snatched a try after the Sharks found themselves two men short and Ebersohn converted but by the time Lambie resumed play there were just 57 seconds left and neither team threatened to score.

Sharks: 23 (L Mvovo, JP Pietersen tries; P Lambie 2 cons, 3 pens)

Cheetahs: 18 (S Pretorius, R Viljoen tries; S Ebersohn con, 2 pens)

- AFP

Tags: sport, rugby-union, super-14, south-africa

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Sharks counter Cheetahs' threat

Published:Sunday, June 5, 2011 7:48 AEST

Patrick Lambie of the Sharks gets tagged by the Cheetah's Corne Uys during the Super Rugby match on June 04, 2011 in Bloemfontein, South Africa. The Sharks crept into the playoff spots with a 23-18 win.

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Michalak rejoins Sharks

Updated June 1, 2011 08:45:00

Mercurial former French fly half Frederic Michalak has re-signed for a second spell with Super 15 outfit the Sharks on a deal that takes him until the end of the 2011/12 season.

The 28-year-old - who won the majority of his 54 caps at fly half though he played some at scrum half - had revealed on April 27 that his long association with 17-time French champions Toulouse would come to an end at the end of the season.

Michalak, who sprang to prominence on the international stage when he inspired France to the 2003 World Cup semi-finals but then produced his worst performance in the defeat by England, returns to the Sharks with whom he won the Currie Cup in 2008 for their first silverware in 12 years.

"It is no surprise that I am here again," said Michalak on the Super 15 website.

"I loved my year that I spent in Durban and the cherry on the top was definitely winning the Currie Cup trophy.

"Unlike the first time when I signed for the Sharks, there won't be a problem in terms of any language barrier and being able to slot in with old team-mates is definitely a plus factor for me."

- AFP

Tags: sport, rugby-union, super-14, france, south-africa

First posted June 1, 2011 08:34:00

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Waratahs make just one change for Sharks

Posted May 26, 2011 08:26:00

The NSW Waratahs have made just one change to their starting side, with Sitaleki Timani coming into the second row for the Super Rugby clash with the Sharks in Durban.

Timani was a late scratching from last week's bonus point win over the Lions in Sydney, after failing to recover from a thumb injury sustained in round 12.

He returns to the run-on team to partner Dean Mumm in the second row, while Pat O'Connor retains his place on the bench.

The only other alteration to the match day squad is a forced one with rookie Tom Kingston called to national duty with the Australian U20s ahead of the IRB Junior World Championships.

Speedster Atieli Pakalani moves onto the bench for his first Super Rugby clash since suffering a hamstring injury during the round eight bonus point win over the Western Force in Perth.

It is a crucial match for the Waratahs as they attempt to secure wildcard entry into the Super Rugby playoffs.

Coach Chris Hickey said the squad had recovered well from the long trip to South Africa and were looking forward to this weekend's clash at the Shark Tank.

"Recovering from the flight to Johannesburg and then transferring to Durban is always a bit tricky but all of the guys seem to have pulled up well," said Hickey.

"They were out and about on Monday to adjust to the time difference and we had a pretty sharp session on Tuesday which provided a good indication as to where they are at both physically and mentally.

"Kings Park is one of the great venues in world Rugby and I know the squad is excited to be here.

"It's an important game against another finals contender so there's a lot on the line."

Hickey said the inclusion of Timani was a bonus for the squad with the Tongan-born lock one of the form players in the team over the last month.

"Sita's probably been better known as an impact player at Super Rugby level before this year but since getting an opportunity in the starting side he has given us a lot of go-forward," said Hickey.

"He trained well all of last week and was probably touch-and-go to play the Lions but we erred on the side of caution knowing the important run of matches we have coming up."

The Waratahs will train again on Thursday ahead of the captain's run on Friday before Saturday's clash.

Waratahs team: Kurtley Beale, Lachie Turner, Ryan Cross, Tom Carter, Sosene Anesi, Berrick Barnes, Luke Burgess, Ben Mowen, Chris Alcock, Dave Dennis, Sitaleki Timani, Dean Mumm (c)), Sekope Kepu, Tatafu Polota-Nau, Benn Robinson. Reserves: John Ulugia, Al Baxter, Pat O'Connor, Hugh Perrett, Brendan McKibbin, Daniel Halangahu, Atieli Pakalani.

- AAP

Tags: sport, rugby-union, super-14, australia, nsw, sydney-2000, south-africa

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Lambie seals close win for Sharks

Posted May 29, 2011 06:20:00

Two late penalty goals by Patrick Lambie enabled the Sharks to scrape home 26-21 in a Super Rugby clash with the Waratahs at King's Park on Saturday.

Fly half Lambie hit the left upright with his team trailing by a point 14 minutes from the end but made amends when he landed goals in the 70th and 79th minutes.

It was a hard-fought battle between two teams struggling to finish in the top six on the log and earn a place in the competition play-offs.

The Sharks win lifted them to fifth, one point and one place ahead of the Waratahs.

"We're playing for our lives every weekend," said Sharks captain and loosehead prop John Smit.

"When that kick hit the poles my heart nearly stopped."

Both teams scored two tries in remarkably similar fashion. Fly halves Lambie and Daniel Halangahu, a late replacement for the Waratahs, both went over for individual tries after breaking from scrums, while both teams scored long-range tries after turnovers.

The Sharks looked in control when they led 13-6 five minutes before half-time but after another break by Lambie they lost the ball five metres short of the Waratahs line.

Flank Dave Dennis grabbed the ball for the Australian team and Halangahu raced down the left touchline before passing to wing Lachlan Turner, who scored in the corner to make the score 13-11 at the break.

It was the Waratahs' turn to take the ascendancy after Halangahu's try in the second half.

They went eight points ahead when Sharks flank Jean Deysel was yellow-carded for an illegal tackle and full-back Kurtley Beale landed the resultant penalty.

With the Sharks down to 14 men, Beale led a Waratahs attack but lost the ball when he was tackled near the Sharks 22.

Wing JP Pietersen picked up the loose ball and sprinted 70 metres to score in the right corner. Lambie converted to set up a tense finish.

The Sharks produced most of the attacking rugby but the Waratahs had the better of the tight forward exchanges despite losing prop Sekope Kepu to a leg injury after 13 minutes.

Kepu's replacement, Al Baxter, had an impressive match alongside fellow Wallaby front-rowers Benn Robinson and Tatafu Polota-Nau.

Waratahs captain Dean Mumm blamed his team's defeat on "ill discipline and (playing) too much in our own half when it really mattered".

He said next weekend's match against the Bulls in Pretoria was crucial if the Waratahs were to retain control of their play-off destiny.

- AFP

Tags: sport, rugby-union, super-14, australia, nsw, sydney-2000, south-africa

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Smit leads Sharks to big win

Posted April 24, 2011 06:17:00

John Smit took advantage of his first start as a hooker this season as he led the Sharks to a 40-24 bonus point win against the Wellington Hurricanes in their Super Rugby clash at King's Park.

Smit scored his team's first try and impressed in the tight-loose to show that he remains a strong candidate to lead the Springboks in the defence of their Rugby World Cup crown in New Zealand later this year.

Sharks coach John Plumtree had picked Bismarck du Plessis ahead of Smit in the team's first eight matches of the season, with Smit having to slot in as a prop, but an injury to Du Plessis opened the way for Smit to return to his specialist position.

The Hurricanes led 13-3 early in the match despite being down to 14 men after lock James Broadhurst was yellow carded.

It was 13-13 at half-time and the New Zealand team regained the lead at 18-13 when replacement flank Faifili Levave scored a try in the first minute of the second half.

But Mvovo scored his first try four minutes later and although fly half Dan Kirkpatrick kicked two penalty goals to put the visitors ahead again the Sharks dominated the last 25 minutes of the match with a stiff breeze at their back.

Centre Meyer Bosman burst through two tackles to score a try and Mvovo ran half the length of the field to score an intercept try which gave the Sharks a bonus point.

All Black centre Ma'a Nonu, who set up both his team's tries, scored by full-back Cory Jane and Levave, was yellow carded 11 minutes from time following an illegal steal, effectively killing off the Hurricanes' chances.

A late try by eighth man Ryan Kankowski sealed the win for the Sharks.

Smit praised his team's second-half performance, which enabled them to move one point ahead of the Stormers at the top of the South African conference, although the Stormers have a game in hand.

Smit said the Sharks were now looking forward to a 'massive' game against the Stormers in Cape Town next Saturday.

"They wore us down," admitted Hurricanes captain Andrew Hore.

He said his team needed to improve ahead of their home match against the top-of-the-table Queensland Reds in Wellington next week.

"We've got to get the full package right," he said.

- AFP

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