05-08-2010, 02:55 PM
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#5 (permalink)
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Moderator
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Pensacola, FL
Posts: 588
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Sharks v Stormers:
Quote:
The Sharks upset the Stormers Super 14 party with a hard fought 20-14 victory in Durban which ensures that the Bulls will finish next weekend at the top of the Super 14 table.
The Sharks played their match of the season with an intensity not seen before this season from the Durban based team which kept the Stormers on the backfoot.
The Stormers managed to score a try in the final minute which with the conversion gave them a losing bonus point but if they lose next week they could miss out on hosting a Super 14 semifinal.
A loss next week could even rule them out of the semi-finals completely.
The Stormers loss also opens up the tournament in Super 14 play off hosting terms for teams as low as the sixth placed Crusasders who are on 36 points and three points behind the Stormers who retained their second place with 39 points.
Even the Reds who are on 34 points could sneak in with a bonus point victory over the Highlanders.
The Sharks dominated the entire first half and held a deserved 14-0 lead at the break.
They took control early on when eighth man Ryan Kankowski, playing his 50th Super Rugby game, received the ball on the right wing in the sixth minute and offloaded to Odwa Ndungane who dotted down the first try of the game.
Flyhalf Ruan Pienaar converted to give them a 7-0 lead.
Inside centre Lwazi Mvovo almost stretched the gap further in the 32nd minute when he beat Stormers fullback Gio Aplon to a high ball, but Mvovo fumbled it in the air going over the line with Sireli Naqelevuki closing in.
Six minutes later, however, Pienaar burst clear after chipping and giving chase.
Naqelevuki got a hand to it in the Stormers goal area but failed to touch it down, and Pienaar pounced on the loose ball, adding the conversion shortly before the break.
The visitors came out fighting in the second half, however, and four minutes into the second half Dewaldt Duvenhage sent it out to centre Tim Whitehead from a maul.
Whitehead offloaded to Peter Grant and the flyhalf went over to give the Stomers their first points of the game. Grant converted his own try, narrowing the gap to 14-7.
Minutes later Grant and Pienaar both fluffed difficult penalty kicks, sending their attempts wide, but Pienaar made amends in the 66th minute when he got another chance and made no mistake, and added another with five minutes on the clock to give his side a 20-7 lead.
And in the dying minutes Ricky Januarie offloaded to Francois Louw who went over for the Stormers, with Grant adding the conversion to close the gap to six points and secure his side a bonus point.
Final Score Sharks 20 Stormers 14
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