Sharks focus on set-piece ahead of bottom-of-the-table clash
Sharks coach JP Pietersen has identified set-pieces as their focal point ahead of their bottom-of-the-table Currie Cup clash with Western Province in Durban on Friday.
The Sharks lost 26–17 to the Griquas in Kimberley over the weekend, their fourth defeat in a row with just three games left.
The defending champions led 10–7 at half-time thanks to a try by scrumhalf Ceano Everson. But a Griquas resurgence in the second half saw them outplay the visitors.
The Sharks produced another try from the hands of Diego Appollis, but three yellow cards (captain Nick Hatton, Matt Romao and Jean Smith) cost them dearly. Each was followed by a Griquas try within a minute or two.
Caleb Abrahams, Lourens Oosthuizen, Dylan Maart and Cameron Hufke all crossed for the Griquas, who sit fourth in a closely-contested competition, only one point behind the Cheetahs, who lead.
Young Sharks need a win
The Sharks only have one losing bonus point over halfway into the competition, and statistically cannot defend their title. But the Durbanites next face Western Province, who are also backing youngsters to increase depth in the long term.
Time will tell if the two unions' selection strategy will pay off in the long run. But pride is at stake now.
Western Province also only have one losing bonus point after four matches, though their points difference is -83 compared to the Sharks' -116.
'I'm immensely proud of the boys for showing effort and fight [against the Griquas],' Pietersen said. 'To be up at half time and to lead the game. It just showed the fight and growth in the group, that we are moving in the right direction.
'Unfortunately, it just takes time to polish out errors. It happens in rugby. The more you play, the more cohesion you get, the more understanding you get. It was a good fight from the boys.'
He targeted the set-piece as the 'big work-on' ahead of the bottom-of-the-table clash.
'But there were some really good players that stand out and we can be extremely proud of them. They did the Sharks jersey very proud,' the Sharks coach added.
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The Citizen
14 hours ago
- The Citizen
Sharks focus on set-piece ahead of bottom-of-the-table clash
The defending champions have now lost four games on the trot with just three to go. Coach JP Pietersen said he is still proud of his players. Sharks coach JP Pietersen has identified set-pieces as their focal point ahead of their bottom-of-the-table Currie Cup clash with Western Province in Durban on Friday. The Sharks lost 26–17 to the Griquas in Kimberley over the weekend, their fourth defeat in a row with just three games left. The defending champions led 10–7 at half-time thanks to a try by scrumhalf Ceano Everson. But a Griquas resurgence in the second half saw them outplay the visitors. The Sharks produced another try from the hands of Diego Appollis, but three yellow cards (captain Nick Hatton, Matt Romao and Jean Smith) cost them dearly. Each was followed by a Griquas try within a minute or two. Caleb Abrahams, Lourens Oosthuizen, Dylan Maart and Cameron Hufke all crossed for the Griquas, who sit fourth in a closely-contested competition, only one point behind the Cheetahs, who lead. Young Sharks need a win The Sharks only have one losing bonus point over halfway into the competition, and statistically cannot defend their title. But the Durbanites next face Western Province, who are also backing youngsters to increase depth in the long term. Time will tell if the two unions' selection strategy will pay off in the long run. But pride is at stake now. Western Province also only have one losing bonus point after four matches, though their points difference is -83 compared to the Sharks' -116. 'I'm immensely proud of the boys for showing effort and fight [against the Griquas],' Pietersen said. 'To be up at half time and to lead the game. It just showed the fight and growth in the group, that we are moving in the right direction. 'Unfortunately, it just takes time to polish out errors. It happens in rugby. The more you play, the more cohesion you get, the more understanding you get. It was a good fight from the boys.' He targeted the set-piece as the 'big work-on' ahead of the bottom-of-the-table clash. 'But there were some really good players that stand out and we can be extremely proud of them. They did the Sharks jersey very proud,' the Sharks coach added.
The South African
a day ago
- The South African
Sharks, WP remain winless, Bulls humbled
The past weekend delivered another round of thrilling Currie Cup Premier Division action, headlined by the Boland Kavaliers, who secured their third win of the campaign by defeating the Bulls 28-20 on Sunday in Wellington, while there were also important victories for the Lions, Cheetahs, and Griquas. Griquas saw off a spirited challenge from the Hollywoodbets Sharks XV to run out 26-17 winners in Kimberley on Friday. On Saturday in Nelspruit, the Lions edged the Pumas 36-35, while Western Province went down 31-24 to the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein. With the single-round competition now past the halfway stage, the Cheetahs have moved into pole position with 16 league points, the same amount as second-placed Boland, who have a slightly weaker points differential. Griquas and the Lions each have 15 points and three wins to their credit – the same number of victories as the Cheetahs and Boland. The top four are followed by the Pumas (13 points), Bulls (10 points), and WP and the Sharks XV, who both have a single point and are still winless after four rounds. Griquas continued their impressive home form, securing a hard-fought 26-17 victory over the Hollywoodbets Sharks XV at the Suzuki Stadium in Kimberley on Friday. This win, clinched with four tries to two, marked Griquas' third triumph – all at home – in four league outings. The Sharks XV took an early lead with a penalty goal from Junior Bok flyhalf Vusi Moyo in the 14th minute, but Griquas responded with a try from Caleb Abrahams, converted by George Whitehead, to nudge ahead 7-3, while the visitors' Nick Hatton was in the sin bin. Moyo's SA U20 halfback partner Ceano Everson then managed to score a try, converted by Moyo, to give them a 10-7 half-time lead. Griquas ramped up the pressure in the second half, with Lourens Oosthuizen scoring a crucial try in the 54th minute, though the conversion was missed. The Sharks XV briefly regained momentum with a converted try from Diego Appollis in the 58th minute. However, ill-discipline cost them dearly, with Junior Bok loose forward Matt Romao receiving a yellow card and Jean Smith following suit just before the end. Griquas capitalised on these advantages, with Dylan Maart crossing for a try in the 61st minute before Cameron Hufke sealed the victory with another converted score six minutes from full-time. The hosts' Lourens Oosthuizen was also shown a yellow card, but they were deserving winners for their third win on the bounce after losing away to the Pumas in their opening-round fixture. In a pulsating clash at Nelspruit Rugby Club, the Lions secured a dramatic 36-35 victory over the Pumas. The Joburgers' triumph came after a narrow loss to Boland in the previous round, while the men from Mpumalanga, fresh off a fantastic win against the Bulls, will be left to rue a missed opportunity at home. They were, however, able to earn two valuable bonus points for scoring four tries and losing by a single point. The first half was a try-fest, with both teams exchanging blows. The Pumas opened the scoring through Ruwald Van Der Merwe, converted by Danrich Visagie. The Lions quickly responded with tries from Kelly Mpeku and Angelo Davids, both converted by Lubabalo Dobela. Not to be outdone, the Pumas added further five-pointers from Ross Braude and Darren Adonis, with Visagie adding the extras. The Lions' Renzo du Plessis then crossed, converted by Dobela, to ensure the teams went into half-time deadlocked at 21-21. The second half continued in the same high-tempo fashion. The visitors edged ahead with a penalty goal from Dobela, followed by tries from Dylan Sjoblom and a second for stalwart Du Plessis, with Dobela adding two more points via a conversion. The Pumas fought back valiantly, with Jan-Henning Campher and Tiaan Pretorius scoring late tries, both converted by Visagie, but it wasn't enough to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat as the penalty goal by Dobela proved to be the difference in the end. The Cheetahs, despite ending the match with 13 men, secured a gritty 31-24 bonus-point victory over Western Province at Toyota Stadium on Saturday afternoon. This win continues the Free Staters' strong run, while WP earned their first point of the season despite remaining winless. The hosts started with intent as wing Cohen Jasper opened the scoring with a converted try, and flanker Mihlali Mosi added another, pushing them to a 12-3 lead. Western Province, however, showed resilience, with flyhalf Jurie Matthee slotting a penalty goal and Blitzbok speedster Shilton van Wyk scoring a converted try just before half-time, narrowing the deficit to 12-10. The Cheetahs extended their lead after the breakthrough a quick tap try from Banie Britz and a bonus-point try from lock Juan Venter. Then a superb counter-attacking effort, finished by No 8 Neels Volschenk, stretched their advantage to 31-10. However, the Cape outfit staged a spirited comeback which saw Jared Africa and Enos Ndiao scoring converted tries, reducing the gap to 31-24. The Cheetahs' discipline then faltered, with centre Marco Jansen van Vuren receiving a second yellow, turned into a red card, and replacement hooker Marko Janse van Rensburg also seeing a yellow late on. Despite being down to 13 men, the Cheetahs bravely held on against a surging WP, who squandered late chances, securing a vital five points. On Sunday, the Boland Kavaliers' dream season continued after they managed to beat the Bulls 28-20 at a sold-out Boland Stadium in Wellington to move into the top two places of the Currie Cup Premier Division. Hawies Fourie's team trailed 12-7 at half-time and also fell 20-14 behind in the second half of an incident-packed encounter, but despite their indiscretions which saw them earning four yellow cards, they showed enormous character to stay in the fight. The Kavaliers eventually reeled the powerful visiting team in and held off the visitors' rally in the end to secure their biggest win to date, adding the Bulls' scalp to that of the Cheetahs and the Lions. Sidney Tobias, the prolific Donavan Don, Kwezi Mafu, and former Bulls front ranker Dayan van der Westhuizen each scored a try, while playmaker Ashlon Davids added four conversions to keep them in touch with the visitors despite the four yellow cards. Blitzbok Don, the top try scorer in the competition this season, wrestled his way over the whitewash despite the Bulls' defence to score his seventh try of the competition. The meeting was a feisty affair, with the Kavaliers matching the Bulls' famed physicality. With the visitors also losing two players to the sin bin, a total of six yellow cards were flashed in this crunch match. Doctor Booysen, Louis Schreuder, Michael Benadie, and Godlen Masimla were the Kavaliers players shown yellow cards, while Cornel Smit and Junior Bok hooker Siphosethu Mnebelele received cards on the Bulls' side. This coming weekend, the Pumas and Boland kick off the round-five action when they meet from 17:00 in Nelspruit, before the Sharks XV and WP go head-to-head from 19:10 in a match that will hand the winner their first victory this season. On Saturday, the Cheetahs face the Lions from 14:00 in Bloemfontein, while the Bulls and Griquas round up the action on Sunday in their 15:00 kick-off in Pretoria. Griquas 26-17 Hollywoodbets Sharks XV Griquas – Tries: Caleb Abrahams, Dylan Maart, Lourens Oosthuizen, Gurshwin Wehr. Conversions: George Whitehead (3) Sharks XV – Tries: Ceano Everson, Diego Appollis. Conversions: Moyo (2). Penalty goal: Moyo Pumas 35-36 Lions Pumas – Tries: Ruwald van der Merwe, Ross Braude, Darren Adonis, Jan-Henning Campher, Tiaan Pretorius. Conversions: Danrich Visagie (5) Lions – Tries: Kelly Mpeku, Angelo Davids, Renzo du Plessis (2), Dylan Sjoblom. Conversions: Lubabalo Dobela (4). Penalty goal: Dobela Cheetahs 31-24 Western Province Cheetahs – Tries: Cohen Jasper, Mihlali Mosi, Banie Britz, Juan Venter, Neels Volschenk. Conversions: Jasper (3) WP – Tries: Shilton van Wyk, Jared Africa, Enos Ndiao; Conversions: Jurie Matthee, Tristan Leyds (2). Penalty goal: Matthee Boland Kavaliers 28-20 Bulls Boland – Tries: Sidney Tobias, Donavan Don, Khwezi Mafu, Dayan van der Westhuizen. Conversions: Ashlon Davids (4) Bulls – Tries: Jean Erasmus, Jaco Grobbelaar, Nama Xaba. Conversion: Boeta Chamberlain. Penalty goal: Chamberlain Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
The Citizen
2 days ago
- The Citizen
Cavaliers in dreamland after another Currie Cup upset
The Cavaliers are now joint top of the log with the Cheetahs on 16 points, trailing them on points difference only. The Boland Cavaliers are in dreamland, after another Currie Cup upset saw them down the Bulls 28-20 in Wellington on Sunday afternoon, to put themselves joint top of the log after the fourth weekend of action. The Cavaliers, back in the competition for the first time since 2016, have won three of their four games so far, and upset the Lions and Bulls on consecutive weekends, to put them on 16 points, level with the Cheetahs who sit top on points difference. Their game against the Bulls was an action packed and ill-disciplined affair, as they outscored the visitors four tries to three, while six yellow cards were handed out in the match, four to the Cavaliers. The Bulls took a 12-7 lead into halftime, with prop Jean Erasmus crashing over and lock Cobus Grobbelaar dotting down off a maul, while Cavaliers hooker Sidney Tobias also scored off a maul. A back and forth second half then saw the Bulls slot a penalty through flyhalf Boeta Chamberlain, before Cavaliers outside back Donovan Don scored his seventh try of the season, followed by another maul try to Nama Xaba giving the Bulls a 20-14 lead after 55 minutes. But the Cavaliers finished stronger, as replacement loose forward Khwezi Mafu, and replacement prop Wayrin Losper both powered over for converted scores to give them a stunning come from behind win. Other matches In the other matches on the weekend, the ill-disciplined Cheetahs outlasted a fighting Western Province 31-24 in Bloemfontein, the Lions edged the Pumas 36-35 in Mbombela, and the Griquas beat the Sharks 26-17 in Kimberley. The Cheetahs were grateful that a late red and yellow card didn't cost them in their match against Province, after they held a 31-10 lead with 15 minutes to play, before two late scores from the visitors, and ending the game with 13 men, made it a very nervy finish. At the Nelspruit Rugby Club the Lions and Pumas battled out a thriller, with a back and forth first half seeing the teams locked at 21-all at the break. The Lions then surged ahead at the start of the second half, moving 36-21 ahead after 60 minutes, before a late show from the Pumas saw them go over for two converted scores, the second after the fulltime hooter. In the Griquas and Sharks game, the visitors held a surprise 17-12 lead after 60 minutes, but two converted tries to the hosts in the final 20 secured them a bonus point win. Log taking shape With this year's Currie Cup being played over a single round of fixtures, the log is now finally beginning to take shape after four rounds. Just behind the log leaders sit the Lions in third and Griquas in fourth, one point back, with them also separated by points difference. The Pumas are fifth on 13 points and the Bulls sixth on 10, and those six teams are likely to battle it out for the four playoff places, although the team from Pretoria don't have much wiggle room over the final three rounds. Western Province and the Sharks, who have backed inexperienced youth for the competition, continue to struggle, rock bottom of the log on one point each, with points difference also separating them. This coming weekend sees the Cavaliers going on the road, taking on the Pumas in Mbombela, in one of two Friday night matches, with the second a battle in the basement as the Sharks welcome Western Province to Durban. On Saturday the Cheetahs take on the Lions in Bloemfontein, while the Griquas host the Bulls in Kimberley on Sunday to round out the weekend's action.
