The Cell C Sharks showed too much class on Friday morning when they defeated the Highlanders 42-20 in a pulsating Vodacom Super Rugby clash at Forsyth Barr Stadium to maintain their 100% record this season.
After missing last week’s action courtesy of a bye, the Highlanders certainly came out to play and for long periods threatened, and with perfect conditions on offer, the teams were able to play some exciting rugby.
Both sides committed early errors, the Highlanders losing a throw-in and producing a number of knock-ons while the Cell C Sharks conceded a scrum penalty that allowed the home side to take a three point lead inside the opening 10 minutes.
Some excellent offensive defence earned consecutive penalties to take possession into the Highlanders’ half and Curwin Bosch maintained his 100% kicking rate for the season with a 49m penalty to level matters on the scoreboard.
The game was a stop-start affair with 11 penalties inside the opening 25 minutes and neither side able to build continuity. A penalty for sacking our driving maul inside their half allowed Bosch to put us into a 6-3 lead, one we would never relinquish.
On the half hour and coming out of nowhere, the scrumhalves traded high kicks with the Highlanders failing to secure the ball in midfield and James Venter receiving possession at pace and outsprinting the defence to score the first try of the game to take a 13-3 lead.
The Cell C Sharks had enjoyed very little ball possession, but once they enjoyed a sustained period of attack, showed devastating ability, scoring a second try within five minutes of the first, Makazole Mapimpi closing out a team effort, with Bosch adding the conversion.
All of a sudden and with the half-time break beckoning, the Cell C Sharks had built up a 20-3 lead.
But it wasn’t all over as Sikhumbuzo Notshe showed a clean pair of heels and great composure to offload after the Highlanders were stripped of possession and Mapimpi was too quick for his second and our third.
A dominant final 10 minutes of the half from the Cell CC Sharks had completely blown the home side away to show just how dangerous we can be on the counter. A 27-3 half-time lead was a clear statement from the Durbanites.
The fact that the Highlanders had just three points was not through any lack of effort, but they had come up against a side that holds great store in defence – the fact that in two hours the Cell C Sharks had not conceded a single Super Rugby try in 2020.
The Highlanders continued to struggle at the breakdown as Lukhanyo Am earned a penalty right in front after a good high ball was sent into the home side’s half. Bosch made sure of the three points inside the opening five minutes of the second half to push the lead to 30-3.
The Highlanders struck almost immediately with a penalty kicked to touch and then an effective lineout throw over the top for a try under the posts to reduce the gap to 20 points.
With the home side enjoying over 60% possession in the game, they had been
thwarted almost all game but that kind of dominance has to eventually reap
rewards and a strong scrum as the game went into the final quarter gave them
the possession and territory to score their second try and reduce the gap to 15
points after the conversion went wide.
The game, despite the fairly sizable lead, hung in the balance and the home
side looked to put late pressure on the Cell C Sharks, but a scrum penalty on
our ball gave us the impetus to get out of our 22 and then a lovely break from
Aphelele Fassi to score our fourth try and put the game out of question with
six minutes remaining.
Bosch converted, but the Highlanders struck back within a minute, regaining possession and spreading the ball wide for their third try, with Fassi charging down the conversion to keep the score at 37-20.
The game ended in fireworks as a free kick at the scrum got the ball to Fassi who made nearly 50m and a pearler of a hand-off to score his second try in the corner to close out a quite wonderful victory.
Celebrating success in his 50th Super Rugby cap, a thrilled captain Lukhanyo Am called it “A great win.
“It was a great effort from the boys, and coming here and getting a win
first game on tour was great.
We’re very happy with the result and we’ll just try build confidence and
consistency going forward.
“This team plays for each other, the work rate is good and even though the Highlanders put us under pressure, we managed to bounce back. That was really impressive from the boys.”