The Cell C Sharks delivered a commanding performance to earn a 29-22 bonus point win in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship match against the Vodacom Bulls in Pretoria on Saturday evening.
Despite their roughly 65% possession and territory advantage, the Bulls had no answer to the ferociousness of the Cell C Sharks, a team that brought their A-game and were never going to allow themselves to be physically bullied, and instead dominated in a game that delivered every bit of tension we’ve come to expect with these two teams meet.
The scoreline was closer than the scoreboard suggests, with the home side scoring two late tries when they were 14 points behind in the closing minutes, but the bonus point to add to the 30-16 first round victory at Hollywoodbets Kings Park a little over two months ago is a wonderful reward for the team in Black & White.
A good start for any team is paramount and while the Cell C Sharks were forced to defend for the opening 10 minutes of the game, once they managed to get out of their half, the game came alive.
A late, high and swinging arm direct connection to the neck of Lukhanyo Am representing a high degree of danger with no mitigation led to a red card for Bulls flyhalf Morne Steyn and the impetus for the first score of the game.
Off an attacking maul, Henco Venter barged the first would-be tackler off his feet with a powerful shove to open the way to the tryline, with Tito Bonilla adding the two.
To their credit and despite being a man down, the Bulls got back into the Cell C Sharks’ half and once more exerted long term pressure but their patience didn’t hold, while the visitors forced the mistake on the tryline that allowed them relief. A scrum penalty took away further pressure.
Once more, the Bulls were the architects of their demise as the Cell C Sharks were able to work their way deep into the hosts’ half, the pressure too much to bare and then a lineout maul saw hooker Bongi Mbonambi break off and smash his way through two defenders to score the second try. Bonilla converted from wide and the Durban side had a 14-nil lead after half an hour’s play.
It didn’t stop the juggernaut effort from the Bulls who continued to exert pressure. They were constantly thwarted as they hammered away at the line, but defence must eventually given in and when the Cell C Sharks were reduced to 14 men for a team warning, the Bulls managed to get over in the corner just before half-time for their opening score, although the conversion was wide.
There were a few seconds left to play and this was where the greatest answer to conceding a try came.
The kick-off from Bonilla threatened to go out on the full, the Bulls left it to go out, but captain Lukhanyo Am snatched the ball out of no-man’s land, grubbered past the last line of defence and only had to catch and dot down for his team’s third try in quite the most extraordinary final play of the half and a 19-5 lead at the break.
But it was the home side who scored first in the second half, the teams even on personnel and a strong and patient build-up from the forwards finally saw then barge over for their second try, the extras making it a 19-12 game early on.
With the final quarter approaching, the Cell C Sharks worked their way into the Bulls 22 and from a set move off a dominant scrum, pulled the defence infield before sending it out wide to Makazole Mapimpi who jogged over unmarked for the bonus point try. Curwin Bosch was on and his conversion from out wide took his team into a 26-12 lead.
With five minutes remaining, the Bulls began to show some desperation to keep their fortress record intact and were rewarded with a forward try, although the conversion was wide, meaning they had to score at least twice if they harboured any designs on winning.
Then things really came alive as they scored their bonus point try with two minutes remaining, a good break out wide for the try in the corner. The conversion was once again wide and the margin four points with a couple of minutes to go.
In sheer desperation, the Bulls tried to run the ball out of their 22 from the kick-off, but captain and Man of the Match Lukhanyo Am showed heroism to earn a penalty at the breakdown, handing Bosch a final kick at posts and he made no mistake to close out a quite incredible game.