The Cell C Sharks delivered a resounding performance in their Vodacom United Rugby Championship clash with the Vodacom Bulls at Hollywoodbets Kings Park on Saturday evening to score a quite emphatic 47-20 victory.
It was a special ocassion and the Cell C Sharks can look back on their performance with pride, knowing they ticked off a number of boxes and put themselves into a commanding position
The Bulls opened the scoring, securing a penalty from the first kick-off to get the scoreboard ticking over early in the game, but Curwin Bosch repaid the compliment minutes later to even matters when his forwards monstered the Bulls off their own ball at the first scrum of the game.
A second penalty on the quarter hour pushed the Bulls back into a three point lead, but again it was a short-lived advantage as they infringed on their own ball at the next kick-off to hand Bosch a simple effort to bring the teams level again.
Once again, there was hardly the blink of an eye before the next score, the Bulls capitalising on a fortunate bounce of the ball in the kick and chase to score the first try of the game. But that would only set off a chain of events that proved the downfall of the visitors.
A penalty from Bosch cut the lead to four and then a yellow card to try-scorer Canan Moodie for cynical play on defence led to a penalty try that took the Cell C Sharks into the lead, one they would never relinquish.
The Bulls’ discipline continued to hurt them and they were reduced to 13 men shortly before half-time. The Cell C Sharks opted for the scrum and when the ball came out the back, Grant Williams somehow managed to dance his way through the disorganised defence, slipping tackles to score.
Bosch converted to make it a 10 point game and in the 47th minute of an extraordinarily long first half, converted a maul try from Bongi Mbonambi from wide out to close out a quite emphatic response from the Cell C Sharks who went into the changerooms with a 30-13 lead.
This time there was no response from the Bulls, and 10 minutes into the second half, a wonderful sweeping movement from the backline led to Rohan Janse van Rensburg scoring the bonus point try after the backline had shown just how dangerous they can be, keeping the ball alive and Boeta Chamberlain’s lovely pop-up pass in the tackle handing his inside centre the perfect opportunity to score. Bosch made no mistake with the conversion, underlining his value to the team.
The Bulls finally managed to score again, the game just shy of the final quarter mark with an attack down the wing leading to their second try, the conversion taking the score to 37-20 in the Cell C Sharks’ favour. Bosch made it a 20-point game a few minutes later.
There was further drama for the Bulls who lost Moodie for the second time, in this instance a high tackle with contact to the head. Two yellows equals a red and that was it for the wing who would play no further part in the game.
Janse van Rensburg put the icing on the cake with an intercept try just inside the Bulls half and there was no-one to chase him as he cantered 45m to score a brace and put further distance between the two teams.
Bosch added the extras from in front to round off his team’s comprehensive effort that keeps them well in the running for a top 8 finish.
Although possession was even, the five tries to two underlined what Director of Rugby Neil Powell had said during the week, that his team must close out the opportunities they create, and that was a message well-received from his players who delivered on the day.
Ultimately the Bulls will look back on this game and know that the 20 penalties and three yellow cards they conceded cost them dramatically. For the Cell C Sharks, well-led by captain and Man of the Match Siya Kolisi, this was the perfect way to end 2022 and carry momentum and tons of self-belief into the new year