The Cell C Sharks went down 29-23 to the DHL Stormers in their return leg Vodacom United Rugby Championship clash in Cape Town on Saturday afternoon as they fought hard for the win.
The Stormers are riding high in the competition, their home ground a fortress they haven’t been defeated at in 18 games and they continued their form this year over a Cell C Sharks side that threw everything into the game.
At one stage in the second half, the Stormers looked to have sewn up the result, but for a heroic fightback that saw the Cell C Sharks come agonisingly close to upsetting the applecart. It was a brave effort late in the game and a result that could easily have gone the other way.
The Cell C Sharks were forced to defend manfully in the opening 10 minute stanza but stood up to the task bravely before good pressure forced an error that got them onto the front foot, captain Curwin Bosch having no hesitation in pointing to the posts and converting the first penalty of the game.
But their majority share of possession saw the home side build up a head of momentum that saw them open their scoring, taking the ball through a few phases off an attacking lineout before scoring the first try of the game for a 5-3 lead in the 15th minute.
Just shy of the 20th minute, the Cell C Sharks went back into the lead with a penalty from right in front when the Stormers tackled a man without the ball with the visitors on the attack. But a minute later, an awful turn of events materialised when an up and under went directly into the sky, possession was retained but a long pass was intercepted and the Stormers scored their second try. This time the conversion was successful and the home side had a 12-6 lead.
The home side extended their lead to 19-6 after a scrum battle that saw them attack from inside the Cell C Sharks’ 22 and send the ball out wide for their third try with seven minutes of the first half remaining.
There was no further change to the score as the Cell C Sharks looked to play in the right areas of the field and avoid giving the home side any territorial advantage.
The third quarter saw plenty of action without results, both sides having opportunities to make inroads but both opponents up for the challenge on defence until the home side were held up just short of the tryline, but managed to send the ball wide for their fourth try and a 20 point lead with 25 minutes remaining.
Moments later, the Cell C Sharks struck gold, Yaw Penxe scoring in the corner off a deft kick ahead and the closure of a well-worked effort to reduce the lead to 26-11 with the final quarter left to play.
The Cell C Sharks weren’t finished yet, with 14 minutes remaining following a good scrum and maul, centre Rohan Janse van Rensburg took the ball at speed, avoided every defensive effort with power and brute strength to smash his way through the defenders and over the line, Bosch’s conversion cutting the lead to eight points.
The tide of momentum had completely changed into the Cell C Sharks’ favour as some stunning solo magic from scrumhalf Grant Williams as he threaded his way through the defence to score the third try. The Stormers had lost a man for a cynical tackle moments earlier, and then lost another for a kick trip that still couldn’t stop Williams and would spend the remaining seven minutes defending their three point lead with only 13 men.
A nail-biting ending to the game wasn’t enough to overcome the home side who had a late penalty to kick themselves to a six point win.
For the Cell C Sharks, the bonus point was important in keeping them in seventh place on the log.