Sharks down Cheetahs in wet to kick-off Super campaign

The Sharks defeated the Cheetahs 24-9 in their opening Super Rugby match on Saturday after a dour battle of attrition in wet conditions which put paid to any thoughts of running rugby.

Forwards Jacques Botes and Bismarck du Plessis scored the hosts’ two tries through close-range driving mauls in an impressive display by the pack which showed why they are among the title favourites.

“It wasn’t champagne rugby but we got the early-season jitters out of the way,” said veteran Sharks captain Stefan Terblanche. “The score might have been 24-9 but it was a lot tougher than that.”

The home side, whose captain John Smit was a late withdrawal through injury, opened the scoring in the third minute when flanker Botes burrowed over from a rolling maul five metres out.

Flyhalf Patrick Lambie, who made his Test debut against Ireland in November, hooked the conversion but made amends with a 10th-minute penalty which put his team 8-0 ahead.

Lambie’s opposite number Naas Olivier got the Cheetahs on to the scoreboard in the 34th minute with a penalty, then followed up with a second four minutes into the second half to reduce the deficit to two.

The two outside halves traded kicks in the second half before Springbok hooker du Plessis replicated Botes’ earlier driving effort to seal the win with 10 minutes remaining.