After a series of disappointing home-ground performances in the Super 12 — and a dodgy Absa Currie Cup start two weeks ago — the Sharks returned to their Durban base with purposeful intent on Saturday to take the maximum five log points off the Golden Lions in fashioning an important 38-25 Currie Cup rugby victory.
The Sharks won by scoring four tries to three with Adrian Jacobs, Brendon Botha, Grant Rees and Shaun Sowerby crossing for the home side and Gcobani Bobo, John Daniels and Schalk van der Merwe replying for the Lions.
On the kicking side flyhalves Conrad Barnard (18) for the Sharks and Nel Fourie (10) played their part with only three kicks at goal being unproductive.
After the win over Western Province last weekend the Lions, who lost Jaco Booysen and Heinrich Kok to injury, looked disjointed as the Sharks attacked them from all angles.
For this reason most of the pressure came from the Sharks, who were well served up front with lock Johann Muller and flank Luke Watson, named man of the match, most impressive among the forwards. Jacobs made several telling breaks down the right wing.
The 19 000 spectators had to witness a rather loose match at times but that was compensated for by the many incidents that produced exciting moments.
After disappointing showings against Griqualand West and the Pumas at Witbank the Sharks showed from the outset that they meant business against a sometimes hesitant Lions defence.
As a match it was probably marred by too many mistakes and subsequent turnovers but the purposefulness in defence by both sides was commendable at all times.
Once again, as seems to be the norm these days, the Sharks were on the backfoot a minute into the game as they conceded a penalty goal to flyhalf Nel Fourie in the first minute. But they shook off the shackles immediately with a diving try in the corner by makeshift right wing Adrian Jacobs two minutes later, following a superb forward drive.
Dean Hall got an early call into the action as a replacement for fullback Jaco Booysen and the Lions were further hampered when prop Heinrich Kok was taken off on a stretcher after 13 minutes had elapsed.
He was reported to be concussed and was replaced by Kenny McKenzie.
Meanwhile, Barnard got his first penalty chance from close in and the Sharks were 10-3 in front.
After thwarting a great run by lock Muller that gained at least 40m the Lions secured a turnover and with all the skills of the Pacific Islanders against the Springboks earlier got the equalising points through a try by centre Gcobani Bobo, converted by Fourie.
The Lions deserved the score as they got numbers to the ball after a gallant chase and catch by Henno Mentz on wing John Daniels.
Daniels then had the last laugh after a brilliant Lions onslaught stemming from a penalty, subsequent lineout possession and a series of attacking backline movements engineered by scrumhalf Enrico Januarie led to his scoring the try that had eluded him earlier. The conversion attempt from Fourie went wide.
And it was for this reason that the Lions found themselves trailing by two points at 15-17 at the break.
The Sharks then got off to the best possible start to the second half as centre Grant Rees ran through a non-existent Lions defence to score. Barnard converted.
Lions coach Frans Ludeke then called up Schalk Brits and James Labuschagne from the bench to replace hooker Andre van Niekerk and lock Kleinjan Tromp.
A knock-on robbed Bobo of what might have been his second try of the afternoon for the Lions and then fullback Ricardo Loubscher pulled off a try-saving dive tackle on Daniels.
An exchange of penalties between Fourie and Barnard kept the nine-points gap at 27-18 going into the last quarter.
Barnard had the misfortune of thumping a drop-goal attempt against an upright but soon made it up with his third and fourth penalty goals.
Tries in the dying minutes to Sharks skipper Shaun Sowerby and Lions flank Schalk van der Merwe with a conversion to Fourie took it to a final scoreline of 38-25 and a win the Sharks richly deserved. — Sapa