Wing Wylie Human got a hat-trick of tries for the Lions but his side ended up with a single bonus-point reward for their efforts in their opening Absa Currie Cup rugby match in Durban on Friday night as the Natal Sharks claimed the spoils for a 33-22 victory and a bonus point for four tries.
In a game of mixed fortunes, the Sharks — without a number of key front-line players because of national call-ups — barely had the edge against the fast-running counter-attacks of the Lions.
A crowd of 15 000 enthusiastic supporters saw some close shaves for both teams as TMO (television match official) referee Shaun Veldsman had to make three calls to assist referee Jonathan Kaplan in awarding two tries to the Sharks.
Lions scrumhalf Rory Kockett twice hit the posts with attempted conversions and missed two penalties as the Sharks outscored their opponents by two goals, two tries and three penalty goals to a goal and three tries. They all but had a fourth in injury time on a third intercept run from deep in their own territory, but eighthman Pietie Ferreira dropped the ball as he crossed the Sharks’ line.
The match marked the 50th Currie Cup cap for Sharks flanker Warren Britz.
The Sharks mauling forward drive was soon in evidence, but ended up in an unproductive first shove. Rookie fullback Carl Bezuidenhout was twice found wanting with a failed drop-goal attempt and when trying to take a high up and under that gave the Lions an opening to attack through right wing Wylie Human.
It gave the Lions early incentive and as the Sharks retreated, Human shook them with an opening 11th-minute try but scrumhalf Rory Kockett was unlucky to see his conversion attempt come back off the near post. The Sharks got some relief 10 minutes later when, after flanker Jacques Botes ran down the right touchline, they earned a penalty with flyhalf Butch James successful.
Then, after reference to the TMO, the Sharks took the lead with a try to Bezuidenhout at the corner after exerting enormous pressure on the Lions’ defence with James failing to convert. And within a minute they had a second when wing Odwa Ndungane, with a burst of speed from centre field, left the Lions defence for dead and set up Botes for the easiest of scores. This time James was successful, after which Kockett missed a long-range penalty for the Lions.
Once again Human proved to be the thorn in the Sharks’ flesh when he intercepted a Sharks pass and raced unchallenged for the line and try number two for the Lions. For the second time Kockett hit the upright with a conversion attempt.
The Sharks regained first-half supremacy when the forwards set up centre Andries Strauss for a converted try just before the break, which came at 22-10 to the home side.
The second half began the same as the first with another successful penalty from James.
Russell Winter missed an awkward pass when in a favourable position to snatch back a try for the Lions, but they were rewarded when the livewire Human completed his hat-trick of humiliation for the Sharks with a converted try under the bar. But Kockett missed a vital penalty chance soon afterwards and the points differential remained at eight.
After twice getting over the line, hooker Bismarck du Plessis got the second TMO decision in his favour and with his try the bonus point for the Sharks, but no conversion this time. — Sapa