The Sharks continued their impressive form in the Super 14 and maintained their unbeaten status with a hard-fought but deserved 30-14 win over the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein on Saturday.
The Sharks trailed 13-14 at the break, but were more purposeful in the second half, scoring two of their tree tries in this period.
The match was fiercely contested but the quality on show was not of the highest standard.
Standout players for the Sharks were centre Waylon Murray and his inside playing partner, Brad Barritt.
For the Cheetahs flanker Hendro Scholtz played his heart out, albeit in a losing cause.
The Sharks started the livelier of the two teams, with big hits by the Cheetahs characterising the opening 10 minutes.
But it was the Cheetahs who opened the scoring after a spell of concerted pressure, with the hosts holding the ball for a dozen phases before captain Juan Smith stretched over. The conversion by Willem de Waal was good and the home team lead 7-0 after 12 minutes.
There was a minor fracas seconds after the try with both teams menacingly mingling but it was sorted out before any lasting damage was done and any cards handed out.
The Sharks hit back seven minutes later when a great run by centre Waylon Murray broke through a static Cheetahs defence to set up Jacques Botes. With Ruan Pienaar converting the scores were levelled at 7-7.
At this stage of the match there were plenty of handling errors with both teams guilty of transgressing.
The Cheetahs had the first shot at a penalty goal, in the 27th minute, but De Waal sent the ball wide.
From the penalty attempt the Sharks ran the ball back and winger JP Pietersen gained ground, his great run earning the Sharks a penalty, which Pienaar banged over.
The Bloemfontein-born Pienaar then slotted another penalty three minutes from the break and the Sharks led 13-7.
The Cheetahs took the lead on the hooter when Herkie Kruger dived over after a great break by the hard-working Scholtz.
The Sharks hit back in the 52nd minute when the talented young Francois Steyn burst through and fed Murray for an excellent score, which Pienaar converted.
The Sharks all but sealed the result in the 60th minute when JP Pietersen intercepted a wayward pass from Cheetahs lock Flip van der Merwe and ran in 65m to score under the poles.
The Sharks buried the game with a penalty with eight minutes to go, but with three tries already in the bag they could have opted to run and try and earn a vital bonus point, a feat that has eluded them all season. — Sapa