Sharks hold off fighting Lions to stay unbeaten
The Lions managed to salvage a losing bonus point and some tries to restore some belief.
Ruben van Heerden charges forward for the Sharks on their way to victory against the Lions. Picture: Gallo Images
The Sharks cemented their position at the top of the Rainbow Cup SA log with a bonus point 34-26 win over the Lions in Durban on Saturday.
It was far from a flawless performance by the Sharks, with both teams scoring four tries, but the Lions were handed their second straight defeat.
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The Lions did, however, manage to score a losing bonus point and some tries to restore some belief.
After a nervous start by the Lions they seemed to find some rhythm to cancel out an early Sharks try, but their performance was hamstrung by poor decision-making in a disjointed showing.
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Being down 24-12 at the break the Lions fought back bravely after the Sharks received two yellow cards in quick succession, closing the gap to 27-19 after their third try by No 8 Francke Horn.
But the Sharks retained their composure to secure a hard-fought victory as they remained unbeaten after two rounds in the competition.
Scorers
Sharks – Tries: Jeremy Ward, Grant Williams, Thomas du Toit, Kerron van Vuuren. Conversions: Curwin Bosch (4). Penalties: Bosch (2)
Lions – Tries: PJ Botha, Andre Warner, Francke Horn, Vincent Tshituka. Conversions: Fred Zeilinge (2), Jordan Hendrikse.
