The usual clinical finishing of the Lions deserted them at Kings Park on Saturday as the Sharks, mainly thanks to the superb efforts of the defence, snatched a 31-24 win in their Super Rugby local derby.
The Lions were dominant in the first half and, leading 21-11 at the break, it seemed obvious that the two-time finalists would extend their seven-match winning streak over the Sharks.
But the profligacy of the Lions and the combative defence of the Sharks combined to produce an astonishing turnaround in the final quarter.
Two converted tries and two penalties from the trusty boot of flyhalf Robert du Preez sealed the win, the first against the Lions by a South African team since the 12th round in 2015.
Who was the star in this match?
Lions hooker Malcolm Marx was the dominant force in the first half, but he faded in the second half in his first game since the beginning of May. Sharks centre Andre Esterhuizen, who shares many of the physical characteristics of Marx, then began bossing affairs. Marx had his head split early in the first half after a thunderous collision with Esterhuizen, and was on and off the field as his medical staff struggled to stop the flow of blood. But Esterhuizen was ever present and the fulcrum of the Sharks’ tremendous defensive effort. Several times he stopped Lions runners on the gain-line and held them up to win the turnover, as well as using his strength to power over in the corner to spark the Sharks’ comeback on the hour mark.
Key moments and themes
Point Scorers
Sharks – Tries: Daniel du Preez, Andre Esterhuizen, Lwazi Mvovo. Conversions: Robert du Preez (2). Penalties: R. du Preez (4).
Lions – Tries: Ruan Combrinck, Cyle Brink, Kwagga Smith. Conversions: Elton Jantjies (3). Penalty: Jantjies.
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