The Sharks’ impressive start to this year’s Super Rugby campaign came to an abrupt halt as they fell foul to their own inconsistency in losing 11-16 to the Stormers at Kings Park on Saturday.
The hosts were undoubtedly more imaginative than their opponents, but learned yet again that it doesn’t mean much if it can’t be capitalised on.
Discipline was a major problem throughout in an abrasive, poor-quality game though the Stormers will be chuffed with the way they’ve overturned the form book within the space of two weeks.
Who was the star in this match?
This was a game of few heroes, specifically because the men who produced sublime moments were equally guilty of poor moments. As a result, steadiness was a commodity that was treasured and that was something that Pieter-Steph du Toit provided. The towering blindside flanker completed an immense 16 tackles, carried robustly and added a new dimension to his play with an ability to poach, culminating in two turnovers.
Key moments and themes
Point scorers:
Sharks – Try: Lukhanyo Am. Penalties: Robert du Preez (2).
Stormers – Try: Damian Willemse. Conversion: SP Marais. Penalties: Marais (3).
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