A powerful and determined Sharks side thrashed the Lions 27-3 at Kings Park in 2011, recalls JEREMY PROOME.
Going into round eight of the tournament, the Lions had narrowly lost to the Reds the week before at Ellis Park, while the Sharks were coming off a frustrating defeat to the Stormers in front of their home crowd.
It was clear from the get-go that the Sharks meant business against the Lions, and Willem Alberts’ Man of the Match performance summed up the attitude of John Plumtree’s men that night. The Sharks’ backs and forwards integrated perfectly, resulting in some impressive passages of play.
Lions playmaker Elton Jantjies opened the scoring with an early penalty, but it was one-way traffic from then on.
JP Pietersen, Charl McLeod and Louis Ludik all scored tries, before Alberts got involved in a fantastic counter-attack from Pietersen to barge his way over the line.
The determination, drive and intensity of the Sharks’ performance was something that the Lions couldn’t compete with, and helped propel the Durban side to the play-offs.
Sharks – Tries: Louis Ludik, Willem Alberts, JP Pietersen, Charl McLeod. Conversions: Meyer Bosman, Jacques-Louis Potgieter. Penalty: Potgieter.
Lions – Penalty: Elton Jantjies.
Sharks – 15 Louis Ludik, 14 Odwa Ndungane, 13 Stefan Terblanche, 12 Meyer Bosman, 11 JP Pietersen, 10 Jacques-Louis Potgieter, 9 Charl McLeod, 8 Ryan Kankowski, 7 Willem Alberts, 6 Keegan Daniel, 5 Gerhard Mostert, 4 Steven Sykes, 3 Eugene van Staden, 2 Bismarck du Plessis, 1 John Smit (c).
Subs: 16 Beast Mtawarira, 17 Jannie du Plessis, 18 Ross Skeate, 19 Jacques Botes, 20 Conrad Hoffmann, 21 Adrian Jacobs, 22 Lwazi Mvovo.
Lions – 15 James Kamana, 14 Lionel Mapoe, 13 Waylon Murray, 12 Doppies la Grange (c), 11 Deon van Rensburg, 10 Elton Jantjies, 9 Jano Vermaak, 8 Warren Whiteley, 7 Joshua Strauss, 6 Derick Minnie, 5 Franco van der Merwe, 4 George Earle, 3 Patric Cilliers, 2 Bandise Maku, 1 JC Janse van Rensburg.
Subs: 16 Edgar Marutlulle, 17 Jacobie Adriaanse, 18 David de Villiers, 19 Michael Rhodes, 20 Rory Kockott, 21 André Pretorius, 22 Jaco Taute.
Photo: Steve Haag/Gallo Images
