Sharks progress to Super Rugby playoffs
The Sharks clinched a 20-10 win over the Jaguares in Durban on Saturday to book a place in the knockout stages of the Super Rugby tournament.
Before kickoff, things had already gone the way of the Sharks when the Highlanders claimed a win over the Rebels, which opened the door for the Durban-based side to sneak into eighth position to qualify for the playoffs.
The Sharks duly made the most of that opportunity as they comfortably claimed a deserved win over a second-string Jaguares side, to secure a quarterfinal date against the Crusaders in Christchurch next weekend.
The home side made a steady start to proceedings at a rain-soaked Kings Park when Rob du Preez slotted a couple of penalties, but momentum threatened to shift the way of the Jaguares when his younger brother Dan was sent to the sin bin for a reckless tackle.
However, even in the absence of Dan du Preez, the Sharks somehow managed to manufacture a try by Akker van der Merwe, which gave them a handy 13-3 lead at halftime.
It was revealing that the Sharks had enjoyed just 22% of both possession and territory in the first half, and yet their ability to absorb pressure on defence and then strike against the run of play has been a hallmark of their play this season.
The Sharks were again at their opportunistic best when a beautiful break from Andre Esterhuizen set up a try for Kobus van Wyk in the 53rd minute, which sent the Sharks soaring into a 20-3 lead.
Up to that point, the Jaguares had hardly looked like scoring, yet they briefly made matters interesting when a lovely through-kick set up a try for winger Sebastian Cancelliere that cut the deficit back to 10 points.
However, the Sharks had little trouble, relying on their defence to close out a win that clinched the final wildcard qualifying place for the knockout stages of the competition.
Scorers:
Sharks 20 (13) - Tries: Akker van der Merwe and Kobus van Wyk.
Conversions: Rob du Preez (2). Penalty: Du Preez (2).
Jaguares 10 (3) - Try: Sebastian Cancelliere. Conversion: Joaquin Diaz Bonilla. Penalty: Bonilla.
-NAMPA/ANA
Before kickoff, things had already gone the way of the Sharks when the Highlanders claimed a win over the Rebels, which opened the door for the Durban-based side to sneak into eighth position to qualify for the playoffs.
The Sharks duly made the most of that opportunity as they comfortably claimed a deserved win over a second-string Jaguares side, to secure a quarterfinal date against the Crusaders in Christchurch next weekend.
The home side made a steady start to proceedings at a rain-soaked Kings Park when Rob du Preez slotted a couple of penalties, but momentum threatened to shift the way of the Jaguares when his younger brother Dan was sent to the sin bin for a reckless tackle.
However, even in the absence of Dan du Preez, the Sharks somehow managed to manufacture a try by Akker van der Merwe, which gave them a handy 13-3 lead at halftime.
It was revealing that the Sharks had enjoyed just 22% of both possession and territory in the first half, and yet their ability to absorb pressure on defence and then strike against the run of play has been a hallmark of their play this season.
The Sharks were again at their opportunistic best when a beautiful break from Andre Esterhuizen set up a try for Kobus van Wyk in the 53rd minute, which sent the Sharks soaring into a 20-3 lead.
Up to that point, the Jaguares had hardly looked like scoring, yet they briefly made matters interesting when a lovely through-kick set up a try for winger Sebastian Cancelliere that cut the deficit back to 10 points.
However, the Sharks had little trouble, relying on their defence to close out a win that clinched the final wildcard qualifying place for the knockout stages of the competition.
Scorers:
Sharks 20 (13) - Tries: Akker van der Merwe and Kobus van Wyk.
Conversions: Rob du Preez (2). Penalty: Du Preez (2).
Jaguares 10 (3) - Try: Sebastian Cancelliere. Conversion: Joaquin Diaz Bonilla. Penalty: Bonilla.
-NAMPA/ANA
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