The Sharks maintained their unbeaten record in the 2008 Super 14 by beating the Bulls by 29 points to 15.

Bulls back liner JP Nel was sent to the bin for a spear tackle on Francois Steyn when the Sharks were 15-10 down in the 69th minute. The Sharks used the extra man to great effect and ran in three tries in the last ten minutes earning them the bonus point.

With the Bulls leading by five points and ten minutes left in the match, the Sharks sprung a surprise try from French international Frederic Michalak in the 72nd minute to start the Sharks revival.

Three minutes later the Sharks were back in the Bulls 22 with substitute Jacques Botes running blind from a ruck before passing inside to Keegan Daniel who dived over to give the Sharks the lead.

Botes finished off a famous comeback when he latched onto a loose ball in the middle of the field, kicked, picked up and scored under the poles to condemn the Bulls to their second consecutive loss at home after being crushed by the Crusaders last week.

The Bulls will rue their missed opportunities as they could have wrapped up proceedings in the first half and also in the second when Danwel Demas knocked the ball with no Sharks defenders to beat in the 71st minute and with the Bulls 15-10 ahead.

In the first half the Bulls could have taken the match by the scruff of the neck but missed at least three scoring opportunities. First was Demas who knocked the ball in the Sharks in-goal area after Fourie du Preez had squeezed in a grubber kick behind the Sharks defenders.

The second incident was when Danie Rossouw threw a deft forward pass to prop Rayno Gerber who had the try line at his mercy.

But it was the Bulls who dominated proceedings and were even given more leeway by referee Mark Lawrence when he yellow-carded Sharks lock Johan Ackermann for punching.

The Sharks, though, also had their fair chances at registering points when Francois Steyn missed a 60 metre penalty followed by a failed drop-goal attempt from the same distance.

It was the Bulls who drew first blood when Morne Steyn slotted over a penalty in the 13th minute. Steyn increased the Bulls lead further in the 33rd minute before Rossouw was yellow-carded for diving onto a Sharks player in the 35th minute.

With the half-time interval minutes away, the Sharks mounted a final assault at the Bulls line and were duly rewarded when Odwa Ndungane crossed over to give the visitors a slender one point lead.

The result sees the Sharks sitting in third place on the table with the top three having not lost a match yet.

Next week however that will change as the Sharks host the Blues in Durban and one of them should win as a draw looks unlikely. 

 

Full time score Bulls 15 Sharks 29

 

Bulls
Tries -
Pen -  Morné Steyn (4)
Con -
Drop - Morné Steyn
Cards - Danie Rossouw, JP Nel (yellow)

Tries - Ndungane,  Michalak, Daniel, Botes
Pen -Rory Kockott
Con - Rory Kockott (2)
Cards - Johan Ackermann (yellow)

 

Saturday March 1
Venue : Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
Referee: Mark Lawrence (RSA)
Man of the match -  Keegan Daniel

 

Replacements: 16. Craig Burden, 17. Tendai Mtawarira, 18. Albert van den Berg, 19. Jean Deysel, 20. Jacques Botes, 21. Adrian Jacobs, 22. Stefan Terblanche.