Sharks and Bulls play to a draw

Sharks flyhalf Joe Pietersen missed an extra time kick which could have earned the Sharks a victory so the match finished in a 16 all draw at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria.

The Sharks had led through the final quarter of the match but two minutes from full time Tian Schoeman kicked a penalty for the Bulls to level the scores.

After the restart the Sharks worked the ball into the Bulls half and won a penalty. The Sharks celebrated as if they had won the match but Pietersen had yet to kick the penalty.

Pietersen lined up the kick took the shot but to everyone in the stadium’s shock he missed.

The Sharks will be hurting after this as earlier they missed the opportunity to seal the result with a try in the 58th minute but Paul Jordaan knocked on with an open try line ahead.

The Bulls, who had a bye last week, looked full of running in the opening exchanges of the match. Their exciting fullback Warrick Gelant was a constant threat on attack, and he almost ran through the Sharks team in the fourth minute. However, the Sharks managed to scramble kill the move.

The Bulls were awarded a penalty in the ninth minute after the Sharks were blown up for offsides by referee Glen Jackson. Bulls flyhalf Francois Brummer kicked the penalty to give his side the lead.

However, the Sharks hit back with a penalty of their own three minutes later, which Pietersen slotted through the posts to make it 3 all.

Brummer put the hosts back in front in the 18th minute when he calmly slotted a drop goal through the uprights.

The Bulls scored the first try of the match in the 32nd minute when Gelant went over the tryline after well-worked move by the home side. Brummer added the conversion.

Pietersen, though, reduced the Bulls’ lead shortly before halftime when he kicked his second penalty of the match from the halfway line.

The Sharks drew level in the 51st minute when Willie le Roux collected a loose ball after he kicked it long and into space.

Pietersen added the conversion, and four minutes later kicked another penalty to give the Sharks a 13-16 lead.

However, Schoeman hit back with a penalty for the Bulls in the 88th minute, before Pietersen inexplicably missed a golden chance to give his side the victory with the last kick of the match.

Both teams take two points from the match but the Sharks remain unbeaten.

Next week in Round 5 the Sharks host the Crusaders in Durban while the Bulls play the Sunwolves in Singapore.

Final score Bulls 16 (13) Sharks 16 (6)

Scorers

Bulls
Tries – W.Gelant
Pen – F.Brummer, T.Schoeman
Con – F.Brummer
Drop – F.Brummer
Cards –

Sharks
Tries – W. Le Roud
Pen – J.Pietersen 3
Con – J.Pietersen.
Drop –
Cards –

Match Officials
Referee: Glen Jackson
Assistant Ref 1:Stuart Berry
Assistant Ref 2:Rasta Rasivhenge
TMO :Willie Vos

Teams

Bulls

Warrick Gelant , Jamba Ulengo , Jan Serfontein , Burger Odendaal , Bjorn Basson , Francois Brummer , Rudy Paige , Arno Botha , Jannes Kirsten , Roelof Smit , Grant Hattingh, RG Snyman, Marcel van der Merwe , Adriaan Strauss (c), Trevor Nyakane .

Replacements: Jaco Visagie , Lizo Gqoboka, Hencus van Wyk, Jason Jenkins , Nic de Jager , Piet van Zyl , Tian Schoeman, Jesse Kriel.

Sharks

15. Willie le Roux , 14. JP Pietersen , 13. Paul Jordaan , 12. Andre Esterhuizen , 11. Lwazi Mvovo , 10. Joe Pietersen , 9. Michael Claassens , 8. Daniel du Preez , 7. Philip van der Walt , 6. Marcell Coetzee , 5. Stephan Lewies , 4. Etienne Oosthuizen , 3. Lourens Adriaanse , 2. Kyle Cooper , 1. Tendai Mtawarira (C)

Replacements , 16. Franco Marais , 17. Juan Schoeman , 18. Coenie Oosthuizen , 19. Hyron Andrews , 20. Keegan Daniel , 21. Cobus Reinach , 22. Garth April , 23. Odwa Ndungane