The Sharks have played the Rebels 6 times in Super rugby since 2011 and the Sharks have won 4 matches, drawn one and lost one.
That record gives the Sharks a record of winning 67% of their matches against the Rebels – regardless of the venue.
- The Rebels ran out to a 46-14 triumph in their last clash with the Sharks, their first ever win against them in Super Rugby at their sixth attempt (W1, D1, L4).
- The Sharks will be looking to avoid back-to-back home defeats in Super Rugby for the first time since their final two home games of the 2017 season.
- Four of the Rebels’ last five Super Rugby games have been won by the team trailing at half-time on the day, with the Melbourne squad picking up three wins in that span.
- The Rebels have stolen five line-outs in Super Rugby 2019, the joint-most of any team in the competition (Crusaders also five).
- Armand van der Merwe (Sharks) has scored four tries in his last six Super Rugby games and is coming off the back of his best performance on the throw, making 13 successful throws from as many attempts against the Bulls in Round 4.
Match detail
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1.00: PEEEEP! We are underway in Durban.
3.00: The Sharks are driving forward into the Rebels half.
6.00: TRY! Daniel du Preez uses his strength to barge over from close range after a solid scrum from his pack. 5-0
7.00: CONVERSION! Robert du Preez adds the extras. 7-0
9.00: An excellent kick by Rob du Preez clears the danger.
10.00: OH DEAR! A wayward throw by Akker van der Merwe gives the visitors a midfield scrum just inside their half.
11.00: The Sharks are under pressure inside their 22 after giving away a penalty at the previous ruck.
12.00: Makazole Mapimpi intercepts Quade Cooper’s loose pass and clears the danger with a punt down the field. The Rebels get back and win a scrum.
14.00: Dave Wessels has his team playing with intensity and at a high tempo; they take penalties quickly and always look to attack the wide channels.
15.00: Billy Meakes drops an easy pass and stares at the ground. The hosts have a chance for an attack of their own.
16.00: The Sharks have a penalty advantage. They almost cough up possession, but Durban High School’s Phepsi Buthelezi cleans up. Play eventually halts when the Sharks are called back for the original infringement. Rob Du Preez calls for the tee.
17.00: PENALTY! Du Preez, who is kicking at 88% this season, extends the lead. 10-0
19.00: Referee Rasta Rasivhenge has to keep speaking to the Melbourne forwards because they are closing the gap in the lineout. He also wants them to stop talking to him. Luke Jones wins the Sharks’ ball but somehow, the home team gets the ball back after a Rebels knock on.
20.00: Van der Merwe compounds his poor lineout throwing by giving away a penalty that Cooper kicks to the corner.
21.00: TRY! Easy as you like. Tom English takes Cooper’s long cut-out pass and strolls in untouched for the score. 10-5
22.00: CONVERSION! Cooper’s wobbly kick curls inside the left-hand upright. 10-7
24.00: The hosts have a scrum-feed inside the Rebels’ half after a knock on. Lukhanyo Am, the diamond in the Sharks’ midfield, kicks behind the Melbourne back three. However, Meakes gets back to save the day.
26.00: The Rebels struggle to keep the Sharks out, instead, giving away a penalty after the home team went nine phases, bashing on their try line.
27.00: PENALTY! Du Preez extends the lead. 13-7
29.00: Robbie Abel is on and immediately has to throw into a defensive lineout on his 22. Meakes kicks the ball away, but the ball is returned to Cooper, who also boots it away.
30.00: Rob du Preez restarts with a 22 drop-out. Van der Merwe was down receiving treatment on his ankle, but he gets up and continues.
31.00: TRY! Jack Maddocks, playing fullback, takes Cooper’s pass and ghosts through the men in black to score under the sticks. This team is dangerous. 13-12
33.00: CONVERSION! Cooper puts his side back in front. 13-14
35.00: Aphelele Fassi loses the ball in contact near the touchline. The Rebels send the ball wide before putting up a bomb. The Sharks gather the Garry Owen but throw the ball away into English’s hands. that was poor by Jacques Vermeulen.
36.00: Fassi’s kick leads to the home team being awarded a penalty. Du Preez opts for a shot at goal.
36.00: PENALTY! Du Preez’s 46-metre kick sneaks inside the right-hand post, putting his side back in front. 16-14
38.00: Reece Hodge is pinged for a deliberate knockdown. Du Preez kicks into the opposition’s 22.
39.00: Richard Hardwick is caught offsides, now. The Australians one weakness is their ill-discipline. Wessels’ men concede way too many penalties every game. they’ve already conceded nine penalties. They gave away 20 in last week’s heart-breaking defeat to the Lions.
40.00: MISS! Du Preez can’t extend the Sharks’ lead. That’s halftime.
The halftime score was Sharks 16 Rebels 14
41.00: PEEEEP! We are back underway on South Africa’s east coast.
42.00: Angus Cottrell runs a great line and breaks the first line of defence. The Sharks scramble and Beast Mtawarira is caught lying on the ball and he gets pinged. Cooper kicks to the corner.
45.00: BIG DEFENCE! The Rebels go 15 phases, bombarding the home team’s try line, but the move dies when Andre Esterhuizen hold up an attacker, winning the maul and a put into the scrum.
47.00: Du Preez clears, but not too far; however, the Rebels lose possession via another handling error and the Sharks get a scrum.
48.00: Mtawarira is pinged for an early engagement. Rebels opt for another scrum.
49.00: Mapimpi tries a little chip-kick inside his 22 because his side had an advantage for another knock on by the Aussies. The kick does not come off, so we go back for a scrum.
50.00: Fassi takes out Maddocks in the air; he survives a yellow card. The Rebels go quickly – as per usual – and they burst into the opposition’s half. The attack comes to nought.
52.00: Du Preez sees the space and kicks deep into Aussie territory for Mapimpi to chase. English gets back, and under pressure, kicks a short touch-finder. This is a good opportunity for the hosts.
52.00: TRY! Robert du Preez takes a floated pass from his halfback partner after Coenie Oosthuizen went close. Dan du Preez almost got over but was pushed back. The ball was recycled and Louis Schreuder sent it to Du Preez, standing alone on the whitewash to dot down. 21-14
53.00: CONVERSION! The flyhalf converts his own try. 23-14
55.00: The momentum is with the Sharks. They are back inside the Rebels’ 22 after a Du Preez grubber turned the visitors around.
57.00: The Sharks are starting to play with abandon, throwing basketball passes and little flicks. Van der Merwe carried strong. The move almost broke down but the ball was secured and sent to Curwin Bosch. The fullback tried to cut inside but was tackled into touch.
58.00: The hosts are camped on the opposition’s line. Melbourne gives up a five-metre scrum because they are struggling to exit their 22.
58.00: TRY! The pressure told. Schreuder went blind, Rob du Preez took the ball to the line before releasing Mapimpi. The flyer dived over in the corner for the Sharks’ third try. 28-14
60.00: MISS! The kick is wide, keeping the scores to within two converted tries. 28-14
62.00: We have entered the final quarter, the part of the game where the Rebels wilted in Johannesburg. They look tired and have let in two tries in the last 10 minutes.
65.00: The Durban side is camped inside the Rebels’ 22. Wessels’ men cannot get out and are running out of gas.
69.00: another scrum, but this time it’s for the Rebels. They are scoreless in the half and will need to mount an attack from deep if they hope to win this match.
72.00: Meakes runs a lovely line to get his side over the gain line. The ball is slow, and Matt Philip is hit backwards.
74.00: NO TRY! YELLOW CARD! Mapimpi, the try machine, turns on the jets and ghosts through Phillip and English to score in the corner. However, the try is chalked off because of Marius Louw. He close-lined English in an off-the-ball hit. It is very dangerous and around the neck. It should have been a red card.
77.00: A good scrum by the Sharks gives Du Preez a chance to clear from inside their 22.
79.00: It’s all a bit scrappy, now.
80.00: The hooter sounds; the ball is launched into the stands and the Sharks hang on for a vital win.
FULL TIME
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The final score is Sharks 28 (16) Rebels 14 (14)
Scorers
Sharks
Tries – D. Du Preez, R. Du Preez, Mapimpi
Pen – R. Du Preez (3)
Con – R. Du Preez (2)
Drop –
Cards – Louw (Yellow, 74′)
Rebels
Tries – English, Maddocks
Pen –
Con – Cooper (2)
Drop –
Cards –
Match Officials
Referee: Rasta Rasivhenge
Assistant Ref 1: Divan Uys
Assistant Ref 2: Amy Barrat-Theron
TMO: Marius Jonker
Teams
Sharks: 15 Aphelele Fassi, 14 Sibusiso Nkosi, 13 Lukhanyo Am, 12 Andre Esterhuizen, 11 Makazole Mapimpi, 10 Robert du Preez, 9 Louis Schreuder (captain), 8 Daniel du Preez, 7 Jacques Vermeulen, 6 Phepsi Buthelezi, 5 Hyron Andrews, 4 Ruben van Heerden, 3 Coenie Oosthuizen, 2 Armand van der Merwe, 1 Tendai Mtawarira
Replacements: 16 Kerron van Vuuren, 17 Juan Schoeman, 18 Thomas du Toit, 19 Gideon Koegelenberg, 20 Luke Stringer, 21 Grant Williams, 22 Marius Louw, 23 Curwin Bosch.
Melbourne Rebels: 15 Jack Maddocks, 14 Reece Hodge, 13 Sione Tuipulotu, 12 Billy Meakes, 11 Tom English, 10 Quade Cooper, 9 Michael Ruru, 8 Angus Cottrell, 7 Richard Hardwick, 6 Luke Jones, 5 Matt Philip, 4 Ross Haylett-Petty, 3 Sam Talakai, 2 Anaru Rangi, 1 Matt Gibbon.
Replacements: 16 Robbie Abel, 17 Tetera Faulkner, 18 Pone Fa’amausili, 19 Rob Leota, 20 Brad Wilkin, 21 Harrison Goddard, 22 Campbell Magnay, 23 Stuart Dunbar.
