Super Rugby moves to Durban South Africa in the third match on Saturday where the Sharks host Japan’s Sunwolves.
The Sharks have played the Sunwolves twice in Super Rugby and won both matches.
The Durban side has scored an average of 39 points to the Sunwolves 23 points across the two matches.
- The Sharks have won each of the previous two meetings between these teams, scoring no fewer than 38 points on each occasion.
- The Sharks are now winless in three games at home; the last time they went longer without a home win was a stretch of four defeats in the 2009 and 2010 campaigns.
- The Sunwolves are yet to win on the road in Super Rugby and have conceded 146 points in their last two games away from home.
- The Sunwolves are yet to lose a scrum on their own feed this campaign, one of just three teams yet to do so (Highlanders, Rebels).
- Robert du Preez has scored a try in each of his two games for the Sharks thus far, pulling in a points tally of 23 across those games.
Match detail
We are waiting for the kick-off.
1.00: PEEEEP! Robert du Preez gets us underway in Durban.
2.00: The Sharks win an early penalty and will take a shot at goal.
2.00: PENALTY! Du Preez puts the Sharks on the board. 3-0
5.00: Sbu Nkosi loses out in the air. The Sunwolves attack, but kick the ball into touch, inside the Sharks’ 22.
6.00: That’s the third penalty against the Sunwolves.
9.00: TRY! Makazole Mapimpi, the try machine, is over in the corner. The Sharks showed patience in the build-up play. Beast Mtawarira must have touched the ball five times in that passage of play. 8-0
9.00: CONVERSION! Du Preez adds the extras. 10-0
12.00: Curwin Bosch’s kick is charged down, but Sione Teaupa knocks on when it looked easier to score.
16.00: William Tupou breaks into the sharks’ 22, but Bosch tracks him down. Willie Britz crosses the whitewash but is held up. Scrum, Sunwolves.
17.00: Big scrum by the Sharks, however, it’s a penalty to the visitors. Scrum, again.
19.00: Brilliant defence by the Sharks. The Sunwolves were held up in the maul and the Sharks get possession.
21.00: Big moment! Sunwolves win the turnover and have the scrum on the home team’s five-metre.
23.00: It’s a bit messy, but the Sunwolves retain possession. Sharks D is holding firm.
24.00: Beast Mtawarira is caught for not rolling away after the tackle. Stephan Lewies was also off his feet.
25.00: PENALTY! Harumichi Tatekawa puts the Sunwolves on the scoreboard. 10-3
28.00: TRY! Armand van der Merwe, wow! The hooker picks up at the back of the ruck and breaks blind, fending off Takuma Asahara and Tupou before racing 30 metres to score. 15-3
29.00: CONVERSION! Du Preez extends the Sharks lead. 17-3
33.00: Andre Esterhuizen makes a break but his pass to Lubabalo Mtembu, was forward.
34.00: Van der Merwe has beaten nine defenders and made 64 metres; he’s a hooker!
36.00: TRY! Lubabalo Mtembu takes Lukhanyo Am’s pass, after Wian Vosloo’s break, and dives under the posts for the Sharks’ third try of the game. 22-3
37.00: CONVERSION! Du Preez can’t miss from there. 24-3
39.00: Michael Little wins a penalty for the Sunwolves. They will kick to the corner.
40.00: The lineout is poor. Mtembu turns the ball over, but Louis Schreuder’s clearance is not out. The visitors have one last attack.
The half-time score was Sharks 24 Sunwolves 3
41.00: PEEEEP! We are back underway in Durban.
42.00: Harumichi Tatekawa scores, but the TMO overturns the try because of an obstruction. The Sunwolves had the advantage and kick to the corner.
46.00: TRY! Lomano Lemeki takes Kotaro Matsushima’s pass and is in the corner for the Sunwolves’ first try. 24-8
47.00: MISS! The conversion sails wide. 24-8
49.00: TRY! Mapimpi bursts away from Matsushima and is in for his second. 29-8
50.00: MISS! Du Preez misses his first kick of the day. 29-8
54.00: Both teams are making substitutions.
55.00: TRY! Jacques Vermeulen shows a turn of pace, beating Atsushi Sakate to score. 34-8
56.00: CONVERSION! Du Preez finds his radar. 36-8
58.00: The Sunwolves are knocking on the door.
59.00: TRY! Wimpie van der Walt is helped over the goal-line by two team-mates. The Sunwolves went 10 phases in the build-up. 36-13
61.00: CONVERSION! Kotaro Matsushima takes over the kicking duties and slots the two. 36-15
66.00: The Sharks attack the wide channels. Mapimpi is stopped, but the Sharks recycle.
68.00: TRY! Sbu Nkosi chases Bosch’s kick, shrugs off a defender and dives over the whitewash. 41-15
69.00: CONVERSION! The kick is good. 43-15
73.00: The Sharks have an attacking lineout inside the opposition’s 22.
76.00: TRY! Cameron Wright dots down after a calamitous scrum and mistake by Yutaka Nagare. 48-15
77.00: CONVERSION! Bosch adds the extras. 50-15
78.00: TRY! William Tupou is in for the Sunwolves’ third score. 50-20
79.00: CONVERSION is good!
80.00: Game over.
FULL-TIME
In the meantime why not have a look at the match preview.
To refresh this page click HERE. Live In-Play Betting.
The final score is Sharks 50 (24) Sunwolves 22 (3)
Scorers
Sharks
Tries – Mapimpi (2), Van der Merwe, Mtembu, Vermeulen, Nkosi, Wright
Pen – Du Preez
Con – Du Preez (5), Bosch
Drop –
Cards –
Sunwolves
Tries – Lemeki, Van der Walt, Tupou
Pen – Tatekawa
Con – Matsushima, Nakamura
Drop –
Cards –
Match Officials
Referee: Federico Anselmi
Assistant Ref 1: Egon Seconds
Assistant Ref 2: Archie Sehlako
TMO: Shaun Veldsman
Teams
Sharks
15 Curwin Bosch, 14 Sibusiso Nkosi, 13 Lukhanyo Am, 12 Andre Esterhuizen, 11 Makazole Mapimpi, 10 Robert du Preez, 9 Louis Schreuder, 8 Lubabalo Mtembu, 7 Jacques Vermeulen, 6 Wian Vosloo, 5 Stephan Lewies, 4 Ruan Botha (captain), 3 John-Hubert Meyer, 2 Armand van der Merwe, 1 Tendai Mtawarira.
Replacements: 16 Mahlatse Ralepelle, 17 Juan Schoeman, 18 Ross Geldenhuys, 19 Gideon Koegelenberg, 20 Keegan Daniel, 21 Cameron Wright, 22 Marius Louw, 23 Lwazi Mvovo.
Sunwolves
15 Kotaro Matsushima, 14 Lomano Lemeki, 13 Sione Teaupa, 12 Michael Little, 11 William Tupou, 10 Harumichi Tatekawa, 9 Keisuke Uchida, 8 Willem Britz (captain), 7 Yoshitaka Tokunaga, 6 Michael Leitch, 5 Grant Hattingh, 4 Kazuki Himeno, 3 Takuma Asahara, 2 Yusuke Niwai, 1 Craig Millar.
Replacements: 16 Atsushi Sakate, 17 Shintaro Ishihara, 18 Hencus van Wyk, 19 Wimpie van der Walt, 20 Pieter Labuschagne, 21 Yutaka Nagare, 22 Ryoto Nakamura, 23 Robbie Robinson.