The desk topping Sharks and Cheetahs produced sturdy performances to defeat the Lions and Pumas in their Currie Cup clashes on Saturday night time.
In the match at Kings Park in Durban, the Sharks needed to climate an early storm from the Lions earlier than preventing again for a 29-21 bonus level win that put them again on high of the log forward of the ultimate weekend of pool fixtures.
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In the match the Lions acquired of to a quick begin as some sturdy play in the Sharks 22m led to early tries to alternative flank Emmanuel Tshituka and prop Ruan Dreyer, each forcing their method over from shut vary, with scrumhalf Sanele Nohamba including each conversions for a 14-0 lead after 16 minutes.
But the Sharks fought again fantastically over the remainder of the half, with hooker Fez Mbatha crashing over from shut vary in the 28th minute, adopted by a 36th minute intercept attempt to wing Aphelele Fassi, each transformed by flyhalf Lionel Cronje to see the perimeters degree pegging on the break.
It was an thrilling opening 10 minutes to the second half as alternative prop Ntuthuko Mchunu crashed over for a transformed rating, adopted by Nohamba sniping over and changing, with the perimeters locked at 21-all after 48 minutes.
However it was the Sharks who had the higher of the ultimate half-hour, as Mchunu went over for his second and the bonus level attempt in the 72nd minute, adopted by a 78th minute penalty to fullback Nevaldo Fleurs which sealed the win in the tip.
Home semi-final
In the sooner recreation the Cheetahs picked up an vital 29-14 bonus level win over the Pumas to safe a house semi-final forward of subsequent weekend’s closing spherical of pool stage motion.
The Cheetahs got here into the match off a tough run of two losses and then a draw in opposition to the Griquas over the previous weekend, so had been keen to assert a optimistic consequence, which they did with a powerful efficiency on the Mbombela Stadium.
It was a recreation dominated by lineout motion in the 22m areas as 5 of the six tries between the 2 sides got here from that place.
It was the Pumas who struck first from a lineout maul, with hooker Corne Fourie breaking off and going over for the transformed rating, adopted by Cheetahs flank Gideon van der Merwe dotting down in the back of one in the 16th minute to make it 7-5.
The Cheetahs then moved forward with two tries in the house of 4 minutes, with a lineout transfer ending with scrumhalf Rewan Kruger going over, adopted by an enormous maul powering over for hooker Marnus van der Merwe to dot down.
Both tries had been transformed by flyhalf Ruan Pienaar, giving the Cheetahs a 19-7 lead which they took into the halftime break.
It was a scoreless first 22 minutes of the second half, earlier than a Pienaar penalty put the Cheetahs additional forward, adopted by a penalty attempt to the Pumas bringing them again into the sport at 22-14 after 65 minutes.
But sturdy defence from the Cheetahs over the final quarter-hour allowed them to maintain the Pumas out and then set a closing lineout on the fulltime hooter, with alternative unfastened ahead George Cronje crashing over for the bonus level rating.
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