A last-gasp Patrick Lambie try earned the Coastal Sharks a bonus point as they outplayed fellow South Africans the Northern Bulls 31-16 in the Super 15 on Saturday.
Flyhalf Lambie dotted down on 83 minutes after sustained pressure, as the home side made a perfect start under new coach Jake White.
A 2007 World Cup winner as Springboks coach, White moved to Durban after guiding the Australian ACT Brumbies to the final last year.
Many pundits are predicting that rugby union’s “special one” could go a step further this season and steer the three-time runners-up to glory.
The Durban outfit, with a new skipper in Springboks hooker Bismarck du Plessis, looked good as they scored three first-half tries en route to a 23-9 half-time advantage.
The Bulls, with 36-year-old lock Victor Matfield coming on in the second half after more than two years in the competitive cold, got within 10 points eight minutes from time, but they could not get the score that could have given them a bonus point. The late sin-binning of left-wing Bjorn Basson was then followed by the Lambie try.
Matfield — a 110-cap Springboks icon — flopped as a TV analyst, but succeeded as a Bulls assistant coach since retiring in 2011.
His second-half entry was in line with the Bulls’ claim that he will be used “sparingly” and needs more game time before a fair assessment of his performance can be made.
Success at Kings Park in Durban took the Sharks to the top of the South African conference with five points. The Golden Lions have four, the Cheetahs one and the Western Stormers and Bulls none.
Lambie, desperate for a good season since falling behind in Springboks coach Heyneke Meyer’s flyhalf ratings, opened the scoring on four minutes. Rival playmaker Louis Fouche then leveled with a drop-goal before the first Sharks’ try.
Left-wing Lwazi Mvovo ripped Bulls’ defense apart to send center Paul Jordaan over and Lambie converted, only for a Fouche penalty to narrow the gap to two points.
Scrumhalf Cobus Reinach claimed the second try when opposite number Francois Hougaard was dispossessed, then Lambie and Fouche exchanged penalties. Right-wing Odwa Ndungane got the Sharks’ third try close to halftime
A Lambie touchline conversion meant a 14-point lead and flank Jono Ross offered the Bulls hope of a bonus point by scoring off a driving maul and replacement flyhalf Handre Pollard converted.
However, the Sharks had the last laugh as sustained pressure reaped a try and an extra point.
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