Coastal Sharks’ Super 15 title hopes suffered a major blow on Saturday, when they lost 27-20 to lowly Central Cheetahs in Bloemfontein.
All the long-time southern hemisphere provincial championship leaders from Durban took from the match at a chilly Free State Stadium was a losing bonus point.
It brought them level with record seven-time champions Canterbury Crusaders on 46 points, but the South Africans stay third because of an inferior points difference.
Whichever team finishes second after the final league round next weekend gets a bye into the semi-finals and a home fixture.
However, the side finishing third must win a home play-off against the sixth-place team on the final standings to reach the semi-finals.
Crusaders host fellow New Zealanders Otago Highlanders next weekend, while the Sharks visit Cape Town to face in-form fellow-South Africans Western Stormers.
Defeat for the Sharks in Bloemfontein also opens the door for New South Wales Waratah’s to take an unassailable lead at the top if they defeat visiting Highlanders yesterday.
Topping the table earns a home semi-final and, if successful, a home final, as well in a competition the Australians have never won.
The Sydney clash is equally vital for Highlanders, who could climb two places to second ahead of the Crusaders if they achieve a bonus-point victory.
“I am very proud of my team and we mixed our game up nicely with running, kicking and grafting in the tight,” Cheetahs skipper and hooker Adriaan Strauss said. “We are losing some players to overseas sides at the end of the Super 15, so it was nice to win our final home game of the season for them.”
It was only the fourth victory of the season for the Bloemfontein team, who have failed to match their showing last year, when they reached the playoffs.
Stand-in Sharks skipper and loose forward Jean Deysel offered no excuses.
“We knew it was going to be tough and congratulations to the Cheetahs,” he said. “We had our scoring opportunities, but failed to take advantage of them.”
The Sharks pressed for a late try that could have earned a draw, but a brilliant tackle from Cheetahs center Ryno Benjamin forced replacement wing Tonderai Chavhanga into touch just short of the line.
Success lifted the Cheetahs off the bottom of the table, a position now occupied by the Melbourne Rebels, who lost 34-17 to Golden Lions in Johannesburg on Friday.
Flyhalf Johan Goosen kicked a penalty and converted a push-over try by flank Torsten van Jaarsveld to give the home side an early 10-point advantage.
Sharks responded by taking a 13-10 lead through a try by scrumhalf Cobus Reinach with flyhalf Tim Swiel converting and kicking two penalty goals.
Sustained Cheetahs’ pressure led to another forward, No. 8 Philip van der Walt, going over between the posts and Goosen converted the try for a 17-13 halftime lead.
The trend of Cheetahs’ forwards scoring tries continued on 49 minutes, when new Springboks lock Lood de Jager dotted down and Goosen converted, before adding a penalty.
The 14-point lead remained intact for 20 minutes until replacement hooker Bismarck du Plessis claimed a try after a driving maul and Swiel converted.
STORMERS VS BULLS
Reuters, CAPE TOWN
Fullback Jaco Taute notched the only try as the Stormers beat the Bulls 16-0 in an all-South African tussle at Newlands on Saturday to wreck their hopes of reaching the playoffs.
The fourth victory in a row for the Cape Town-based team ended any chance of triple champions Bulls breaking into the playoff positions with one round of matches to go.
The Stormers, who remarkably have conceded just three points in three Super XV games against fellow South African sides this season, scored all their points in the first half.
Stormers flyhalf Kurt Coleman booted a conversion and three penalties.
The win means the Stormers remain 11th in the standings, one place and a single point behind the Bulls.
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