The Northern Bulls put a disastrous start to the Super XV season behind them on Saturday with a thrilling 43-35 triumph over the Coastal Sharks in a South African derby.
After home losses to compatriots the Western Stormers and the New Zealand Wellington Hurricanes, the Bulls were looking good in Pretoria as they twice built 11-point second-half advantages, but the Durban-based Sharks refused to surrender at Loftus Versfeld and snatched a two-point lead when Patrick Lambie kicked his seventh penalty seven minutes from time.
Super XV debutant Tian Schoeman, a late second-half substitute for injured playmaker Handre Pollard, nudged the Bulls ahead again off an angled penalty-kick and center Jan Serfontein snatched a post-hooter try which Schoeman converted to end one of the most pulsating Super XV games seen in South Africa.
While the Bulls celebrated a first triumph of the season and a four-try bonus point, the Sharks got nothing from a spectacle to which they contributed so much.
The Sharks did hold on to sixth place in the standings, while the Bulls climbed six places to eighth.
Apart from passionate forward exchanges and six tries, spectators were treated to flawless goal-kicking by Bulls flyhalf Handre Pollard and his opposite number Lambie, with neither missing a shot at the posts.
Pollard slotted three conversions and four penalties for an 18-point tally before retiring injured, while Lambie, his rival for the Springboks No. 10 shirt at the Rugby World Cup in England, contributed 25 points via two conversions and seven penalties.
Lambie tops the Super XV point-scorers chart with 55 points from three matches, followed by Polland (43) and Ihaia West (38) of the Auckland Blues.
Pollard kicked three penalties and Lambie two before Bulls wing Francois Hougaard scored a contentious first try with the final pass from fullback Jesse Kriel appearing to be forward.
Loose forward Ryan Kankowski, back at the Sharks after the Japanese season, barged over to help the visitors draw level at 16-16 seven minutes from halftime.
The Bulls regained the lead through a try by flanker Deon Stegmann and led 23-16 at the break.
Captain and No. 8 Pierre Spies found a huge hole in the Sharks’ defense and dotted down only for scrumhalf Cobus Reinach to grab an opportunist try at the other end of the field.
All the while, Pollard and Lambie traded points, only for the Sharks to end empty-handed when a knock-on enabled Serfontein to go over.
STORMERS 22, LIONS 19
Stormers loose-forward Siya Kolisi scored a try three minutes from time to put them ahead for the first time and they held on for victory over the luckless Lions in their Super XV clash at Ellis Park in Johannesburg on Saturday.
Trailing by four points with time running out, Stormers captain Duane Vermeulen opted for an attacking lineout and the visitors, who were blunt in attack for most of the game, drove over the line with Kolisi at the back of the maul.
The Stormers’ other points came via five penalties from flyhalf Demetri Catrakilis, while his replacement Kurt Coleman converted Kolisi’s try.
Loose-forward Warwick Tecklenburg scored the Lions’ only try as he powered over in the first half to help the hosts to a 13-9 lead at the break.
Flyhalf Elton Jantjies converted that try and kicked four penalties as the Lions turned down two opportunities for an easy three points after the hooter as they went for a win rather than settling for a draw in a dramatic final passage of play.
The Stormers have three wins, while the Lions have none.
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