Meyer Bosman capitalized on a terrible error by the Melbourne Rebels’ Danny Cipriani to help South Africa’s Sharks sneak a 34-32 win over the Aussie side at Olympic Park yesterday.
Bosman scooped up a loose ball after Cipriani passed into vacant space near his own tryline, allowing the center to regather and cross the line.
The try came just five minutes after Ryan Kankowski had scored to snatch back the lead from a spirited Rebels’ side, who had threatened an upset with victory over the competition’s early front runners.
Photo: Reuters
“The Rebels forced us into some fairly sticky situations,” Sharks captain John Smit said. “We knew [they] have some really good individuals and at some stage they’re going to come together as a team and I think that’s happening for them.”
Springboks hooker Bismarck du Plessis had scored his side’s first try, with flyhalf Patrick Lambie slotting a conversion and two penalties, before the Rebels dominated the next 25 minutes of the game.
Cipriani, Cooper Vuna and Julian Huxley scored tries for the home side, while Cipriani added two conversions and two penalties.
Cipriani’s 60m solo try, when he dummied and slipped inside the first line of defense, and then outsprinted the cover, had looked to give his side the momentum two minutes into the second half as the Rebels took a 25-13 lead.
The Sharks got back into the game when winger Lwazi Mvovo crossed in the corner after a movement that swept back and forth across the field. Lambie converted to reduce the deficit to 25-20.
Kankowski and Bosman then scored their tries, both of which were converted by Lambie, that gave the South African side enough breathing space, despite Rebels’ flanker Jarrod Saffy scoring a late try.
CRUSADERS 52, BRUMBIES 10
REUTERS, WELLINGTON
Sean Maitland scored four tries as the Canterbury Crusaders ran riot in the second half to storm to a 52-10 win over the ACT Brumbies in their Super Rugby clash in Nelson yesterday.
The match was the second “home game” for the Crusaders at Trafalgar Park following a devastating earthquake on Feb. 22 in Christchurch.
Winger Maitland, who had scored one try in the first half, added two more in a devastating 10-minute period to start the second half when the Crusaders extended their 19-10 lead at the break to 40-10.
All Blacks center Sonny Bill Williams also added his second Super Rugby try, in virtually the same place where he scored his first last week, before Maitland added his fourth.
Flyhalf Daniel Carter slotted four penalties and a conversion in the first half, then three conversions in the second before being replaced with about 20 minutes remaining.
Israel Dagg added his side’s sixth try with about three minutes remaining to bring up the half century and replacement flyhalf Matt Berquist slotting home the conversion.
Wallabies flyhalf Matt Giteau had scored all of the Brumbies’ points in the first 20 minutes following a lucky try after the referee failed to notice a knock on from one his teammates and added a conversion and penalty.
The Brumbies’ captain, however, was sinbinned from the resulting restart from his penalty for a blatant professional foul and the Crusaders, who had been 10-6 down, took advantage to establish a 19-10 lead by the break and never let the Australian side back into the game.
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