A try by Rugby World Cup winner Makazole Mapimpi sealed a 24-14 Super Rugby victory for the table-topping Coastal Sharks over the Western Stormers on Saturday in a South African showdown.
His score one minute from time followed two penalties by flyhalf Curwin Bosch that turned a 14-13 deficit after 69 minutes into a 10-point triumph at Kings Park in Durban.
It was the last match in the southern hemisphere competition to be played in South Africa for the “foreseeable future” because of the COVID-19 pandemic, organizers said.
Photo: AFP
The SANZAAR announcement came just 80 minutes before kick-off and many players were unaware that Super Rugby had been suspended after round 7.
“I am not surprised by the suspension given the spread of the virus and just hope the break is not too long,” Sharks skipper Lukhanyo Am said. “Our forwards won this match and the goal kicking of Curwin contributed a lot to the victory.”
Stormers captain Steven Kitshoff said the match was a “wonderful advertisement for South African rugby in front of a great crowd.”
“Both sides pitched up and we had a typical South African derby — very physical with possession fiercely contested,” Kitshoff said. “The suspension is unfortunate, but understandable because the good health of people has to come before sport. Let us hope the break is short.”
The Sharks went back to the top of the combined table with 24 points after a fifth consecutive win, one point above the Canterbury Crusaders, the defending champions.
The Stormers, the pacesetters for four rounds, slipped to seventh on 17 points, behind the Wellington Hurricanes on points difference.
They made a disastrous start with flanker Johan du Toit yellow-carded after 12 seconds for a dangerous tackle on Sharks scrum-half Louis Schreuder, who went off injured.
However, the hosts did not capitalize on their 10-minute numerical advantage and only scored well into the first half when fullback Aphelele Fassi went over for a try that Bosch converted.
The Stormers responded almost immediately with scrumhalf Herschel Jantjies scoring a try that fullback Damian Willemse converted.
A Bosch drop-goal in additional first-half time earned the Sharks a 10-7 halftime lead that they deserved given their edge in the set-pieces and aggression at the breakdowns.
Bosch widened the lead to six points with a penalty before the home crowd were silenced by a try from substitute scrumhalf Paul de Wet that Willemse converted to put the Stormers ahead.
Bosch and Mapimpi struck the decisive blows as a surprise win was looming for a visiting team lacking injured Springboks forwards Siya Kolisi, Pieter-Steph du Toit and Bongi Mbonambi.
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