4 July 2023
The Sharks and Sharks XV, playing for a second successive day at the Academy Week in Johannesburg on Tuesday, failed to hit the heights that they reached in first day wins over Boland and Border respectively.
For both sides, it appeared that day two on the highveld was far more taxing than the opening day, and they certainly appeared wearier than their opposition, the Lions and the Blue Bulls, who both call the highveld home.
The Sharks, made up of under-17 players, started well against the Lions and led 15-8 at the break. In the second stanza, however, the home team scored 22 unanswered points to double up their opponents’ tally for the second day in a row. On Monday, they were 44-22 winners over the Blue Bulls.
The boys in black and white, at least, scored the try of the contest through a magnificent run from Swelihle Mbatha (in photo above), who took the ball on his own 10-metre line and showed the Lions a clean pair of heels down the left-hand touchline.
Keenly contested
The Blue Bulls, meanwhile, appeared to be in control of their clash with the Sharks XV from start to finish. Make no mistake, it was keenly contested, but the team from the Pretoria region did a better job of rounding off their points’ scoring opportunities.
The Sharks XV pushed hard and were rewarded with a late try. However, as was the case in the Sharks’ match against the Lions, a late try right on the final hooter put a rosier shine on the final score for the opposition, as the Blue Bulls secured a 30-10 victory.
(Three tries were, unfortunately, missed due to video streaming issues. Therefore, there is no highlights’ package)
The final
With a second win over big name opponents, the Lions appear odds-on to play in the final of the tournament, especially as they are the home side, too. That appears to be a no-brainer.
Just who they will face remains to be seen. With the Sharks, Sharks XV and Blue Bulls all having lost, they are out of the running for the honour of playing in the final day’s main game. Western Province looks like the answer.
Results
Limpopo Blue Bulls 32-26 SA LSEN
Lions 30-15 Sharks
Blue Bulls 30-10 Sharks XV
Western Province 24-18 Griffons
Pumas 17-23 Boland
Leopards 30-17 Valke
Cheetahs 39-33 Eastern Province
Zimbabwe 28-22 Border
Griquas 22-3 South Western Districts
Namibia 27-10 Border Country Districts
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