Sharks pip the Lions in Durban

The Sharks eked out a scrappy 16-11 win over the Lions in Durban on Saturday, with a late try from Keegan Daniel denying the visitors a stint at the top of the Currie Cup table.

The Sharks eked out a scrappy 16-11 win over the Lions in Durban on Saturday, with a late try from Keegan Daniel denying the visitors a stint at the top of the Currie Cup table.

A win at the Absa Stadium would have hoisted the Lions to the top of the pile, but they must make do with fifth. Despite their topsy-turvy season, the Sharks now find themselves in third.

The narrow scoreline suggests an exciting game – don't you believe it.

But for the last ten minutes this was a game to forget. Both sides had trouble keeping grip of the ball and raid after raid petered out at the hands of silly errors.

Locked at 6-6 at half-time, the Sharks got their noses in front in the second half with a third penalty to Ruan Pienaar.

But the Lions, showing good hunger and attitude, refused to lie down. They got back into the game via the impressive Willem Alberts, who showed great pace down the left to score on the hour-mark.

With the cocked arm of referee Jonathan Kaplan now beginning to favour the visitors, the path seemed clear for the Lions.

But out of chaos came order. Daniel emerged from a mess of bodies to race through to score, with the try getting the green light from Johann Meuwesen in the video suite.

Pienaar added the extras to leave the Lions six minutes to find a six points. They came close, but not close enough.

The scorers:

For Sharks:
Tries: Daniel
Pens: Pienaar 3

For Lions:
Tries: Alberts
Pens: Rose 2

Sharks: 15 Stefan Terblanche, 14 Chris Jordaan, 13 Waylon Murray, 12 Andries Strauss, 11 Odwa Ndungane, 10 Frederic Michalak/Ruan Pienaar, 9 Ruan Pienaar, 8 Ryan Kankowski, 7 Jean Deysel, 6 Jacques Botes, 5 Johann Muller (captain), 4 Albert van den Berg, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 Skipper Badenhorst, 1 Deon Carstens.
Replacements: 16 Craig Burden, 17 Tendai Mtawarira, 18 Steven Sykes, 19 Keegan Daniel, 20 Scott Mathie, 21 Riaan Swanepoel.

Lions: 15 Louis Ludik, 14 Heini Gordon, 13 Jaco Pretorius, 12 Doppies la Grange, 11 Rayno Benjamin, 10 Earl Rose, 9 Jano Vermaak, 8 Willem Alberts, 7 Franco van der Merwe, 6 Cobus Grobbelaar, 5 Gerhard Mostert, 4 Dewald Senekal, 3 Lawrence Sephaka, 2 Willie Wepener, 1 Heinke van der Merwe.
Replacements: 16 Ethienne Reynecke, 17 Gert Muller, 18 Anton van Zyl, 19 Justin Wheeler, 20 Chris Jonck, 21 Michael Killian, 22 Dusty Noble.

Referee: Jonathan Kaplan
Touch judges: François Veldsman, Reuben Rossouw
Television match official: Johann Meuwesen
Assessor: Banks Yantolo