Sharks happy to get an ugly win

The Sharks negotiated a hurdle they have a history of crashing into when they saw off the challenge of a plucky but ultimately outgunned Cheetahs here yesterday.

The head-to-head count stood at 52 wins apiece before kick-off yesterday and the fact that the Sharks were able to nudge ahead is testament to their ability to maximise opportunity when they get a sniff.

They got the win and a bonus point thanks largely to the stellar performances of Ryan Kankowski, Charl McLeod, Willem Alberts and Keegan Daniel and solidified their position at the top of the Currie Cup points table.

It was, however, a match that struggled to slip into a discernable pattern as frequent stoppages punctuated most of the first half. It wasn't much different in the second.

The truncated nature of the opening half should not be blamed on any lack of endeavour by the protagonists.

The scrums quickly descended into farce, in no small part thanks to referee Pro Legoete who seemed incapable of getting a handle on things.

Collapsing, scrumming in and early hits were the order of the day as much of the game was spent resetting the front ranker's arm wrestle.

"You need to give us a chance here. C'mon", Cheetahs captain Adriaan Strauss remonstrated with Legoete when they were again pinned for early engagement with seven minutes to go.

As the game failed to find a natural rhythm the lead changed hands four times in the opening half.

What the first half did reveal, however, was that the Sharks showed a greater propensity to explore the width of the field, often operating on instinct as they sought to catch their opponents with their guard down.

What also emerged was that the Cheetahs would have to eke out the hard yards and would have to rely on the accuracy of their kickers to sustain their challenge.

The Cheetahs showed in the opening exchanges that much profit was to be derived from popping up short passes around the fringes with Strauss, Ashley Johnson and replacement Kabamba Floors committing themselves selflessly to the close-combat cause.

The visitors may not have made clean breaks through the heavy congestion but they applied enough pressure to force the Sharks into error.

By the 22nd minute the Cheetahs had three penalties to show for their endeavour but they operated under the spectre of a Sharks team quite capable of cranking it up at any moment.

That moment arrived with such potent force in the 29th minute that the Cheetahs barely had time to react. Sharks No8 Kankowski removed himself from the back of a scrum and the Cheetahs defence with such alacrity that the focus of his breach shifted to whether Odwa Ndungane would hold on to the try creator's pass.

Ndungane did, and the Sharks in one fell swoop reminded the Cheetahs of the peril they face when the Sharks' strike runners are afforded space.

As much as Kankowski deserve the plaudits for embarrassing the Cheetahs' defence, the try's genesis can be traced to the visitors' decision to overcommit to the scrum.

This match was devoid of aesthetics but the Sharks, comfortably leading the pack, will care little for the lack of artistry.

SCORERS

Sharks 30 - Tries: Willem Alberts, Odwa Ndungane, Charl McLeod, Rory Kockott. Conversions: Pat Lambie (2). Penalties: Lambie (2).

Cheetahs 16 - Try: Francois Uys. Conversion: Louis Strydom. Penalties: Strydom (2), Meyer Bosman.