Durban - One of the feel-good stories in South African rugby is the manner in which Curwin Bosch has turned his career around and he was the difference between the sides as the Sharks eventually cruised home 29-7 against the Lions at Emirates Airline Park on Saturday afternoon.
It was the Lions’ sixth loss to the Durbanites in the competition and this defeat will hurt them all the more because, for the first half, they were well on top but could not make it count on the scoreboard.
And it was Bosch —a year ago he was bereft of confidence and dropped by the Sharks — who punished them with three moments of brilliant that harvested 21 points.
It took 27 minutes of shapeless rugby before the first points were scored, a sublime solo try by Bosch, and it was one heck of a sucker punch to the midriff of the Lions because they had spent nearly half an hour squandering scoring opportunities.
The Sharks had been nowhere in the game until Bosch shimmied through a gap on the Lions’ 22, his team’s first visit to that territory, yet they somehow had not conceded a point.
That was mostly because flyhalf Gianni Lombard left his kicking radar at home and fluffed three sitters at goal but also because the Lions in general were woeful in their finishing, and at least three tries were left hanging in the damp air because of sloppy handling.
The Sharks had declared pre-game that they would fix their discipline problem from the Stormers defeat but the penalties against them kept coming, mostly at the breakdown, and even when Vincent Tshituka came on after half an hour the first thing he did was have himself sent back to the sidelines for a professional foul near his line.
The Lions at last got something right when they cashed in on the extra-man advantage by creating a gap for Marius Louw to speed through and score under the crossbar.
The Sharks’ problem with discipline continued in a bizarre manner when the referee penalised them for having one too many huddles before lineouts, and fair play to the ref. The Sharks’ forwards having a chat before each lineout was aimed at slowing down the game.
As a poor half for both teams came slithering to a halt, there was a curious decision by the Sharks when they were awarded a rare penalty, and one Bosch could have booted over with his eyes closed. But despite having been under the cosh for so long the Sharks kicked to the corner.
The decision made even less sense because they were a forward down and their drive was easily bundled into touch.
They did score first in the second half, though. After ten minutes of sparring between the sides, Bosch again produced moment of magic, this time a wonderful 50-22 kick that set up a lineout drive to the line.
When it was held up just short, Grant Williams had the vision to send a bullet pass out to blindside wing Thaakir Abrahams, who darted over in the corner.
Bosch then nailed the touchline conversion for a 14-7 lead and when he added a penalty at the three-quarter mark, it confirmed a momentum shift in the match.
And the Lions were goners ten minutes from the end when replacement hooker Fez Mbatha went over off the back of a lineout.
The killer blow came five minutes from time when Bosch nudged a deft grubber into the in-goal area for Williams to score and that meant a vital bonus point for his team.
Scorers
Sharks - Tries: Curwin Bosch, Thaakir Abrahams, Fez Mbatha, Grant Williams. Conversions: Bosch (3). Penalty: Bosch.
Lions - Tries: Marius Louw. Conversions: Gianni Lombard.
IOL Sport