Sharks edge Kings in Durban
Teenager Curwin Bosch slotted a monster penalty kick to give Cell C Sharks a 19-17 Super Rugby victory over fellow South Africans Southern Kings on Saturday.
It was the third penalty of a dour match for full-back Bosch and gave the sluggish home team a much narrower winning margin than anticipated at Kings Park stadium.
The only Shark who left the field in Durban feeling satisfied was prop Lourens Adriaanse after scoring his first try in 50 Super Rugby appearances for the team.
Sharks coach and former Springbok Robert du Preez rested a number of first choices for a fixture he believed would yield a bonus-point victory.
Tradition backed his judgment as the Kings had failed to win in 20 previous matches against South African opponents.
His decision almost back-fired, however, after Kings skipper and prop Schalk Ferreira said his side felt "insulted" by Sharks resting many regulars.
Trailing to an early Bosch penalty, Kings went ahead when loose forward Ruaan Lerm scored a try which fly-half Lionel Cronje converted.
Another try, from winger Makazole Mapimpi, earned the Port Elizabeth-based Kings a 14-8 half-time advantage.
Bosch and Cronje exchanged penalties to leave six points between the sides with 14 minutes left in the Indian Ocean city.
Then, in a rare cohesive attack, Sharks came within a metre of the Kings line before spreading the ball wide for winger Kobus van Wyk to score in the corner.
Bosch missed the conversion, leaving the visitors clinging to a one-point lead, but a man short after skipper and flanker Chris Cloete was sin-binned.
With 71 minutes gone, Bosch got another chance to win the match, from a 55-metre penalty, and came up trumps.
Cronje, who kicked two conversions and a penalty, had a late chance to regain the lead for the Kings but his long-range penalty attempt finished well off target.
Both teams will be involved in South African derbies next weekend with the Kings hosting the Golden Lions and the Sharks away to the Central Cheetahs.
Twitter - @SportswaveAndre
The only Shark who left the field in Durban feeling satisfied was prop Lourens Adriaanse after scoring his first try in 50 Super Rugby appearances for the team.
Sharks coach and former Springbok Robert du Preez rested a number of first choices for a fixture he believed would yield a bonus-point victory.
Tradition backed his judgment as the Kings had failed to win in 20 previous matches against South African opponents.
His decision almost back-fired, however, after Kings skipper and prop Schalk Ferreira said his side felt "insulted" by Sharks resting many regulars.
Trailing to an early Bosch penalty, Kings went ahead when loose forward Ruaan Lerm scored a try which fly-half Lionel Cronje converted.
Another try, from winger Makazole Mapimpi, earned the Port Elizabeth-based Kings a 14-8 half-time advantage.
Bosch and Cronje exchanged penalties to leave six points between the sides with 14 minutes left in the Indian Ocean city.
Then, in a rare cohesive attack, Sharks came within a metre of the Kings line before spreading the ball wide for winger Kobus van Wyk to score in the corner.
Bosch missed the conversion, leaving the visitors clinging to a one-point lead, but a man short after skipper and flanker Chris Cloete was sin-binned.
With 71 minutes gone, Bosch got another chance to win the match, from a 55-metre penalty, and came up trumps.
Cronje, who kicked two conversions and a penalty, had a late chance to regain the lead for the Kings but his long-range penalty attempt finished well off target.
Both teams will be involved in South African derbies next weekend with the Kings hosting the Golden Lions and the Sharks away to the Central Cheetahs.
Twitter - @SportswaveAndre