Airlink Pumas vs Sharks try fest ends in pulsating draw
The Airlink Pumas will be in search of a return to winning ways in their next Carling Currie Cup fixture, after their match against the Hollywoodbets Sharks last Saturday ended in a 12-try draw.
The Airlink Pumas and Hollywoodbets Sharks clashed at Mbombela Stadium on Saturday August 3, and the two sides played out a thrilling try fest, with nothing to separate them at the final whistle.
The match presented the Pumas a chance to climb up into second place on the log after the Toyota Cheetahs and Vodacom Bulls drew 34-34 on Friday night. All they’d need to do was win, something they had already done against the Sharks at Hollywoodbets Kings Park Stadium two weeks before.
The Airlink Pumas got off to a rollicking start in the game, claiming a bonus point in the first half already. Speedster Phiko Sobahle was in fine form in particular, securing a hat-trick before the half-hour mark. The Pumas had come flying out of the blocks, catching the Sharks with their pants down, and took a 27-8 lead into half-time in spite of Clinton Swart missing two conversions.
But the Pumas side that roared to life in the first half seemed to have stayed behind in the cloakroom for the first 10 minutes of the second half. The Mbombela outfit was sloppy in the opening exchanges of the second half, allowing the Sharks to come back into the game and level matters.
After 50 minutes, the match was all square at 27-27 thanks to three Sharks tries in the first 10 minutes of the half.
The Pumas reclaimed the lead four minutes later through a Ross Braude try and Swart conversion. Six minutes later, Braude scored again and Swart duly converted, handing the home side a 41-27 lead. But the Sharks hit back almost immediately with a converted try of their own. They scored another with 10 minutes to go, levelling the game again at 41-41.
Bradley Davids slotted a penalty for the Sharks with two minutes left, handing them a 44-41 lead. But the Pumas fought back from the kick-off, and managed to win themselves a scrum penalty after the hooter, right in front of the uprights.
Swart slotted the penalty and the match ended 44-44, with 12 tries being scored in the encounter. It was a cracker indeed, and the Pumas will be ruing a missed chance to climb up to second on the log. They moved down to fourth after five rounds, level on 18 points with the Cheetahs (second) and the Fidelity ADT Lions (third), whom the Pumas face at Emirates Airline Park on Saturday August 10.
The Pumas’ points scorers against the Sharks were:
Tries: Phiko Sobahle (3), Ross Braude (2), Eduan Swart
Conversions: Clinton Swart (4)
Penalties: Clinton Swart (2)
