Sharks cruise through the wet

Two tries: Waylon Murray

The Sharks wrapped up all five Currie Cup points with consummate ease against the Kavaliers on Friday, notching a 41-7 win in atrocious conditions in Wellington.

The main feature of the match was an enormous puddle in the middle of the pitch, surrounded by a number of other smaller puddles that rendered early scrums and rucks farcical at times. The teams kicked predictably for much of it and play became, literally as well as metaphorically, bogged down in the middle of the park as a result.

Boland played with plenty of resolve, but precious little beyond compared to their illustrious and ultimately more clinical guests. Once Bradley Barritt, skidding the ball into the post, had notched the opening score after a touch over 20 minutes, there was only one team in it.

Fred Michalak converted the try, and added a penalty ten minutes later after another Boland player - this time Angelo Brinkhuys - had skidded off his feet at a ruck, much to referee Jonathan Kaplan's irritation.

That was it for a dismal first half, but the Sharks turned in on in the second, scoring three quick-fire tries to seal the deal.

First Jacques Botes capitalised on some good work in the wet from the Sharks pack, who drove their counterparts back with consummate ease from a line-out.

Then the visitors dared to open things up a bit, and both Waylon Murray and Keegan Daniel were on the end of simple side-to-side handling movements that utilised the overlap.

Michalak failed only with the fourth conversion, leaving the scores at 29-0 with 25 minutes still to play.

Boland flickered briefly, and John Daniels' excellent break could have yielded a try had the chasing Cornell Hendricks not taken a Sharks defender out off the ball.

Back came the Sharks, marching the ball downfield from a line-out, and eventually Murray got his second, again finishing off the simplest of moves.

Rory Kockott's entrance into the fray was greeted with enthusiasm, and the young scrum-half did not disappoint, launching the sweeping attack which led to Chris Jordaan scoring the Sharks' sixth try and then converting it from the touchline.

Boland got some reward for their endeavour with the final play of the game, when wing Alvin Hugo ensured the Kavaliers avoided a whitewash, but this day was about the Sharks.

The scorers:

For Boland:

Try: Hugo

Con: Peach

For the Sharks:

Tries: Barritt, Botes, Murray 2, Daniel, Jordaan

Cons: Michalak 3, Kockott

Pen: Michalak

Boland: 15 Justin Peach, 14 Danwel Demas, 13 Cornell Hendricks, 12 Lionel Cornelius, 11 Alvin Hugo, 10 Isma eel Dollie, 9 Neil Papier, 8 Dries van Schalkwyk (c), 7 Angelo Brinkhuys, 6 Zolani Mofu, 5 Bradley Mockford, 4 Frikkie Spies, 3 WP Nel, 2 Clemen Lewis, 1 Janro van Niekerk.

Replacements: 16 Harry Vermaas, 17 Jean Botha, 18 Nico Esterhuyse, 19 Whalied Heyns, 20 Danie van der Merwe, 21 Elgar Watts, 22 Deon Scholtz.

Sharks: 15 Stefan Terblanche, 14 Chris Jordaan, 13 Riaan Swanepoel, 12 Bradley Barritt (c), 11 Waylon Murray, 10 Frederic Michalak, 9 Charl McLeod, 8 Keegan Daniel, 7 Jean Deysel, 6 Jacques Botes, 5 Alistair Hargreaves, 4 Albert van den Berg, 3 Deon Carstens , 2 Skipper Badenhorst, 1 Patric Cilliers.

Replacements: 16 Craig Burden, 17 Melusi Mthethwa, 18 Steven Sykes, 19 Skholiwe Ndlovu, 20 Rory Kockott, 21 Andries Strauss.

Referee: Jonathan Kaplan

Touch judges: Joey Salmans, Linston Manuels

TMO: Shaun Veldsman