Super Rugby: Sharks ease past Kings at season-opener in Port Elizabeth
By Andy Swales
Last Updated: 02/03/16 1:22pm
The Sharks ran-in six tries as they recovered from an early set-back to demolish Southern Kings 43-8 on the opening weekend of the 2016 Super Rugby season.
Although Chris Cloete gave the hosts a 10th minute lead, after driving over from a maul, the Sharks were just too strong at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium where Odwa Ndungane touched down twice.
His first on 18 came courtesy of Willie le Roux's assist, with the winger enjoying the easiest of scores in the corner.
He also completed the scoring two minutes from time, when he finished off an excellent sweeping move by the Sharks.
Although the Kings levelled matters at 8-8 in the 28th minute, thanks to an Elgar Watts penalty, that was as good as it got for the Port Elizabeth-based team.
The second Sharks try, just after half-an-hour, came via Jean-Luc du Preez who just managed to reach out a hand to plant the ball down despite being tackled short of the line.
And it did not get any easier for the Kings after the break, with debutant Le Roux swerving past a couple of hapless defenders as he raced half the length of the field to score his team's third try of the afternoon.
The fourth arrived in the 48th minute when a superb pass by Joe Pietersen allowed centre Paul Jordaan to canter over following a maul close to the Kings line.
By the hour mark it was 36-8, with Lwazi Mvovo taking advantage of some more top class ball-handling by the Durban-based Sharks who continued to bare their teeth.
Marcell Coetzee had an effort ruled out because of an infringement, while Ndungane notched the sixth and final try on 78.
Pietersen ended the match with 13 points - thanks to five conversions and a 16th minute penalty - as the Sharks made a great start to the campaign with a comfortable bonus-point victory.
