Dramatic Kriel try seals Highveld thriller – Vodacom Super Rugby Round 6 Roundup
- Spirited Vodacom Bulls undone by Chiefs’ second half rally
- DHL Stormers in rampant mood against Toyota Cheetahs
Emirates Lions flanker Jaco Kriel scored a dramatic winning try in the closing minutes of an absorbing local Vodacom Super Rugby derby match on Saturday evening in Johannesburg to clinch a thrilling 34-29 win for the home side against the Cell C Sharks.
The red and white jerseys have now won nine matches in a row on their Highveld home ground.
In the first local derby of the day the DHL Stormers romped to a record 53-10 victory over the Toyota Cheetahs in Cape Town for their biggest ever win over the Free Staters.
And in the remaining Saturday match involving a South African side, the Vodacom Bulls started impressively but could not withstand a successful fightback from the Chiefs who eventually won their Hamilton fixture 28-12.
Hooker Malcolm Marx and Courtnall Skosan also dotted down for the Emirates Lions while prop Coenie Oosthuizen and wing Kobus van Wyk crossed over for the Durban side. Young flyhalf Curwin Bosch delivered another impressive display and although he finished on the losing side, he was deservedly awarded with the Vodacom Man of the Match award.
Playing in bright sunlight, the DHL Stormers started brightly against their Bloemfontein opponents and registered a comfortable win following tries from wing Dillyn Leyds (2), No 8 Sikhumbuzo Notshe (3), centre Dan du Plessis, flyhalf Robert du Preez and captain and flanker Siya Kolisi. They Cape side led 22-3 at the halftime break.
A solid and composed first half performance gave the Vodacom Bulls a well-deserving 9-3 lead against the Chiefs. However, the turning point in this match came just after halftime when an individual try by Shaun Stevenson sparked a successful Chiefs revival that saw them bag another bonus point win.
The other Africa conference participants, namely the Southern Kings and the Jaguares, both enjoyed byes the past weekend.
In the only encounter played on Sunday morning (SA time), the Crusaders defeated the Waratahs 41-22 in Sydney.
Vodacom Super Rugby resources (click on the links below for access to the match centre):
FIXTURES AND RESULTS | LOGS | STATS
Emirates Lions 34, Cell C Sharks 29
Scorers
Emirates Lions 34 – Tries: Malcolm Marx, Courtnall Skosan, Jaco Kriel; Conversions: Elton Jantjies (2); Penalties: Jantjies (4); Drop goal: Andries Coetzee.
Cell C Sharks – Tries: Coenie Oosthuizen, Kobus van Wyk; Conversion: Curwin Bosch (2); Penalties: Bosch (4); Drop goal: Bosch.
DHL Stormers 53, Toyota Cheetahs 10
Scorers
DHL Stormers 53 – Tries: Dillyn Leyds (2), Sikhumbuzo Notshe (3), Dan du Plessis, Robert du Preez and Siya Kolisi; Conversions: Robert du Preez (4), Kurt Coleman; Penalty: Robert du Preez.
Toyota Cheetahs 10 – Try: Paul Schoeman; Conversion: Fred Zeilinga; Penalty Fred Zeilinga.
Chiefs 28, Vodacom Bulls 12
Scorers
Chiefs 28 – Tries: Shaun Stevenson, Damian McKenzie, Atunaisa Moli. Conversions: Aaron Cruden (2). Penalties: Cruden (3).
Vodacom Bulls 12 – Penalties: Handré Pollard (4).
Other Round 6 results:
Friday, 31 March
Highlanders 51, Rebels 12
Saturday, 1 April
Blues 24, Western Force 15
Reds 15, Hurricanes 34
Sunday, 2 April
Waratahs v Crusaders – 08:05
The updated standings:
Africa Conference 1
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts |
| 1 | DHL Stormers (Q) | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 207 | 100 | 107 | 22 |
| 2 | Toyota Cheetahs | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 151 | 219 | -68 | 9 |
| 3 | Vodacom Bulls | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 112 | 158 | -46 | 5 |
| 4 | Sunwolves | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 123 | 236 | -113 | 1 |
Africa Conference 2
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts |
| 1 | Emirates Lions (Q) | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 227 | 159 | 68 | 23 |
| 2 | Jaguares (Q) | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 163 | 104 | 59 | 18 |
| 3 | Cell C Sharks | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 176 | 145 | 31 | 18 |
| 4 | Southern Kings | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 109 | 164 | -55 | 5 |
New Zealand Conference
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts |
| 1 | Crusaders (Q) | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 188 | 123 | 65 | 26 |
| 2 | Chiefs (Q) | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 146 | 85 | 61 | 24 |
| 3 | Hurricanes (Q) | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 247 | 79 | 168 | 20 |
| 4 | Blues (Q) | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 180 | 137 | 43 | 15 |
| 5 | Highlanders | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 142 | 132 | 10 | 14 |
Australian Conference
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts |
| 1 | Brumbies (Q) | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 101 | 91 | 10 | 11 |
| 2 | Waratahs | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 135 | 199 | -64 | 8 |
| 3 | Reds | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 104 | 174 | -70 | 6 |
| 4 | Force | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 88 | 132 | -44 | 5 |
| 5 | Rebels | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 75 | 237 | -162 | 1 |
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