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Sharks vs Rebels: Sharks win 28-14

23rd March, 2019
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Sharks

28

Match Complete

Rebels

14

80
SHA28 : 14REB

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Expert
23rd March, 2019
236
2761 Reads

Sharks

28

Match Complete

Rebels

14

M. Mapimpi57
R. D. Preez52
R. D. Preez51
R. D. Preez36
32Q. Cooper
30J. Maddocks
R. D. Preez26
21Q. Cooper
20T. English
R. D. Preez16
R. D. Preez6
D. D. Preez6

3
Tries
2
2
Conversions
2
3
Penalty Goals
0
0
Field Goals
0

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Match result:

The Rebels have copped another loss on the road in South Africa, going down to the Sharks by 14 points.

Final score
Sharks 28
Rebels 14

Match preview:

The heavily-penalised Melbourne Rebels are in the subtropical city of Durban this week, trying to take valuable log points from a fixture against the big, hard-hitting Sharks. Join The Roar for live scores and a live blog of the match, starting from 2:15am AEDT.

The Sharks have been up and down this season, at times showing an almost perfect combination of power, pace, kicking, and finishing, only to exhibit listlessness and aimlessness in attack.

There is nobody faster in the competition than the Sharks fullback, Aphelele Fassi. Even his name sounds fast.

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The back three of the Sharks deserve more ball, with strike runner Makazole Mapimpi on the left, and aggressive Sbu Nkosi on the right wing.

However, Robert du Preez is a big flyhalf who likes to take the ball into contact or boot the leather off it, and just next to him is Andre ‘the Giant’ Esterhuizen, who would have been good in Warrenball, so chances for wings are limited.

Clever Bok outside centre Lukhanyo Am will need to set the flyers free.

Will Genia is not playing this week, so the Sharks may have the advantage at the base, with intelligent Louis Schreuder.

Still, the Rebels show a renewed ability to score tries, with mercurial Quade Cooper and livewire Jack Maddocks in their attacking spine.

Billy Meakes is in top form at No.12, but will need to survive Esterhuizen’s choke tackles, among the best in the business.

Coach Dave Wessels has Reece Hodge at wing, which offers the Sharks a chance: can he really keep Mapimpi in front of him, out wide?

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The packs look fairly well matched. The Sharks should boss the scrums, but might struggle at lineout time with Ross Haylett-Petty back in his city of birth, and the breakdown shapes to be a real war.

Maybe the Electric Warthog, Akker van der Merwe can provide that extra spark in general play.

The penalty count was the story last week, but it’s been that way for over a year now. The Rebels attract all refs: there’s something in the way they play that gets them heavily and disproportionately pinged.

Maybe they need to form more rucks, instead of relying on tackling.

Sharks by a few; probably close until the last ten minutes.

Where: Kings Park Stadium, Durban, South Africa
When: Sunday, 24 March, at 2:15 a.m. AEST
Ranks: Rebels 3rd (+12 PD); Sharks 8th (+26)

Sharks
15 Aphelele Fassi, 14 Sbu Nkosi, 13 Lukhanyo Am, 12 Andre Esterhuizen, 11 Makazole Mapimpi, 10 Robert du Preez, 9 Louis Schreuder, 8 Daniel du Preez, 7 Jacques Vermeulen, 6 Phepsi Buthelezi, 5 Hyron Andrews, 4 Ruben van Heerden, 3 Coenie Oosthuizen, 2 Akker van der Merwe, 1 Tendai Mtwarira. Subs: 16 Craig Burden, 17 Juan Schoeman, 18 Thomas du Toit, 19 Gideon Koegelenburg, 20 Luke Stringer, 21 Grant Williams, 22 Marius Louw, 23 Curwin Bosch.

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Rebels
15 Jack Maddocks, 14 Reece Hodge, 13 Sione Tuipulotu, 12 Billy Meakes, 11 Tom English, 10 Quade Cooper, 9 Michael Ruru, 8 Angus Cottrell, 7 Richard Hardwick, 6 Luke Jones, 5 Matt Phillip, 4 Ross Haylett-Petty, 3 Sam Talakai, 2 Anaru Rangi, 1 Matt Gibson. Subs: 16 Robbie Abel, 17 Tetera Faulkner, 18 Pone Fa’amausili, 19 Rob Leota, 20 Brad Wilkin, 21 Harrison Goddard, 22 Campbell Magnay, 23 TBC.

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