Scintillating Siyaya leads Sharks to victory over Blue Bulls
South African Schools and SA u18 fullback Zekhethelo Siyaya stole the spotlight with a star turn as the Sharks‘ Craven Week side scored a hard-fought 32-29 victory over the Blue Bulls on Monday at Hollywoodbets Kings Park, in Durban.
Only two days earlier, Siyaya had helped Westville Boys’ High complete an unbeaten season with a comprehensive 50-20 victory at Michaelhouse, and he and some of his Westville teammates were to the fore as the home team held off the visitors for a three-point win.
It was the Blue Bulls who made it onto the scoreboard first, however, scoring in typical Blue Bulls’ fashion from a powerful rolling maul, set up by a lineout.
From about 10 metres out, they drove the ball up to the Sharks’ try line. Hooker Bauke Swart followed the churning legs in front of him well and was left with the simple task of falling over the line for a try.
Ruben Groenewald was wide of the mark with his conversion attempt, sending his kick just right of the posts. Five minutes had elapsed.
From the kick-off, a good kick chase from the Sharks pressured the Bulls into holding onto the ball on the ground inside their 22. Awarded a penalty, the home side opted for a kick to touch.
Just as the Bulls had done, the boys in black and white set a rolling maul in motion. It wasn’t as smooth as that of the visitors and went to ground, but lock Lian Terblanche picked up and with a mighty effort forced his way over for a five-pointer.
Jade-Will Koopman‘s conversion attempt struck the right upright and stayed out.
It didn’t take long for the Bulls to respond, and they struck again in the tenth minute. Flyhalf Groenewald launched a beautifully judged high kick towards the right touchline. It caught a couple of Sharks’ defenders in two minds but not right-wing Thabiso Simelane, who leapt high, snatched the ball out of the sky and had a clear run to behind the posts.
Groenewald tacked on two more points with the easy conversion and the Bulls were 12-5 to the good.
The Westville connection was on display when the Sharks hit back. Near the Blue Bulls’ 10-metre line, scrumhalf Liam Simpkins fed Zekhethelo Siyaya, ranging up on the blindside. He flung a long pass out to Jadrian Afrikaner on the left wing.
When he was met by the last defender, Afrikaner, with an almost telepathic understanding and exquisite touch, jabbed a grubber inside off his left foot. Siyaya, who was up in support, ran onto the ball, which sat up invitingly, and he gratefully accepted the invitation to race over for a superb try.
Jade-Will Koopman made the play worth seven points with a successful conversion kick, which levelled the scores at 12-12.
When the Bulls conceded a penalty on the halfway line in the 20th minute, the Sharks opted for a kick at posts. At that range, though, it was Siyaya and not Koopman who took the kick. He was bang on and the home team hit the front for the first time.
Shortly after that, it was the fullback, again, who led the charge as the Sharks added another try. He fielded a chip over the top in the right-hand corner of the hosts’ 22, spun away from the pursuing forwards and raced up the right touchline with Jade-Will Koopman on his shoulder.
When met by a defender, Siyaya, instead of passing to Koopman, chipped over the top and regathered to eliminate one player. That left him with only one more to beat. This time, he released Koopman from just outside the Blue Bulls’ half. The right-wing pinned his ears back and was over in the corner.
The conversion kick was wide, but the Sharks had opened up a 20-12 lead in the 24th minute.
From the kick-off, the Sharks were almost immediately back in business. A break by eighthman Jamie Wimble put Afrikaner away. He cut back inside, speeding into the visitors’ territory where the ball was smoothly moved through the hands, with Wimble again involved. The Bulls were in trouble, but a forward pass brought a flowing move to an end, and the men from Pretoria had time to catch their breath.
Siyaya, then, showed that he was fallible with a poor drop-out in the 32nd minute. The Bulls bashed it up for a couple of phases before letting the ball go down the backline, where the Sharks were caught somewhat disorganised.
A long looping pass from flyhalf Groenewald opened up space on the left flank for the Blue Bulls. They were almost over in the corner, but Junaid Steward was up in support on the inside, and he took the last pass to canter over and dot down beneath the uprights.
Groenewald landed the conversion and the Sharks led by a single point, 20-19. It appeared as if that would be the halftime score, but the hosts had other plans.
From inside their half, Siyaya started an attack and played a supporting runner into a gap. When the ball was passed to the right again, the Sharks had a two-on-one. William Ridl should probably have passed to Jade-Will Koopman, but he cut inside and was brought down. Still, he kept the ball alive.
Scrumhalf Simpkins changed direction and found Siyaya running onto the ball. He chipped it over the top. As two Blue Bulls’ defenders closed in, the fullback snatched the ball out of the air. Almost immediately, he dropped it onto his left foot and kicked ahead, taking the defenders out of the play. Hitting the gas, Siyaya chased down his kick, dived on the ball, and added another spectacular try to a long list of spectacular tries behind his name.
The conversion kick was from in front of the posts and Jade-Will Koopman slotted it to make it 27-19 at the break.
It was unlikely that the second half would produce the fireworks that the first half had provided, and, with the coaches ringing the changes, the magic man, Siyaya, was given a rest. It was, nonetheless, an enthralling battle.
It took the Blue Bulls eight minutes to strike, and they did so in familiar fashion: penalty, kick to touch, five-metre lineout, sound execution, and hooker Okhule Hini was driven over for a try. Groenewald, usually a reliable kicker, was wide of the mark again, and it was 27-24 in favour of coach Dusty Noble‘s charges.
In the 58th minute, the Bulls had another chance to execute the same tried and tested method, except this time their throw-in missed the jumper, and the Sharks snagged the ball and cleared.
Then, the home team pulled off a searing counterattack to add another try. It began with William Ridl catching a clearing kick on the right touchline, near halfway. He gave the ball inside to Jade-Will Koopman, who nudged the ball over the defensive line, into space. His touch was excellent, and the Sharks reclaimed possession.
Then, flyhalf Liyema Nela drew a tackler before finding Koopman on his outside as he was tackled to the ground. Koopman, in a distinctive red cap, dived over in the corner. After scoring, he took the conversion kick from the touchline. It was wide, but the Sharks had moved 32-24 clear.
Seven minutes remained, but it took until the final minute for the Blue Bulls to have the last say.
From a quick tap, just five metres out, they attacked to the left. “Proppie” van den Berg ploughed into the Sharks’ defence, and the ball came back quickly.
Again, it went left, but scrumhalf Zirk Meyer then reversed direction. He sniped but was driven back by two tacklers. Four times in succession, the Blue Bulls tried the pick and go. On the fifth occasion, they hit paydirt.
Eighthman Stefan McDonald was over, and flyhalf Ruben Groenewald had a conversion kick to reduce the deficit to one point. Time was up, though. His kicked was off target and the Sharks claimed a three-point win.
There was plenty of enterprise on display and no shortage of flair, but after going behind early on, fullback Zekhethelo Siyaya made his mark on the contest to lead the home team to victory.
Scorers
Sharks 32 (27) – Tries: Zekhethelo Siyaya (2), Jade-Will Koopman (2), Lian Terblanche. Conversions: Jade-Will Koopman (2). Penalty: Zekhethelo Siyaya; Blue Bulls 29 (17) – Tries: Bauke Swart, Thabiso Simelane, Junaid Steward, Okuhle Hini, Drewyn Baron Conversions: Ruben Groenewald (2).
Results
Sharks u18A 32-29 Blue Bulls u18A
Sharks u18 25-37 Blue Bulls CD
Sharks u17A 53-34 Blue Bulls u17A
Sharks u17 26-21 Blue Bulls u17
Sharks u16A 20-26 Blue Bulls u16A
Sharks u16B 31-12 Blue Bulls u16B
Sharks u15A 47-12 Blue Bulls u15A
Sharks u15B 5-36 Blue Bulls u15B
