Herman Mostert - Sport24
Cape Town - Sport24's Herman Mostert highlights FIVE talking points after Round 2 of the 2020 Super Rugby season:
1. Sharks purple patch sinks Highlanders
The Sharks stunned the Highlanders when they ran in three tries in an eight-minute period near the end of the first half to take a 27-3 lead at the break in Dunedin.
It rocked the home side and they were never able to recover, eventually going down 42-20.
There's no doubt that the Sharks have some potent finishers out wide, with Messrs Mapimpi and Fassi sure to keep troubling the scorers in the season ahead...
From Mdantsane to Dunedin... Makazole Mapimpi cannot be stopped ??????
— SuperSport ?? (@SuperSportTV) February 7, 2020
Sikhumbuzo Notshe and Madosh Tambwe combined brilliantly to set up @TheSharksZA flyer for a fantastic counter-attacking try against the Highlanders!#SuperRugby pic.twitter.com/DENVO5b4HU
2. Lions victorious, but hard work lies in wait
The Lions will be pleased that they got back to winning ways with a 27-20 home win over the Reds, and the performance of winger Tyrone Green - who dazzled with a brace of tries - was a shining light for the Johannesburg franchise.
However, their coach Ivan van Rooyen will be worried about his side's efforts at the set-pieces.
The Lions conceded several scrum penalties, with the Reds' South African loosehead prop JP Smith giving former Springbok tighthead Jannie du Plessis a hard time.
The hosts also lost three lineouts.
3. Resolute Stormers defence blanks Bulls
The Stormers produced another extraordinary defensive effort to keep the Bulls scoreless in a 13-0 win.
Following the previous week's 27-0 win over the Hurricanes, the Stormers are yet to concede a point in 180 minutes of Super Rugby in 2020.
The hosts made 100 out of 119 tackles (84% success-rate) and the work done by defence coach Norman Laker has not gone unnoticed.
4. Advice to heed from SA derby at Newlands
The Bulls will rue letting points go begging in their derby against the Stormers.
The Pretoria outfit turned down several shots at goal in the third quarter while camped on the Stormers line and questions will be asked why they did not make use of Morne Steyn's boot.
A couple of penalties would have put the Bulls in range and in retrospect they will realise a 13-point deficit was not that big to overhaul.
On the other side of the coin, the Stormers have problems in their goalkicking department with flyhalf Damian Willemse clearly finding the responsibility hard.
After three missed attempts, Willemse was replaced by Dillyn Leyds, who also fluffed his conversion attempt badly.
Coach John Dobson may have to find a spot in the starting XV for Jean-Luc du Plessis...
5. Barrett beats Carter with monster penalty
Hurricanes fullback Jordie Barrett made headlines with a 63-metre penalty kick early in his side's 26-23 over the Jaguares in Buenos Aires.
Barrett's effort is the best recorded by a Kiwi, beating the 60 metre penalty kicked by Dan Carter in 2006 against the Springboks at Loftus Versfeld.
What made Barrett's kick even more impressive was the fact that the ball was still had yards on it after it passed through the uprights.
?? An absolute rocket from Jordie Barrett! 63 metres with ease.
— Super Rugby (@SuperRugbyNZ) February 8, 2020
?? @skysportnz#JAGvHUR #RugbyRecoded pic.twitter.com/Y7UbsblL1q
