Coastal Sharks loose forward Marcell Coetzee became the joint leading Super 15 try-scorer this season with a brace Saturday in a 27-10 victory at Central Cheetahs.
The Springbok flanker has bagged four tries in five matches — the same number as Wellington Hurricanes’ All Black left-wing Julian Savea.
Coetzee specialises in touching down off driving mauls after line-outs and this occurred twice against fellow South Africans Cheetahs at the Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein.
His first try came after 29 minutes and he struck again just three minutes later as the Sharks established a commanding 22-3 half-time advantage.
That gap effectively ended the game as a contest and allowed the Sharks to avenge a shock six-point opening-round home loss to the Cheetahs last month.
A four-try bonus-point triumph also got the Sharks’ southern hemisphere inter-provincial championship campaign back on track after a one victory-three losses start to the season.
Beginning the match 11th on the combined table, Sharks climbed to sixth while the Cheetahs slipped one place to 11th.
Centre Francois Steyn and New Zealand-born replacement back Jack Wilson scored a try each for the Sharks and fly-half Patrick Lambie slotted two conversions and a penalty.
Although not at his goal-kicking best, the seven points from Springbok fly-half Lambie made him the leading Super 15 scorer with 78 after five rounds.
Centre Francois Venter was the late, lone try scorer for the Cheetahs, Francois Brummer kicked a conversion and the fly-half he replaced, Willie du Plessis, slotted an early penalty.
“We were due a win and it was pleasing because we often struggle in Bloemfontein,” said Sharks skipper and hooker Bismarck du Plessis.
Some of the gloss was taken off the success, though, by an early injury to outstanding young Springbok lock Pieter-Steph du Toit.
Cheetahs skipper and lock Francois Uys was blunt: “We did not create enough and were not clinical enough.”