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Classy Jaguares maul insipid Sharks to complete SA tour double

Hyron Andrews of the Cell C Sharks going over for a try during the Super Rugby match against the Jaguares at Jonsson Kings Park on April 13, 2019.
Hyron Andrews of the Cell C Sharks going over for a try during the Super Rugby match against the Jaguares at Jonsson Kings Park on April 13, 2019.
Image: Steve Haag

To prove that last week's late turnaround against the Bulls was no fluke, the Jaguares bared all their teeth and claws to clinically maul the Sharks 51-17.

Complete performances are rare from the South Americans but this was easily their best showing in South Africa and in Super Rugby.

They did everything right despite not seeing much of the ball in the first half. In the second stanza, they wiped the floor with an insipid, inconsistent, diabolical and indecisive Sharks sides who's rugby bodies were in Durban but who's minds were clearly left in Johannesburg.

Of their three home losses, this was the most comprehensive and made a mockery of them topping the SA conference.

The Jaguares have completed a rare SA tour double and starting to look like last season's problem side.

The story of the first was about the Sharks doing all the running with the Jaguares doing all the scoring.

Scrumhalf Tomas Cubelli got the ball rolling for the visitors with a third minute try with the Sharks inexplicable falling asleep very early in the game.

When the Sharks drew level through lock Hyron Andrews in the 11th minute, it needed a break from the much-maligned but excellent Curwin Bosch.

The fullback offloaded to the underrated loose-forward Luke Stringer, who found the rangy Andrews marauding towards the tryline.

The Sharks did take the lead through a Robert du Preez 22nd minute penalty but as seems to be the case with most Sharks home games, the game descended into an inexplicable aimlessness the hosts are only capable of.

They dominated territory and possession, but neither had the guile nor the street-smarts to make it count.

Their error count was also high, with one of those mistake from Andre Esterhuizen leading to Pablo Matera's first try in the 34th minute.

The big but bumbling Sharks inside centre lost the ball in contact, from where the Jaguares turned the ball over.

Matera was the recipient of the loose ball which he chipped and gathered for what was a brilliant try from a multi-skilled footballer.

The Jaguares weren't done and with a simple backline movement four minutes later, they cut up the Sharks defence and outside centre Matias Orlando trotted over the line untouched.

Three minutes into the second half, the Jaguares picked up from where they left off in terms of capitalising on the Sharks' errors when a stolen line-out led to Matera's second try.

The Sharks defence was alarmingly absent as they failed to lay a hand on the elusive left wing Emiliano Boffelli, who offloaded to Matera.

The early Easter presents continued to come for the South Americans when right wing Matias Moroni scored an easy 54th minute try from first phase ball. The effervescent Cubelli collected the ball and passed to Moroni, who chipped, chased and scored.

A 36-10 scoreline threatened to make the Sharks look silly but Bosch, who was the best of a sorry Sharks lot barring Lukhanyo Am, Stringer and Aphelele Fassi, moved to flyhalf and immediately had an impact.

Moving from fullback and replacing a consistently off-colour and increasingly frazzled Du Preez, whose, Bosch ran a good line and put Fassi through for a good 55th minute try.

That try was a false dawn as Orlando scored his second try in the 67th minute that originated from a scrum and abetted by a poor tackle attempt from Lwazi Mvovo.

To compound what was a listless performance in the 73rd minute, the Sharks forced turn over with replacement back Kobus van Wyk booting the ball deep into the Jaguares' half. Van Wyk was unable to score with the line in front of him and the Jaguares cleared the lines.

Orlando then completed his hat-trick on the on the stroke of full time with a try from another turnover.

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