Rugby: Sharks too good for Lions

The Sharks' Marcell Coetzee in action against the Lions this morning. Photo / Getty Images

Marcell Coetzee scored two tries as the Sharks claimed a 29-12 bonus-point win over the Lions in Durban this morning (NZT).

Akona Ndungane and Cobus Reinach also touched down for the home side with Patrick Lambie kicking a penalty and three conversions in the victory.

Marnitz Boshoff scored all of the Lions' points from the penalty tee, with the visitors reduced to 10 men for the last four minutes of the match when number eight Warren Whiteley was sent to the sin bin.

The victory is a nice rebound for the Sharks from their opening round defeat and they will be buoyed after they outscored the Lions by four tries to none.

It was the Lions who took the lead, though, through the boot of Boshoff in the second minute but it was quickly cancelled out by Lambie, who reached the 600-point mark in Super Rugby with a successful penalty kick in the eighth minute.

Ndungane then scored the first try of the night after catching a cross-field kick from Lambie, who missed the conversion.

Reinach was awarded a try by the Television Match Official in the 29th minute after going over from the base of a demolished scrum, with Lambie adding the extras to put Sharks 15-3 ahead.

Boshoff cut the deficit with his second penalty before the break, with another score 10 minutes into the second half putting the Lions six points adrift.

The fly-half's fourth successful kick put the Lions 15-12 down but Coetzee barged over in the 63rd minute with Lambie slotting the conversion to give the hosts some breathing space.

A try was ruled out for the Sharks when SP Marais was deemed to have been offside, but the Lions' loss of Whiteley a minute later to the sin bin after he tapped the ball out of Reinach's hands led to the bonus point try for the hosts.

A dominant maul from the Sharks ended with Coetzee scoring a second try, with Lambie again on target with the extra two points to wrap up the victory.

- AAP