Grizzled Sharks combine skill with ref street-smarts to thrash listless Bulls

When Jake White - sometimes to some sceptical ears - talks about how his undeniably successful Bulls squad is still a young one learning the ropes, he'll cite Saturday evening's somewhat chaotic 47-20 defeat to a shrewd and powerful Sharks at Kings Park as a prominent example.

To the naked eye, this was an excellent advertisement for South African rugby's very first New Year's Eve derby.

Approximately 26 000 people were in a boisterous mood and rewarded with a home team performance that certainly did its pedigreed, Springbok-laden status justice.

National skipper Siya Kolisi was outstanding in all facets, Eben Etzebeth's three conceded penalties were interspersed with some familiarly robust brilliance, Lukhanyo Am pulled the strings in midfield, the front row of Ox Nche, Bongi Mbonambi and Thomas du Toit flourished a scrum time, and Makazole Mapimpi looks revitalised.

Yet, as incisive as Neil Powell's charges were at times, this was also a game where the proverbial darker, subtler art of influence the man of the whistle was writ large.

And in a vulnerable Marius van der Westhuizen, the Sharks' grizzled stars found a suitable target.

AS IT HAPPENED | Sharks v Bulls

Following a deceptively decent start by the Bulls, who had Canan Moodie to thank for a magnificent solo effort - where he chipped forward and neatly read a nasty bounce on the unfortunate Marnus Potgieter - that gave them an early 13-6 lead, they started becoming vocal, evidently picking up on Van der Westhuizen's off-colour officiating.

He missed a dangerous hit on Bulls No 8 Elrigh Louw, a no-arms tackle on Kolisi and arguably gave Nche and co a bit of a free ride by discarding instances of of them not scrumming straight.

Moodie turned villain when he was yellow