Michalak stars as Sharks pip Province

Former France fly-half Frederic Michalak scored all the Sharks points as they edged Western Province 21-19 in a South African Currie Cup thriller Friday. Michalak, who quit Toulouse last May for a second spell with the Durban outfit, kicked four penalty goals and slotted three drop goals in freezing, wet Cape Town conditions. After playing catch-up for most of a repeat of the 2010 final won handsomely by Sharks, Province took a one-point lead 12 minutes from full-time when young fly-half Demetri Catrakilis landed his third penalty goal. But 28-year-old Michalak had the final say on 77 minutes when he succeeded with his toughest penalty of the night -- in front of the posts but 40 metres out -- to get Sharks back on the winning trail after a loss at Griqualand West last weekend. Sharks are level on 18 points with leaders Golden Lions, who entertain Free State Cheetahs in Johannesburg Saturday, but lie second on the eight-team standings on points difference. "I feel really good after this victory. There was a lot of kicking because of the weather, but that is part of the game," official man-of-the-match Michalek told reporters. Sharks led 9-3 at half-time and stretched the advantage to 12 points before a pushover Brok Harris try, which needed confirmation from the television match official, was converted by Catrakilis to bring Province within five points. Province mounted a stoppage-time attack to try and snatch victory, but did not get beyond the halfway line before surrendering possession and Sharks centre Patrick Lambie booted the ball into touch to signal the end. Blue Bulls moved off the bottom-of-the-table position they are unaccustomed to by grinding out a 16-12 victory over lowly Mpumalanga Pumas in a Nelspruit match that produced a solitary try. Springbok wing Bjorn Basson burst over 16 minutes into the opening half after clever play from a scrum with former Lions scrum-half Jano Vermaak delivering the scoring pass. Pumas improved after trailing 10-0 at the break and twice got within one point of the 23-time champions before a 79th-minute Louis Fouche drop goal sealed success for the visitors. Griquas followed up an impressive win over Sharks by defeating Platinum Leopards 32-18 in diamond city Kimberley to climb above Province into third place, just one point behind the pacesetters after five rounds.