It was always going to be a massive test for the 19 year old who will play in the U20 World Champs later this year as the Bulls were up for a battle and they were determined to test the full backs much touted credentials. In a display of typical Bulls aggression the big hits came raining in and it is testimony to the professionalism of both teams that it never spilled over into something ugly, not even a single yellow card.

Yet it was Lambie who the Bulls had planned to intimidate and with the heavens showering down incessant rain and in front of a pack Loftus the conditions could not have been more favourable to make Pat Lambie have his first nightmare match.  Repeatedly the ball was pumped high into the darkness and the surge of blue clad El Toro’s was unrelenting as they bullied the fullback throughout the 80 minutes. Not all of the attention that was dished out by the Bulls was exactly well-meaning as Lambie found himself many times tangled up in the Bulls washing machine getting trampled, roughed up and taken out whilst in the air.

But Lambie  for the amount of attention that he was singled out for was up for the task and came through his biggest test to date,  underlining just why many believe his days of being a Springbok are approaching very  quickly. Fearless under the high ball, quick on his feet, adept at kicking with both left and right boots and all done with the calmness of a surgeon Pat Lambie must be destined to become one of the great given the time and an injury free career.

However perhaps the Bulls were always going to be just too tough to beat and although trailing at half time they came back and took control of more possession and ultimately that pressure broke the Sharks defense which to a man defended with great courage but at the end the tries by Jacques-Louis Potgieter and Gerhard van den Heever would spell the end to the Sharks revival in the Super 14 and with it the hopes of making playoffs.

Ironically it was near the end of the match that the Sharks started to run the ball with more purpose that the Bulls looked the most vunerable and right to the end the Sharks pushed for the win. Sadly for the Sharks fans it will be a case of “what if…” as they recount the needless lose to the Cheetahs early in the season when Pro Legoete blew them out of the match and Paul ‘Skid’ Marks diabolical decision not to award the Sharks with a penalty try against the Waratahs which could have made life so much easier for the Durban based outfit as they approached the final stages.

There is still the Stormers and the Force to come, both home games and you can be sure the Sharks will want to finish with two wins and build up a head of steam as the Currie Cups starts.