Brad happy with second-half showing

Sharks coach Brad Macleod-Henderson lauded his side's second-half showing in their 34-17 Currie Cup win over the Pumas in Durban on Friday.

Macleod-Henderson, whose charges opened the competition with a 31-24 win over Griquas in Kimberley last week, said the patience they showed was key to the eventual outcome.

The defending champions, who trailed 6-7 at the break and were behind their visitors for most of the game, needed a strong showing in the final quarter (when they scored 21 unanswered points) to secure the win.

The Sharks secured four tries in the second 40 minutes – three of them after line-outs – thanks to SP Marais, Jacques Botes, Tera Mtembu and Monde Hadebe, to claim the additional bonus-point score.

"In the first half we thought we had them on the edge, but they worked very hard, they cut us down and maybe we were a bit unlucky not to get a try or two," the Sharks coach said.

"In the second half, the opportunities pretty much opened up straight down through the middle, really.

"We had a few good mauls, they thought we were going to use our backs all the time and we went a bit more direct. It was just a great second half and we're pleased with the outcome."

But he admitted there were still areas to improve on for next week's clash against the Cheetahs on the east coast.

"You're always looking for the perfect game, so maybe we need to work on our penalty count a bit more.

"But four tries, in a night game and with a lot of moisture around, is a good performance."

Source: SAPA