'Quality' bench did trick for Sharks
Sharks coach Brad Macleod-Henderson said a rash of second-half changes helped his team retain their unbeaten run.
The defending champions climbed to second place on the standings after edging a willing Free State Cheetahs team in Durban at the weekend.
A long-range Fred Zeilinga penalty four minutes from time enabled the coastal side to steal a 19-16 triumph at Kings Park.
The Cheetahs held a 13-3 lead at half-time and within 10 minutes of the restart Macleod-Henderson introduced substitutes Lourens Adriaanse, Thomas du Toit, Conrad Hoffmann and Lionel Cronje.
"I think the changes in the second half made a huge difference," the Sharks mentor said.
"I made them a bit earlier than usual and I think they came on and had a big impact.
"It just felt like it wasn't really working and we're fortunate that we have quality players on our bench. They came on and played very nicely for us."
The Bloemfontein visitors had lead the game and looked far better for more than 70 minutes – thanks to a superb try by fullback Clayton Blommetjies and the boot of flyhalf Willie du Plessis.
However, former Springbok wing Tonderai Chavhanga crossed for the Sharks' only try with 12 minutes to play, before Zeilinga, who kicked 14 points, landed a raking 45 metre kick to steal the win.
"It was a very tight game, but after being 0-13 down and to come back like we did to get the win, we're obviously very happy," Macleod-Henderson said.
"The big positive is the guys didn't lie down. They kept on fighting, they kept on playing with huge amounts of commitment and courage to get the win under trying circumstances.
"The first half we probably didn't get anything going – our handling let us down, we were probably a bit weak at the breakdown, so there were quite a few areas to work on."
Macleod-Henderson insisted the win in Durban highlighted the character of the defending champions.
"All victories come down to what the scoreboard says. We managed to win that battle," Macleod-Henderson said.
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