Vowles hails 'special' Giliomee
REACTION: Sharks XV coach Mike Vowles has nothing but praise for rising star Luan Giliomee, insisting the young fullback is “a special player” despite his imminent move to the Bulls at the end of the Currie Cup.
Giliomee, who has signed a three-year deal with the Pretoria franchise, produced another standout display in the Sharks XV’s dramatic 22-22 draw with the Lions at Woodburn Stadium on Friday night.
The 20-year-old was named Man of the Match after racking up a game-high 120 running metres from 14 carries and beating seven defenders with his pace and footwork.
“Luan’s a special player,” Vowles said. “He does things at 20 years old that not many people can do.
“He really understands the game and he’s tough as anything.”
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DRAMA IN PIETERMARITZBURG! 🏉 @SharksRugby @LionsRugbyCo #CurrieCuphttps://t.co/wmdRlPxxD0
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The Sharks looked down and out after trailing 5-10 at half-time but regrouped after the break as hooker Liam van Wyk and winger Christie Grobbelaar crossed to put the hosts ahead.
The Lions responded through hooker Armand Combrinck before lock Meno Barnard’s late bonus-point try appeared to have sealed victory for the Sharks.
There was one final twist.
Lions fullback Gilermo Mentoe dotted down in the 83rd minute to level the scores, although Sam Francis pushed the conversion wide, leaving the teams to share the spoils.
Vowles described the match as an emotional rollercoaster but said it was the Sharks XV’s most complete performance of the Currie Cup campaign.
“What a rollercoaster,” he said.
“In the first half we disappointed ourselves with some poor discipline, which didn’t allow us to get a foothold in the game. That was really the message at half-time.
“In the second half, the way this team defended and fought for 80-odd minutes, I’m just incredibly proud of the performance.
“That’s probably the best 80 minutes we’ve put together in the Currie Cup. I’m incredibly proud of the effort, the fight and the overall performance from the group.”
The Sharks collected three valuable log points from the draw but remain seventh on the Currie Cup table, two points behind the sixth-placed Lions.
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