Sharks' Bok players turn up the heat in Champions Cup
STATISTICAL SPOTLIGHT: There is no question that the Sharks are a different beast when they got their full contingent of Boks playing for them.
It’s there for all to in the Champions Cup where the Durban side secured their passage into the play-offs last weekend with a comfortable 32-3 win over Bordeaux at Kings Park.
Neil Powell’s side is sitting with three wins from three matches and they are in second spot in Pool A with one more pool game to play against Harlequins in London on Saturday.
Despite Bordeaux making several changes for that match, the Sharks’ win was still eye-catching even though they were scrappy at certain stages of the game.
The statistics will show how key the Bok players are to their cause in the Champions Cup.
Springbok captain Siya Kolisi has been in fine form over the last few months and he was again at the forefront when it came to defence.
He made more tackles (11) than any other player in his team on Saturday. He is also joint-top with Lukhanyo Am when it comes to carries (11) in that match.
Kolisi notched up 49 metres in the process, while Am got his team over the advantage line on numerous occasions with a tally of 73 metres.
Wing Makazole Mapimpi has been one of the stars of their overall campaign.
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He has beaten more defenders (14) than anyone else in the whole competition. Five of those came in Saturday’s win over Bordeaux.
The Bok wing also leads the metres gained stats in the competition with 292. He notched up 87 of those metres on Saturday.
The Sharks are also reaping the rewards from Eben Etzebeth, who joined the team from Toulon last year.
He has been a colossus in every game he has played for the Sharks so far. He gives them a physical edge in open play and his line-out work is nothing short of excellent.
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