Sharks coach proud of Curwin's 'BMT'
REACTION: Sharks head coach Sean Everitt praised his team’s character after their narrow win over Griquas in Kimberley on Friday.
The team from Durban fought back from being 17-30 down with less than 20 minutes left to win the match 34-33 after a last-gasp penalty from Curwin Bosch.
The victory kept the Sharks’ hopes of winning the Super Rugby Unlocked title alive with one more round to play.
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“We are very happy with the win. It is not something that you get easily in Kimberley and tonight [Friday] was an example of that,” Everitt said after the game.
“The positives are that our guys showed great character in the fightback. I thought the guys did well to stick to their processes and the plan, and eventually, they clawed their way back into the game.
“I think there is a lot of calmness within this group; they are certainly a team with character.”
On Bosch’s late penalty to win the game, Everitt said: “I’m obviously very proud of Curwin with his BMT [big match temperament] and the way he is kicking at the moment – he kicked a penalty to win a game.”
Everitt also had some encouraging words for his opponents.
“We mustn’t forget that Griquas are a desperate team. They ran the Bulls close in the game at Loftus and probably could’ve won that game,” Everitt added.
“I thought they were outstanding. The commitment and character they showed defensively, they can be proud of themselves.
“[Griquas coach] Scott [Mathie] has done a good job with them. Sometimes we feel for the opposition, but we will take the win and I’ll give credit to my team for the way that they fought back.”