Sharks sink their teeth into Bulls in derby feast

MATCH REPORT: Three tries to zero tells the story of how the Sharks managed to grind out a vital win in their United Rugby Championship clash against the Bulls in Durban on Saturday.

The game did not live up to all the hype it was rumoured to be.

It was riddled with errors, but it all came together for the Sharks in the last ten minutes, thanks to the heroics of replacement scrumhalf Jaden Hendrikse.

It was a tentative start from both sides and it was evident early on that the general in the Bulls’ backline, Handre Pollard, was going to dictate things with his educated boot.

The Sharks, in their unfamiliar special SharkFest maroon jersey, opted to get their fast backs like Edwill van der Merwe, Grant Williams and Makazole Mapimpi into the game early.

The Bulls’ Springbok front row won their first scrum penalty with the second scrum of the game and the battle was on.

It took the visitors just eleven minutes to get over the line through Jeandre Rudolf, but the referee said it was held up. The TMO agreed, and it was through the impressive defensive effort of flanker Vincent Tshituka, who wedged his arm underneath the ball.

But the Sharks were struggling to escape their red zone, finding themselves on the back foot constantly.

And then, completely against the run of play, the Sharks took the early lead.

It came after Rudolf had a wonderful run in midfield, but as the ball was swung back into ongoing traffic, Hakeenm Kunene intercepted and scored under the uprights.

When the Bulls received another penalty after this, Pollard wasted no time in knocking it over to get their first points on the board.

Another Pollard threepointer closed the gap for the Bulls to 6-7, but the homeside hit back with intent as Phepsi Buthelezi went over from a scrum and strong running by Ethan Hooker.

But the TMO spotted a knock-on after Buthelezi was tackled, and the try was chalked off.

By this time, it was evident that the Sharks were going to have a tough day in the scrumming department with no answer for the power of that Bok front row.

David Kriel got his marching orders after a deliberate knockdown, and it gave the homeside some breathing space.

Pollard planted the ball right in front of the sticks as they headed closer to halftime, and slotted an easy penalty kick for the Bulls to take the lead for the first time.

The first half saw the Bulls dominating all areas of the game, with 15 carries between their loosies and the Sharks only managing three.

It was an error-strewn start to the second half by both teams.

The first 20 minutes of the second half delivered no fireworks and no points to either side.

After an hour of play, another scrum penalty had Pollard pointing at the poles again and he took the Bulls to 12-7.

The more things change the more they stay the same.

Eventually, the Sharks advanced into the red zone, but the Bulls won a penalty from a Sharks maul on their porch and followed it up with yet another scrum penalty.

Up until this stage, Siya Kolisi was a shadow of the player he is, but his hit on Rudolf, the star of the show, reverberated into the stands.

He followed this up with the second try in the match after the Sharks had rumbled their way into the red zone. George Whitehead converted and the homeside was in front by 14-12.

All of a sudden, it became a nail-biter.

Jaden Hendrikse had a massive impact when he went on, making two vital steals for the Sharks.

His dink over the top saw Van der Merwe catch and score, underlining his influence on the game as he completely caught the Bulls off guard.

Man of the Match: The Bulls’ front row was a dominant force, Jeandre Rudolf was his hardworking self, but the award goes to Jaden Hendrikse, who completely turned the game on its head and brought new energy to the game that was vitally needed by the Sharks.

The scorers:

For the Sharks:
Tries: Kunene, Kolisi, Van der Merwe
Cons: Hendriks, Whitehead 2

For the Bulls:
Pens: Pollard 4

Yellow card: David Kriel (Bulls, 28’ – cynical play)

Teams:

Sharks: 15 Hakeem Kunene, 14 Edwill van der Merwe, 13 Ethan Hooker, 12 Andre Esterhuizen (captain), 11 Makazole Mapimpi, 10 Jordan Hendrikse, 9 Grant Williams, 8 Phepsi Buthelezi, 7 Vincent Tshituka, 6 Siya Kolisi, 5 Emile van Heerden, 4 Jason Jenkins, 3 Hanro Jacobs, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Phatu Ganyane.
Replacements: 16 Eduan Swart, 17 Lee-Marvin Mazibuko, 18 Mawande Mdanda, 19 Marvin Orie, 20 Matt Romao, 21 Nick Hatton, 22 Jaden Hendrikse, 23 George Whitehead.

Bulls: 15 Willie le Roux, 14 Sebastian de Klerk, 13 David Kriel, 12 Harold Vorster, 11 Stravino Jacobs, 10 Handre Pollard, 9 Embrose Papier, 8 JJ Theron, 7 Elrigh Louw (captain), 6 Jeandre Rudolph, 5 JF van Heerden, 4 Cobus Wiese, 3 Wilco Louw, 2 Johan Grobbelaar, 1 Gerhard Steenekamp.
Replacements: 16 Akker van der Merwe, 17 Jan-Hendrik Wessels, 18 Khuta Mchunu, 19 Reinhardt Ludwig, 20 Nizaam Carr, 21 Paul de Wet, 22 Stedman Gans, 23 Devon Williams.

Referee: Griffin Colby (South Africa)
Assistant referees: Aimee Barrett-Theron (South Africa), AJ Jacobs (South Africa)
TMO: Marius Jonker (South Africa)