The Cell C Sharks can look back at their 40-12 Vodacom United Rugby Championship win over Glasgow Warriors at Hollywoodbets Kings Park on Saturday with pride and encouragement.
The bonus point victory sent the Cell C Sharks into fourth spot on the overall log with a game in hand, and they sit in a good position ahead of their home game against Ulster this weekend.
“We’re very happy with the outcome of this game,” explained Cell C Sharks head coach Sean Everitt after the match, acknowledging that their game management came to the fore.
It wasn’t only in various facets of the game that they dominated, but it was about the way they handled the ebb and flow of the game, countering everything their athletic and physical opponents threw at them, before stepping up a gear later in the game.
“We knew it would be very difficult in the first half, but we also knew we had a lot of power coming off the bench,” the coach admitted. “The guys who played in the first 40 did the hard yards for us, and the game opened up nicely for us later.”
Leading 13-7 at half-time, the result was by no means wrapped up, but the damage had been done and all that was needed was calm heads and direction.
“There were a couple of things we spoke about at half-time, one of them was territory,” Everitt explained. “At times we needed to be a bit more conservative because we put ourselves under pressure territory-wise. That resulted in us giving them field position and we couldn’t get out of our half and play for a 15 minute period.
“But the guys stuck to the task and in the second half we earned territory and possession in the right areas of the field and we were able to score from those opportunities.
“We played well from turnover ball, but we also created lots of opportunities and it was really good that we got both our attack and defence right, we’re very happy with the result.
“It was one of those games where the starting line-up did the hard yards, laying the foundation and tiring out the opposition. There was a big impact off the bench.”
The immense presence and contribution from Eben Etzebeth earned him a deserved Man of the Match award and Everitt was full of praise for the debutant.
“There was much to be admired from his all-round performance, what a great start from him. He is one of the best players in the world, if not the best lock in the world and he certainly played like that and justly deserved his man-of-the-match award.
“Eben has fitted in really well, he did his lineout homework – and did it thoroughly because he was outstanding in the lineouts both on attack and defence. He was immense in disrupting their lineout, and we got quality possession from Hyron and Eben on our ball. When your lineout functions, you lay a good foundation to attack.”
Another debutant Vincent Tshituka also gave a strong contribution despite not being 100% right.
“We’re very happy with his performance and although he wasn’t well and wasn’t feeling in the best shape having woken up with gastro symptoms, he was so excited to play and he managed to push through.
“He may not have felt great, but he certainly played well enough on his debut and we’re very proud of him and he can be justifiably proud of himself.”
The post Plenty of Positives appeared first on The Sharks.
The Cell C Sharks returned to Hollywoodbets Kings Park after their three match tour and proved why they’re so dangerous at home when they ran out deserved 40-12 bonus point Vodacom United Rugby Championship winners over Glasgow Warriors.
The Warriors have been in outstanding form at home, unbeaten in Glasgow in a year, but they have struggled on the road and their competitiveness in this game was there until the final half hour when the Cell C Sharks blew them away with an emphatic, committed and energetic effort.
Boeta Chamberlain opened the scoring in the 13th minute after the two teams had hammered away at each other, testing each other’s defence and not finding the gaps. His three-pointer from 45m out was quickly cancelled out with a good try in the midfield, the Warriors’ flank showing a good turn of speed and side-step to score under the posts a couple of minutes later to take a 7-3 lead.
The Cell C Sharks continued to dominate possession as they had for much of the half and were rewarded with a second kickable penalty with Chamberlain making no mistake to cut the Scot lead to one point with 15 minutes of the tight half remaining.
The Cell C Sharks flyhalf was instrumental in the next score, somehow gliding his way through the defence to make the crucial break that set Anthony Volmink up for their team’s first try with just over five minutes remaining, with Chamberlain’s conversion taking them into a 13-7 lead.
They pushed hard in the closing minutes to effect another score to extend their lead, having built up their confidence as the half had progressed, but the Warriors managed to disrupt their maul to prevent another score before the referee blew for half time with the Cell C Sharks enjoying a well-deserved, albeit narrow six point lead.
The much-vaunted maul from the Warrior earned the ultimate prize early in the second half as they quickly set from an attacking lineout and then mauled their way over the tryline for their second try, the conversion going wide to keep the Cell C Sharks in the lead, but just one point now the difference.
As the game hit the final half hour, the Cell C Sharks put together one of the best attacks of the game, the ball staying alive after head coach Sean Everitt had brought on his new front row and quick hands and the ball going out wide quickly found Volmink in space and he put on the after-burners to score his second try. Although the conversion from the corner went marginally wide, the Cell C Sharks had an 18-12 lead.
Chamberlain was on target five minutes later with a penalty to extend the lead to nine points as the Cell C Sharks’ confidence continued to grow.
This was never more evident when the forwards returned the favour of the Warriors’ earlier effort with an outstanding maul try after the visitors had been penalised on defence and the kick to the corner earned the prize.
Chamberlain’s conversion from out wide took the Cell C Sharks into a formidable lead, 28-12 ahead with just under a quarter of the game remaining.
The bonus point try came with just over 10 minutes remaining, the Cell C Sharks intent really earning the rewards they deserved and their intensity on attack catching the Warriors in all kinds of trouble. After keeping the ball alive, Jaden Hendrikse kicked the ball ahead, it bounced off a defender and into the hands of Aphelele Fassi who wasn’t going to be stopped. Chamberlain converted and a 35-12 lead was never going to be overhauled.
Such was their dominance and sheer exuberance that they came agonisingly close to scoring another two tries as the game wound down.
It was a dream return home and there can be no more praise than the fact that they took the game two and a half minutes into extra time when they could have closed the match off earlier, instead chasing another try simply for the joy of it.
The ball was kept alive wonderfully before Chamberlain sent a kick to space for Werner Kok to chase, he collected the ball inches from the line before cantering over to score the final try of a truly entertaining game.
Eben Etzebeth was a deserving Man of the Match for his gargantuan 80 minute effort on debut.
The post Dominant Performance at Home appeared first on The Sharks.
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