The Sharks of old might have folded when Cardiff turned a 17-10 half-time deficit into a second-half lead, but JP Pietersen’s new-look Durban outfit did the opposite — digging deep and finishing with a flourish to claim a 36-21 victory at the Arms Park on Friday night.
For Pietersen, the emphatic United Rugby Championship win was about more than six tries and five log points. It was evidence that the Sharks are developing the character and resilience that eluded them last season, when they failed to make the playoffs.
They lost captain Andre Esterhuizen in the opening minute, suffered further injury setbacks and faced a gale-force wind in the second half. Yet, when Cardiff had the momentum, the Sharks found another gear, scoring three unanswered tries in the final quarter.
“When we were under the pump at 21-17, playing against the wind, the old Sharks could have easily lost 50-17,” Pietersen said.
“But we stuck in there. There was some great leadership from Nick Hatton and Emile van Heerden in that period.”
The victory backed up the Sharks’ Challenge Cup success over Lyon in France the previous weekend and further underlined their upward trajectory.
They are fast becoming one of the talking points of the URC, not simply because of their results, but because of how they are now winning games — refusing to buckle when circumstances turn against them.
The injury list in Cardiff made their resilience all the more impressive.
Esterhuizen went off almost immediately after kick-off, Phatu Ganyane injured his elbow in the first half, and centre Jurenzo Julius did not return after the break. Lock Jason Jenkins was then forced off shortly after the restart.
“The beautiful thing about this team, the Sharks warriors, is that they found a way to get on with it and pull closer together,” Pietersen said.
“You must give massive credit to the group, to the players, for sticking in the fight and finishing the game off like that.”
The Sharks now have one more assignment on their three-match overseas tour, against Munster at Thomond Park in Limerick on Saturday.
Pietersen was delighted with the Cardiff result but knows another major challenge awaits.
“We’re happy with the result and over the moon to get five points in Cardiff,” he said. “But we’re also keeping our feet on the ground, as we know we’ve got a massive game against Munster in Limerick.
“So we’ll enjoy tonight, reflect Saturday and Sunday, and hit the ground running Monday.
“And when we have the update on the injuries, we’ll probably fly some guys in to help us finish off the tour.”