Following the Sharks’ 36-21 victory over Cardiff in the United Rugby Championship, here’s how we rated JP Pietersen’s charges in the bonus-point win.
Sharks Player Ratings v Cardiff
15 Zekhethelo Siyaya: Another breathtaking display from the Junior Boks star who looks to be a Springbok in waiting. It’s hard to believe that he still hasn’t celebrated his 20th birthday. He was simply sublime from start to finish. He delayed his pass to Julius perfectly to create Hooker’s try and backed that up with an excellent kick in the 17th minute that showed his game is more than just about his devastating footwork. His kick and chase was also pivotal in Thomas du Toit’s try, which swung momentum into the Sharks‘ favour at a critical time in the game. Named Man of the Match for his efforts, but Matt Romao can’t have been too far off. 9
14 Edwill van der Merwe: The Sharks got real purchase from their aerial dominance with the Springboks winger leading the way in that regard. He made some crucial interventions in defence too. A quality shift. 8
13 Jurenzo Julius: Plenty of trickery and power in his carries in the first half but didn’t make it out for the second after wreaking all kinds of havoc. He beat six defenders in the opening 40 and provided a neat assist to his centre partner Hooker after Esterhuizen’s exit. A bit guilty of forcing the issue with an offload which didn’t come off, but more often than not, it was on. 7
12 Andre Esterhuizen (c): Forced off the pitch inside the first minute of the game due to injury. A real concern for the Springboks with Rassie Erasmus set to name his squad early next week. n/a
Replacement, Jaco Williams: Came onto the wing following Esterhuizen’s exit in the opening minute of the game, with Hooker shifting to the centres. He played his part in the aerial dominance and had flashes of excellence throughout. 7
Springboks sweat over Andre Esterhuizen after Sharks captain forced off after 52 seconds
11 Ethan Hooker: Rarely has a poor game and wasn’t going to produce one on a windy night in Cardiff despite the injuries in the centres. Carried with real venom, which was needed once Esterhuizen and Julius went off while he ran a sharp line to grab his try. Such a quality operator. 7
10 Gianni Lombard: Kicked well with the wind in his back in the first half as he looks to get better and better the more he plays after being starved of game time with the Lions. He fared fairly decently considering that he lost both of his starting centres but still had faults in his game, conceding turnovers and missing tackles. 6
9 Jaden Hendrikse: Linked up superbly with Romao to send the flanker over for the Sharks’ second try. He kicked superbly with the wind in the second half and regularly tested Cardiff’s defence around the fringes. A solid performance overall. 7
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The forwards
8 Nick Hatton: Took over the captaincy after Esterhuizen’s departure and quite simply did what was required of him, as he usually does. There isn’t much fuss or flash about Hatton’s game; he just does the basics and does them well. 6
7 Manu Tshituka: A clutch intervention in the 44th minute to deny Danny Southworth a try after Van der Merwe’s initial tackle was the highlight of his game, but hardly his only contribution. It was a lively shift overall from the back-rower before making way for his older brother. 7
6 Matt Romao: It’s a matter of when he will become a Springbok, not if. It was another all-action display from the 21-year-old loose forward who scored a try, was a pest at the breakdown, and immense in contact on both sides of the ball. His line to tear through the Cardiff defence off Hendrikse’s pass was inch perfect, which came after he landed a huge hit on Josh McNally to halt a threatening attack from the hosts in its tracks. A bullish and brutal display that Rassie Erasmus will have watched with interest. Added a second try to cap off another sublime shift. 9
5 Emile van Heerden: Pestered the Cardiff lineout all game long, winning a particularly important throw against the head before half-time. He ran the Sharks’ set-piece well and got through his usual graft around the park. 6
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4 Jason Jenkins: Aggressive and physical in his shift and was rewarded with a try before half-time. Didn’t look comfortable when he trotted off the pitch, which will be yet another concern for the Sharks. 6
3 Hanro Jacobs: Put under the cosh by the experienced Scott Sio in the early scrums, but the pressure was more on the other side of the set-piece and eased when Ox Nche was thrown into the mix. Was a willing carrier and tackler as per usual. Returned in the final knockings, where he only improved on his performance. 6
2 Eduan Swart: Certainly got stuck into the Cardiff pack throughout his shift but conceded possession far too often, with Josh Adams’ try coming off the back of him spilling the ball on the deck. That wasn’t his only turnover of the game. 4
1 Phatu Ganyane: Tactically hooked after 25 minutes, after getting hammered in the opening scrum of the game. It was a bold and effective move from Pietersen to remove the young prop who was clearly struggling – it was simply not his night. May well have been carrying a bit of a niggle. 3
Replacements: The Sharks needed a full 80-minute performance to get over the line versus Cardiff, and Pietersen got with his bench rising to the occasion, though the head coach can take credit for some well-timed substitutions. This is the kind of match that the Durbanites have blown in recent seasons, but explosive shifts from Nche, Du Toit, Ethan Bester, Stephan Lewies, Vincent Tshituka and Ivan van Zyl in particular got them over the line. Siya Masuku’s accurate boot also proved to be pivotal as the Sharks exploded in the final quarter to seal a bonus-point win. 8
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