From ignominy to SA Shield winners in the space of a week, the Sharks continue to take their supporters on a rollercoaster ride after prevailing 25-22 against the Lions in a United Rugby Championship cliff-hanger in Durban on Saturday.
We always knew that there would be a response from the Sharks after they missed the mental bus to Ellis Park the previous week.
But even then, the Lions threatened to emulate their 20-18 victory of 2024, and the Sharks had to sweat buckets to hang on.
Talking of sweating, Rudyard Kipling told us a century ago that only mad dogs and Englishmen went out in the midday sun, but the Sharks and the Lions were cooking in an oven cranked up to a real feel of 36 degrees.
The Sharks had attacking rugby on their menu, and only a few minutes into the game, a break-out from near their 22 saw Yaw Penxe scorching down the openside touchline, and an inside pass found Grant Williams, who skinned fullback Tapiwa Mafura to score in the corner.
But within a minute, the Zimbabwean had redeemed himself when he scored in the diagonally opposite corner of the field.
The Hollywoodbets @SharksRugby is the @Vodacom #URC South African Shield Winners! 🤩 pic.twitter.com/xjirl0MBhR
— vodacomrugby (@VodacomRugga) March 8, 2025
For John Plumtree and his assistants, it was a ‘coach killer’. Schoolboys know that the most important passage of play is the one after you have scored.
You don’t bank the points until you have handled the kickoff and exited your danger area. But the Sharks could not do that, and the Lions cashed in.
Both sides had talked up the importance of starting strongly, and 7-5 to the Lions after 20 minutes was a fair reflection.
The Sharks were much improved from Ellis Park, while the Lions played with the confidence you would expect, with scrumhalf Morné van den Berg playing a blinder. He continues to do his Springbok aspirations no harm.
There was no further score until the end of the half as the teams and the heat cancelled each other out.
The Sharks had flanker Lappies Labuschagne held up over the line, and Penxe broke brilliantly but could not finish off.
But as the hooter approached, they hit the afterburners, and Siya Kolisi burst over to give the Sharks a 12-7 halftime lead.
The captain was leading from the front and scored his second 10 minutes into the new half. The conversions were not going over, but 17-7 was a commanding advantage in the conditions.
But the Lions sing from a different hymn sheet, and they struck back immediately via the slippery winger Richard Kriel to make it 17-12 at the three-quarter mark.
The Lions crept closer with a Lombard penalty to make it a two-point game at 17-15, and with 17 minutes to go, they emphatically took the lead when hooker and Sharks old boy Franco Marais bustled over off the back of a maul.
Lombard’s conversion meant that at 17-22, the Sharks had to score a seven-pointer to win. Would they be up for it, or would the Lions prevail?
The Hollywoodbets @SharksRugby take the WIN!
— vodacomrugby (@VodacomRugga) March 8, 2025
What a game in Durban! 🔥#SHAvLIO | @Vodacom #URC pic.twitter.com/vrrLK9akkr
Substitute flank Nick Hatton seemed to have the answer when he went over after a set scrum near the Lions’ line, only for Jaden Hendrikse to hit the upright with the conversion attempt to leave the teams locked up at 22-22 with 10 minutes to go.
There were five minutes left on the clock when Jaden Hendrikse kicked the Sharks into the winning lead by fortuitous means – his kick hit the upright once more, but glanced inwards and over.
Points-Scorers
Sharks 25 – Tries: Grant Williams, Siya Kolisi (2), Nick Hatton. Conversion: Jordan Hendrikse (1). Penalty: Jaden Hendrikse (1).
Lions 22 – Tries: Tapiwa Mafura, Richard Kriel, Franco Marais. Conversions: Gianni Lombard (2). Penalty: Lombard (1).