A second-half resurgence by the Sharks helped them see off the determined Scarlets 37-20 in a United Rugby Championship (URC) match in Durban on Friday night.
Aphelele Fassi, Curwin Bosch and Marius Louw got tries for the Sharks, who also had a penalty-try, while Aaron Shingler and Shaun Evans scored for the Welsh team.
The Sharks were looking to extend their winning run to three matches and strengthen their chances of proceeding to the next round at the same time. But they had to dig deep to achieve that goal.
The Durban-based franchise started the match on a low note while the Scarlets seem to have mastered playing in the coastal city’s hot and humid weather better compared to the home team.
The Sharks also began life without their URC skipper Lukhanyo Am, who has signed a short term deal with Kobe Steelers of Japan.
The two sides went to halftime locked at 6-6 but it would be the visitors who felt they should have been ahead in Durban.
The Scarlets had two tries overturned after being referred to the television match official in the first half.
The Welsh team broke the deadlock after 10 minutes of play when 21-year-old flyhalf Sam Castelow scored his first penalty kick.
The young flyhalf increased the points for the Scarlets when he scored another penalty six minutes later.
The Sharks reduced the deficit to three points when Bosch scored his first penalty on 18 minutes and equalised with one minute to halftime.
Bosch also missed two kicks in between those he scored and denied the Sharks a chance to go into the second half with a six-point lead.
The Scarlets continued their dominance over the hosts in Durban and they were rewarded when replacement Shingler crossed the whitewash after seven minutes into the second stanza. Castelow made no mistake as he converted to take the score to 13-6.
The Sharks responded with their own try on 56 minutes with Fassi benefiting from an amazing kick from scrumhalf Jaden Hendrikse.
Bosch, who was at the right place at the right time, gave the Sharks the lead for the first time when he scored a try after an unsuccessful attempt to clear the ball by the Scarlets on 62 minutes.
But Evans' try and conversion by Castelow kept the Scarlets, who were reduced to 14 men in the final 10 minutes of play, in the game with four minutes to full-time.
The Sharks' push for a bonus point was successfully achieved when Louw scored their fourth try after 86 minutes of play.
Second-half resurgence by the Sharks helps them beat Scarlets in Durban
Image: Luca Sighniolfi/BackpagePix
A second-half resurgence by the Sharks helped them see off the determined Scarlets 37-20 in a United Rugby Championship (URC) match in Durban on Friday night.
Aphelele Fassi, Curwin Bosch and Marius Louw got tries for the Sharks, who also had a penalty-try, while Aaron Shingler and Shaun Evans scored for the Welsh team.
The Sharks were looking to extend their winning run to three matches and strengthen their chances of proceeding to the next round at the same time. But they had to dig deep to achieve that goal.
The Durban-based franchise started the match on a low note while the Scarlets seem to have mastered playing in the coastal city’s hot and humid weather better compared to the home team.
The Sharks also began life without their URC skipper Lukhanyo Am, who has signed a short term deal with Kobe Steelers of Japan.
The two sides went to halftime locked at 6-6 but it would be the visitors who felt they should have been ahead in Durban.
The Scarlets had two tries overturned after being referred to the television match official in the first half.
The Welsh team broke the deadlock after 10 minutes of play when 21-year-old flyhalf Sam Castelow scored his first penalty kick.
The young flyhalf increased the points for the Scarlets when he scored another penalty six minutes later.
The Sharks reduced the deficit to three points when Bosch scored his first penalty on 18 minutes and equalised with one minute to halftime.
Bosch also missed two kicks in between those he scored and denied the Sharks a chance to go into the second half with a six-point lead.
The Scarlets continued their dominance over the hosts in Durban and they were rewarded when replacement Shingler crossed the whitewash after seven minutes into the second stanza. Castelow made no mistake as he converted to take the score to 13-6.
The Sharks responded with their own try on 56 minutes with Fassi benefiting from an amazing kick from scrumhalf Jaden Hendrikse.
Bosch, who was at the right place at the right time, gave the Sharks the lead for the first time when he scored a try after an unsuccessful attempt to clear the ball by the Scarlets on 62 minutes.
But Evans' try and conversion by Castelow kept the Scarlets, who were reduced to 14 men in the final 10 minutes of play, in the game with four minutes to full-time.
The Sharks' push for a bonus point was successfully achieved when Louw scored their fourth try after 86 minutes of play.
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