Sharks make light work of Bordeaux-Begles in Champions Cup clash in Durban

This was far from a blockbuster but the Sharks got the job done winning 32-3 against an ill-disciplined Bordeaux-Begles in their Heineken Champions Cup clash in Durban on Saturday.

Though the Sharks were thoroughly dominant, they did not display the killer instinct once they shot into a 22-0 lead in the first half.

To be fair, the visitors did not show the aptitude or inclination to contribute to this contest.

That perhaps revealed itself even before kickoff in their team selection with some of Bordeaux's finest left back home.

As their form in the Top 14 suggests, Bordeaux-Begles is a much better team than was in evidence against the Sharks.

Their principle aim appeared to be stopping the hosts from playing, and do so at all cost.

They were shown four yellow cards and on two occasions they had players simultaneously in the bin.

Given all their changes for this trip they were predictably disjointed, but more damningly, disinterested.

The Sharks of course came into this clash having assembled more or less their foremost talent and it showed, especially in the tight exchanges.

In that aspect the home team completely overwhelmed Bordeaux-Begles in the opening half but the visitors were able to drag their hosts down with them in the third quarter.

Set piece dominance went to the Sharks while they made significant gains in the collisions before the halftime whistle and in that regard Eben Etzebeth was absolutely colossal.

His physical presence was keenly felt by the opposition, while lock partner Gerbrandt Grobler spread himself thin in the tight loose.

Captain Siya Kolisi grew more influential as the match wore on and when things got a bit ragged as the game approached the final quarter-final he was coming into his own.

The discipline that really undermined the visitors in the first half however was the scrum.

They failed to stand up to the Sharks in the scrums in the first half and loose head prop Christopher Vaotoa was eventually shown a yellow card for his repeated indiscretions.

To suggest Bordeaux-Begles have struggled in this season's competition would be an understatement.

They are yet to win a game, score a try from first phase possession, or score one through a back.

Their sterility continued in this clash but to be fair the Sharks did not give them an inch.

The Sharks were quickly into their stride despite Lionel Cronje's late inclusion at the expense of Curwin Bosch at flyhalf and hooker Bongi Mbonami's departure with a suspected shoulder injury inside the first 10 minutes.

Apart from a pack in the ascendancy they had a scrumhalf that applied the squeeze on all the visitors' pressure points.

Jaden Hendrikse's vision and general alertness twice provided the spark in the Sharks' opening try.

It was his break blindside and grubber into space that allowed left wing Makazole Mapimpi to run onto the ball before being dragged down just short of the try line.

It was from that favourable field position the Sharks earned a scrum penalty, Hendrikse reacted with a quick tap penalty and barged over despite the attention of three defenders.

If there is something he can banish from his game, ditto Mapimpi, it is petulance they occasionally show match officials.

Scorers

Sharks (32) — Tries: Jaden Hendrikse (2), Gerbrandt Grobler, Marnus Potgieter (2). Conversions: Lionel Cronje (2). Penalty: Lionel Cronje.

Bordeaux-Begles (3) — Penalty: Maxine Lucu

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