Brutal attacking intent in the red zone enabled a ravenous Sharks side to cross for five tries and make a meal out of the Stormers in Durban on Saturday, coach JP Pietersen said.
An ill-disciplined Stormers outfit were hungrily devoured and left flailing in choppy waters at the Shark Tank when they slumped to a 36-24 defeat in front of a festive 25,000 crowd.
Thanks to back-to-back wins over their Cape rivals, the resurgent Sharks, under inspirational new coach Pietersen, have climbed to eighth spot on the Vodacom United Rugby Championship (URC) log.
“When we got into the 22 today [Saturday], we were brutal against the Stormers,” Pietersen said.
“We converted points, and it was the same in Cape Town last week in the first game.
“When we got into the 22, we were direct and aggressive, and we came away with points, and that was pleasing.”
“That’s what I asked from the boys.
“When I took over [from John Plumtree], we weren’t in a great place. What I wanted to see was fighting — not talking, but doing — and making the badge proud. You could see that in the second half."
Pietersen praised his side for their discipline and for holding the Stormers at bay when the Cape outfit had been in threatening positions.
“What pleased me was that we didn’t give away soft penalties like we did last week, where teams got easy entries into our 22.
“Today we were better at not giving them those entries. They went for goal, but we managed that pressure better.”
Pietersen praised skipper Andre Esterhuizen for the manner in which he led the Sharks to back-to-back wins over the Stormers.
“But I think today wasn’t just Andre; it was a group performance,” he said.
“We were under the pump twice, and the group pulled together nicely.
“Phepsi Buthelezi was good when we were down, Emile Van Heerden was good at lock, and Vincent Koch came on and did his thing.
“At halftime, I asked the boys if we could do a collective performance and not just have Andre be the one who stands up and does it for us.
“There are a lot of guys who put up their hands. Look at Jaco Williams making an aimless chase; he didn’t have to chase that ball behind the try line and could’ve just stopped.”
After a hectic schedule of matches, the Sharks will have a break before their next URC clash against the Lions at Ellis Park on February 21, followed by a clash with the Bulls at Loftus Versfeld a week later.
“We definitely need some time off,” Pietersen said.
“We’ve played two very physical games back-to-back, and the boys were sore from last week. These 10 to 12 days will be important for recovery.”
Esterhuizen said his team’s aerial dominance had been crucial in achieving victory at Kings Park.
“If you can’t get out of your half, you can’t play rugby,” he said.
“You will be trapped the whole time. It fits conditions like this. It looks great on TV, but it is very slippery and wet out here.
“Jaden Hendrikse came on and did very well, and Grant Williams as well in the first half.
“The boys will have a well-deserved break now and come back refreshed.”
Scorers:
Sharks 36: Tries: Grant Williams, Jaco Williams (2), Ethan Hooker and Andre Esterhuizen. Conversions: Jordan Hendrikse (4); Penalty: Jordan Hendrikse.
Stormers 24: Tries: Cobus Reinach, Paul de Villiers. Conversion: Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu. Penalties: Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (4).
In another URC match played on Saturday, the Bulls thrashed the Lions 52-17 in a one-sided clash at Ellis Park.
Scorers:
Lions 17: Tries: Morne van den Berg, Bronson Mills. Conversions: Chris Smith (2). Penalty: Smith.
Bulls 52: Tries: Harold Vorster (2), Johan Grobbelaar, Handre Pollard, Kurt-Lee Arendse, Embrose Papier, Celimpilo Gumede, Keagan Johannes. Conversions: Pollard (6).
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