Rugby
Sharks beat Sunwolves, but have work to do
Their opponents over the next four weeks won't be too worried
At Kings Park
For once, a Sharks win was inevitable. It was always going to be a matter of how they went about beating the Sunwolves.
The endeavour was enough to get the first win after three matches but whether they'll marry that with finesse remains to be seen.
They gained the five points but it wasn't a performance to scare the Australasian sides they'll be facing over the coming four weeks.
If there's a side they may fancy beating, it's the Brumbies whom they face first up in Canberra on Saturday.
But the Brumbies could be due a win after two losses against the Reds (18-10) and the Rebels (33-10).
Maybe the clash between the 2001 finalists will provide an accurate illustration of where the sides are. But the Sharks are notorious for either finding form or falling apart on tour.
They'll hope for the former as the Rebels are a formidable unit while wins in New Zealand, where they'll be facing the Blues and the Hurricanes, are scarce.
Tries from Makazole Mapimpi (9th minute), Akker van der Merwe (29th) and Lubabalo "Tera" Mtembu (36th) gave the Sharks a commanding half-time lead.
Mtembu's try contained the excellence of multi-phase play execution absent against the Waratahs and the earlier tries exploited the Sunwolves' defensive frailties.
The Sharks were fortunate not to concede an early second-half try when Harumichi Tatekawa's 42nd-minute effort was flagged for obstruction.
Lemeki Lomano ensured the hard work wasn't wasted when he crossed in the right-hand corner three minutes later.
Three minutes later Mapimpi was given a sniff of a gap on the left-hand touchline from unstructured play and cantered over.
Flanker Jacques Vermeulen rounded off a superb 55th-minute try that showcased the Sharks' multi-phase play at its best.
The Sunwolves weren't keen on giving in and responded through Wimpie van der Walt five minutes later.
The hosts had more class and this was apparent through S'busiso Nkosi's 67th-minute try where the Sharks had three support runners chasing Curwin Bosch's punt. Cameron Wright's try from a strong Sharks scrum confirmed the hosts' dominance.
Sharks - Tries: Makazole Mapimpi (2), Akker van der Merwe, Lubabalo Mtembu, Jacques Vermeulen, S'busiso Nkosi, Cameron Wright; Conversions: Robert du Preez (5), Curwin Bosch; Penalty: Du Preez
Sunwolves - Tries: Lemeki Lomano, Wimpie van der Walt, William Tupou; Conversions: Kotaro Matsushima, Ryoto Nakamura; Penalty: Tatekawa..
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