Sharks secure gritty victory over Ospreys in URC clash

It has been a long time since it was easy on the eye for Sharks supporters, but their team keeps on winning in the United Rugby Championship, and on Friday night, the Ospreys made the Durbanites sweat bullets before perishing 26-10.

There is one round remaining in the URC league — the Sharks host the Scarlets next week — and the KZN men continue to be dark horses for the title.

They have yet to find the button for the afterburners, yet grind out win after win, and it could well be that they go from gritty to pretty when it matters most — in the imminent playoffs, where massive local rivals the Stormers are likely visitors to The Tank.

This was a match where forgotten Springbok lock Jason Jenkins stirred into lively action and reminded Rassie Erasmus that he is alive and kicking.

Andre Esterhuizen, that immense slab of prime Klerksdorp beef, was at his bludgeoning best. On current form, he is putting serious pressure on incumbent Bok No 12, Damian de Allende.

The Sharks had stated that they wanted a strong start, and they were bright enough in the opening exchanges, yet they were penalised by referee Andrea Piardi at a series of breakdowns. The Italian has not enjoyed the best media coverage since some bizarre decisions in the Bulls’ defeat of Munster in Limerick a few weeks ago, but let’s rather give credit to the work of the sole Welsh British Lion, Jac Morgan, the excellent openside flank.

Ospreys flyhalf Dan Edwards booted his team ahead in the second minute but they would not troubl\ the scorers again in the first half.

The first time the Sharks put together a meaningful series of phases, they pressurised the defence and Jenkins ploughed over for the opening try.

Not long after, the Ospreys scrumhalf Kieran Hardy caught the Sharks fast asleep when he darted down the blindside touchline, , dabbed a kick to the corner, but knocked on in gathering the ball for the touchdown. The Sharks were lucky.

The Sharks were further exposed when they surprisingly conceded a scrum penalty on 20 minutes, despite a tight five of Springboks.

The Sharks struggled to get their game going, and while it is easy to point fingers at them, the truth is the Ospreys are better than South Africans think.

There is an automatic summation that because the Welsh national team has lost 18 games on the trot, all of their teams are useless, and that is rubbish.

There was a strange moment in the 33rd minute when it was announced that Eben Etzebeth was coming off, but the big fellow seemed not to have gotten the memo and remained on the field. However, just before half time, it was a golf cart that took him from the field to raise yet another alarm about the big man’s health.

He was replaced by Manu Tshituka, who played his socks off. He and his brother, flank Vincent, have recently earned their South African citizenship (they were born in the Congo), and both are on Bok coach Rassie Erasmus’s greater radar.

It was with desperation that the disjointed home team plugged away at the Ospreys towards the end of the first half, and, almost inevitably, it was go-to-man Esterhuizen who powered over the line.

The Sharks led 14-3 at halftime and they would have been happy with that after 40 minutes of tough, uncompromising action.

It took 15 more minutes of restless rugby before the Sharks nailed their third try, with winger Ethan Hooker profiting from his opposite number’s failure to negotiate an up-and-under. Hooker, the ever-willing old boy of Westville Boys High, gathered the ball and scored a try deserved of his non-stop efforts.

With 10 minutes reaming, industrious replacement flank Phepsi Buthelezi profited from a good take in the air by Makazole Mapimpi, and he sped unopposed to the tryline.

Scorers

Sharks — Tries: Jason Jenkins, Andre Esterhuizen, Ethan Hooker, Phepsi Buthelezi. Conversions: Siya Masuku (3).

Ospreys — Penalties: Dan Edwards. Try: Sam Parry. Conversions: Edwards.