Lyle Matthews scored a first-half hat-trick of tries on debut as the Hollywoodbets Sharks XV secured a nervy 26-24 (halftime 19-5) Carling Currie Cup victory over the Airlink Pumas at Mbombela Stadium in Mbombela on Friday evening.
How are those nerves @sharksrugby fans?😅
— The Carling Currie Cup (@TheCurrieCup) July 17, 2026
The Hollywoodbets Sharks XV clinch a nailbiter in Mbombela to kick-off the 2026 Carling Currie Cup after they were made to work for it at the death by the Airlink Pumas 🔥#WhereChampionsRise pic.twitter.com/gzR2m3G6aG
The Pumas dominated territory - at one point holding 70 per cent of it - and looked entirely comfortable with the ball in hand.
The Sharks, by contrast, were creaking at scrum time, with tighthead prop Simphiwe Ngobese under persistent pressure.
Four penalties conceded before the Pumas had given away a single one told its own story.
When right wing Lundi Msenge finished off a slick backline move in the corner - JC Nell drawing the defender beautifully before offloading - the Pumas led 5-0 and it felt about right.
Johan Momsen stole the lineout ball, the Sharks shifted it quickly to the left, and fullback Chijindu Okonta chipped through.
Matthews showed brilliant instincts - picking the ball up low, stepping inside Tino Swanepoel on the left wing, and touching down in the corner.
Tim Swiel converted to put the Sharks in front, 7-5, and against the run of play entirely.
The second try came from Sharks scrum dominance. Ross Braude picked up and found Matthews on the blind side, and the debutant did the rest.
The third - and the one that brought the house down - arrived in the final minute of the first half.
The Sharks won another powerful scrum, Braude reacted quickly, went blind, and almost ran into Matthews before offloading at the last moment.
Matthews came in, took the ball in contact despite the defensive effort, and went over for his hat-trick. Swiel's conversion was good to give the Sharks a 14-point halftime cushion.
SHARKS SURVIVE PUMAS FIGHTBACK
The second half was a different match. The Pumas hit back through a well-executed driving maul, with replacement Chyle van Zyl going over at the back - though Nevaldo Fleurs missed the conversion to leave it 19-10.
The Sharks' bonus point had arrived when hooker Kerron van Vuuren crashed over following a sustained driving maul, confirmed by the TMO after a tight check.
But the Pumas kept coming, clawing the deficit back to just two points, and Mbombela found its voice again.
In the dying minutes, with the Pumas camped on the Sharks' line and throwing everything at them, the visitors did what champions do.
They held the ball through an extraordinary 24 consecutive phases - pick and drive, recycle, pick and drive again - for close to two full minutes.
When Swiel finally hoofed the ball into touch at the death, the Sharks had survived. Barely.
Five log points from Mbombela on the opening weekend of the 2026 Carling Currie Cup Premier Division is a solid return, however ugly the final 40 minutes were.
The Pumas pick up two points for their losing bonus point - and will feel they let this one slip badly.
For the Sharks, Matthews has handed Mike Fowles a selection headache in the best possible way.
The bigger challenge now is finding a full 80-minute performance to back up what that first half promised. One half of rugby does not win a Currie Cup.
SCORERS
Airlink Pumas - Tries: Lundi Msenge, Chyle van Zyl, Tino Swanepoel, JJ Scheepers; Conversions: Nevaldo Fleurs (2).
Hollywoodbets Sharks XV - Tries: Lyle Matthews (3), Kerron van Vuuren; Conversions: Tim Swiel (3).