First-half blitz sinks Sharks
The Cell C Sharks mounted a concerted second-half comeback but were still too hit and miss to cause Glasgow Warriors too much concern as they went down 35-24 in their Vodacom United Rugby Championship match at the Scotstoun on Saturday afternoon.
The Sharks continued in the unfortunate mould of all the South African sides by going down early and having to play catch up and by the time they found their feet on the artificial pitch, they were too far behind to get close to the win.
If the games in the URC thus far are anything to go by, South African teams are going to have to adapt not only to the refereeing interpretations, but also the offload game of the opposition, which seems just a level above what the local franchises have been playing over the past 18 months.
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Back-to-back defeats for the Sharks in the United Rugby Championship as they go down ????-???? to the Glasgow Warriors.#URC pic.twitter.com/kQsFLYe8FA— SuperSport ?? (@SuperSportTV) October 2, 2021
Glasgow’s interplay, their protection of the ball and their ability to make the right decisions at the right time saw them surge to a 21-0 lead early on in the game, and they had enough nuance to hold onto it, even as the Sharks mounted their comeback.
It came as the Sharks were on the back foot and being penalised by the referee, and Dylan Richardson copped an early yellow card as well.
But the Warriors forwards were good value as they punched upfield and the Sharks battled with the pace of the game early on.
Ross Thompson hit early and scored in the first minute, giving the home side an early advantage and when Richardson left thanks to several penalties in the red zone, the Sharks struggled even more.
Ryan Wilson went over after several phases just after Richardson departed, and then Jamie Bharti added a third on the 20 minute mark.
The Sharks were their own worst enemies at times, struggling with decision-making and handling when they had ball and it was only in the 24th minute when they got it right and Le Roux Roets went over from close range to open their scoring.
But Cole Forbes hit back immediately afterwards for the bonus point try, giving the home side a clear 26-7 advantage at the break.
The Sharks got better in the second half, keeping the ball more and looking a bit more composed, but there were still some strange decisions coupled with their own demons that stopped them from mounting a proper comeback.
It allowed Glasgow to stretch the lead through a beauty of a try to Sione Tuipulotu in the second half to make it 35-7.
The Sharks started their comeback but was too late. It didn’t stop them from trying and they would have taken heart from their play in the last 30 minutes of the game, where they looked the best they have in both games.
They scored through a late try by Thomas du Toit and Nthuthuko Mnchunu, but it wasn’t enough to grab them a bonus point or get them within touching distance after their poor start.
Scorers Glasgow Warriors - Tries:
Cell C Sharks - Tries:Le Roux Roets, Thomas du Toit, Nuthuthuko Mnchunu. Conversions: Curwin Bosch (2), Ruan Pienaar. Penalty:Pienaar
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