Springbok and former Stormers lock Eben Etzebeth showed exactly why big money was shelled out by the Cell C Sharks to secure his signature as he won the official man-of-the-match award in his new team’s impressive 40-12 win over the Glasgow Warriors at Kings Park.
It has long been felt that what the Sharks were missing, well apart from a flyhalf, was a hard edge to their forward pack, and in this game Etzebeth showed that he can provide the answer to that call with a busy and typically aggressive performance that helped set the visiting Warriors on the back foot.
PLAYER OF THE MATCH #FearTheFin Vodacom #URC #SHAvGLA pic.twitter.com/XLZWb5xrTO
— The Sharks (@SharksRugby) October 15, 2022
Not that they should worry too much about flyhalf either if Boeta Chamberlain continues the dazzling form he showed in general play, with his decision making, kicking from hand, passing game and his cross kicks all being top notch and big influences in the emphatic Sharks victory.
NOT ALWAYS PLAIN SAILING
It wasn’t always plain sailing of course, and when you make as many changes as the Sharks did and load your bench you probably anticipate the good things to come later rather than earlier. And that was the case in this first home Vodacom United Rugby Championship game of the season for the Sharks.
The Sharks always had the edge in territory and possession over the visitors from Scotland but were a little laboured initially and if you didn’t know the identity of the players who were set to come onto the bench later in the game for the Sharks, you might have expected it to be a close game.
Indeed, it was the Warriors who fired the first major shot in the game. Soon after Chamberlain put the Sharks ahead 3-0 in the 13th minute, Warriors flanker Tom Gordon used his pace and eye for space to his advantage as he exploited first some systemic defensive error from the Sharks and then a slip from Aphelele Fassi to score near the posts.
It was a freaky try and would momentarily have sent some uncomfortable memories down the spines of Sharks fans with long enough memories to recall what Blair Kinghorn did to the Sharks when another Scottish team, Edinburgh, came to Durban in April.
The try infused the visitors with confidence, and they could have gone further ahead than just 7-3 had they firstly elected to kick a relatively easy penalty attempt and secondly had Tom Jordan been successful when eventually they did elect to kick for posts.
Both kickers actually had iffish afternoons from the tee, with Chamberlain also missing some regulation attempts at posts for the Sharks.
However, Chamberlain made up for it in the other aspects of flyhalf play and he is certainly starting to look the part of the more permanent Sharks starting No10 as he takes full advantage of the injury enforced absence of Curwin Bosch.
Chamberlain was on target with a second penalty in the 22nd minute to cut the deficit to one point (7-6), so when the Sharks did finally get a good attack together, and it really was good as Chamberlain looped around off a set move to take the ball in midfield with just the amount of space he needed to surge through and put Anthony Volmink in for the try, it put the Sharks into the read.
GLIMPSES OF CAPABILITIES EVEN BEFORE BENCH WAS EMPTIED
The conversion made it 13-7 after 32 minutes, and that was also the halftime score although it appeared clear in the remaining minutes of the first half that the Sharks were building into the game and starting to take some kind of control.
There were some good glimpses of what they are capable of during that period, with one attack featuring some particularly good and slick handling from No8 Phepsi Buthelezi and prop Ntuthuko Mchunu.
The Sharks relinquished that control and momentum for a time at the start of the third quarter as they lost their discipline, and Gordon dotted down his second try for the Warriors off a driving maul only for Jordan to fail to kick the conversion that might have given the visitors the confidence of going into the lead.
Just as the Sharks appeared to be losing their way though, Sharks coach Sean Everitt started to empty his bench, with Etzebeth’s Bok and former Stormers teammates Siya Kolisi and Bongi Mbonambi joining him on the field, as did Ox Nche and even later than that Makazole Mapimpi.
Suddenly all the Sharks’ passing began to look particularly slick, with those ingredients prominent, as was Fassi’s brilliant hands, as the hosts sent Volmink in for his second try and an 18-12 lead that became 21-12 in the 55th minute when Chamberlain kicked his third penalty.
The policy of kicking for posts rather than setting up the lineout drive worked for the Sharks in the sense that it placed scoreboard pressure on the Warriors, and the Sharks took advantage as they opened play up and added a good driving maul try to Mbonambi and a trademark Fassi score near the posts to end the game as a contest and put the Sharks 35-12 ahead.
Former Blitzbok Werner Kok placed a seal on the win by running onto a brilliant cross-kick from Chamberlain off the last move of the game to set the Sharks’ points tally into the 40s. Against the Warriors, that’s a good win and augurs well for what lies ahead for the Durban franchise.
SCORERSA Weekend Special ?
— SuperSport ?? (@SuperSportTV) October 15, 2022
Aphelele Fassi helps the Cell C Sharks to a comfortable 40-12 victory over Glasgow Warriors ??
Vodacom #URC pic.twitter.com/3BOdS88qcJ
Cell C Sharks 40 -
Tries: Anthony Volmink 2, Bongi Mbonambi, Aphelele Fassi and Werner Kok; Conversion: Boeta Chamberlain 3; Penalties: Boeta Chamberlain 3.Glasgow Warriors 12 - Tries: Tom Gordon 2; Conversion: Tom Jordan.