Sharks’ Kok celebrates landmark in fine style

It’s not often a player gets to celebrate a landmark game with both a win and a standout field day but Werner Kok managed to get both those right as the Hollywoodbets Sharks scored a 32-27 win over Scarlets in their Vodacom United Rugby Championship clash in Llanelli.

The Sharks looked like they had the game in hand when Kok completed his hattrick to take his team into a 12-point lead with not much time left but the Scarlets came back to score a try that had the Sharks hanging on to a five-point lead at the end. It was though a deserved bonus-point win for the Sharks as they continue their bounce back from the travails of earlier in the season.

Sharks coach John Plumtree spoke during the week about how sorry he was to be losing Ulster-bound Kok, who he praised as much for his personality off the field as well as his role as the glue between the players within the team. At Parc y Scarlets Kok’s popularity was illustrated by the enthusiasm with which his teammates mobbed him when he crossed the line for each of his three tries.

The first came just after Scarlets had capitalised on a poor Sharks mistake from the kick-off, with scrumhalf Grant Williams having a kick charged down to present the opposition with possession in a good field position, by going ahead 3-0 from Sam Costelow’s first penalty.

It wasn’t the best start for the Sharks but early in the game they produced the clinical efficiency that Plumtree has been hoping will come through. A brilliant pass from fullback Aphelele Fassi put Kok into space and the former Blitzbok made no mistake in finishing off to put his team into a 7-3 lead with Siya Masuku’s conversion.

Masuku had another good game for the Sharks in the flyhalf jersey, and it was his cross kick that put Kok in for his second try in the 56th minute to break a 20-all deadlock and put the Sharks into a lead they were never to relinquish as they dominated possession and territory in the decisive last quarter of the game.

MASUKU AND KOK MAGIC

When the Sharks scored the try eight minutes from the end that should have put the game to bed, it was that same duo, Masuku and Kok, who combined again in almost identical fashion. That put the Sharks 32-20 ahead, with Masuku’s missed conversion being his only miss of the night from the tee, although he did miss a drop-goal attempt in the dying stages of the game in a quest to put the Sharks more than a score ahead.

That was after the Scarlets had opened up the contest and given themselves some hope through a well-worked try to fullback Ioan Nicholas. The Scarlets had one last chance when their star player on the night, centre Johnny Williams, was able to win possession and he sparked an attack that saw his side come close to scoring. Durban fans would have been biting their nails as a penalty set up a Scarlets lineout metres from the Sharks' line for the last play of the game and they would have been relieved when their team repelled the final attack.

It meant the Sharks had managed their fourth win of the season in the URC (the Scarlets also went into the game with three wins) and that will give them some momentum to take into next weekend’s EPCR Challenge Cup semifinal against Clermont-Auvergne at the Stoop in London.

The Scarlets haven’t had a great season but they are a fine attacking team and Williams was the source of several attacks that had the Sharks scrambling. Every time the Sharks looked like taking control Scarlets came back at them, starting with the 19th-minute try to hooker Ryan Elias off a patient buildup after wing Tommy Lewis had made the initial incursion. Costelow had kicked a penalty in the 10th minute to bring Scarlets to within one point of the Sharks but Masuku had hit target again three minutes later so when Costelow converted Elias’ try it put the hosts into a 13-10 lead.

The Sharks began to apply some pressure in the rest of the half and they regained the lead through a patient buildup that put prop Vincent Koch in near the posts as the Sharks took a 17-13 lead at halftime.

Another Masuku penalty made it 20-13 four minutes into the half but once again the Scarlets struck back as prop Kemsley Mathias drove over and Costelow’s conversion made it 20-all. Then came the two Masuku/Kok moments that ultimately ensured that the Sharks scored their fifth win from the last six starts.

It wasn’t a perfect performance from the Sharks and they have work to do before next week but they have banished the losing habit that blighted their progress earlier in the season and they will head to London with some confidence.

SCORES

Hollywoodbets Sharks 32 - Tries: Werner Kok 3, Vincent Koch; conversions: Siya Masuku 3; Penalties: Siya Masuku 2. 
Scarlets 27 - Try: Ryan Elias, Kemsley Mathias and Ioan Nicholas; Conversions: Sam Costelow 3; Penalties: Sam Costelow 2.