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The Sharks were far from perfect, earning two yellow cards, making plenty of mistakes and making half as many post-contact metres.
One of the scuffles between Sharks and Edinburgh players. Picture: Calum Chittleburgh/SNS Group via Getty Images
It wasn’t a performance they were proud of, but the Sharks players said they’d take the win over Edinburgh in any form it came.
They secured it courtesy of a scrappy, last-minute, one-point steal at the Hive Stadium in the United Rugby Championship (URC) on Friday (final score 18–17).
Edinburgh were the better side on the day, making fewer mistakes and controlling territory (57%) and possession (61%). They had 295 post-contact metres made compared to the Sharks’ 158m and by all rights should have scored more points.
The Sharks could only snatch the win thanks to a handful of penalties, an Aphelele Fassi try, and a Makazole Mapimpi try after the hooter sounded.
The match came after Edinburgh beat the Lions and Bulls in the Challenge Cup round of 16 and quarter-final, respectively, over the previous two weeks. Edinburgh’s South African coach Sean Everitt joked the three matches could be called the ‘Biltong Series‘.
The Sharks took the game seriously, naming 12 Springboks in the starting XV. But a few Springboks returning to the side from injury had poor performances and almost cost them the match.
The error-strewn affair saw three yellow cards and altercations aplenty. Springbok lock Eben Etzebeth returned for his first game in over five months, only to start a scuffle and receive a yellow card. Lukhanyo Am, also returning from injury, also received a yellow card for a cynical offside.
Edinburgh scored a converted try one minute after the Sharks were brought down to 13 men.
But Springbok fullback Fassi probably had the worst game on the day despite his try (which was created by Am).
He kicked a couple of balls out on the full, and once retreated into the 22 before trying to clear. The worst mistake came when he failed to pick a ball up off the ground just metres from the Sharks try line, leading to Edinburgh securing possession and almost scoring.
He appeared to hurt his ankle again and limped off the field in the second half.
“At the end of the day, not a perfect performance. But we will definitely take the win,” a dour-faced Etzebeth said afterwards.
Fassi, walking gingerly, said they were not as clinical as they wanted to be, keeping Edinburgh in the game.
Mapimpi agreed: “We made a lot of mistakes and the opposition capitalised on those mistakes. There was a little bit of frustration, it was that kind of crazy match.”
Sharks centre André Esterhuizen received man of the match for some excellent carries and tackles, including one that saved a try.
“We always knew it was going to be tough coming here. A very physical side, especially at home,” he said. “We struggled a bit, we made it difficult for ourselves. But I’m just glad the boys could pull together and pull through at the end.”
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