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While Ulster led 19–5 at half-time, the second half was all Sharks, who fought back to claim a 22–19 win.
The Sharks showed grit to fight back from a 19–5 deficit against Ulster at the break. Picture: Tyler Miller/Sportsfile via Getty Images
The Sharks recovered well from a stunning Ulster start, gradually winning momentum back in the second half and securing a 22–19 victory in their United Rugby Championship match at Kingspan Stadium in Belfast on Saturday.
Ulster were dominant in the set-pieces and aerial play, leading 19–5 at half-time before a Sharks resurgence saw Ulster lose their last game played at home before the URC play-offs.
The Sharks felt the absence of Springbok lock Eben Etzebeth in the lineouts. Named captain for the day, he was withdrawn at the last minute due to flu. Vincent Tshituka stepped in at No 4, but the Sharks struggled, losing several lineouts as a result.
Still, the star-studded Sharks featured 11 Springboks in their starting XV. But they often lacked the killing instinct to finish their opportunities, only clawing their way back into the game through grit and repeated efforts.
Ulster came out guns blazing, scoring two tries in the first 10 minutes. Jack Murphy scored the first after a good line break from fullback Jacob Stockdale, while Jude Postlethwaite scored the second try after a charge down.
The score remained unchanged until the 29th minute, when Ulster’s Nathan Doak scored a converted try after a Stockdale kick-and-chase.
The Sharks finally responded in the 33rd minute, Makazole Mapimpi scoring from an overlap. In the process, Stockdale received a yellow card for a cynical foul. The Sharks looked to capitalise on the extra man with another overlap try, but it was disallowed due to a forward pass.
The Sharks trailed by 14 points at half-time.
The Durban side gained more possession and momentum in the second half but twice lost the ball just metres from the Ulster try line. On their third attempt, Emmanuel Tshituka crashed over for a converted try in the 60th minute.
Jurenzo Julius danced between defenders to score the Sharks’ third try in the 69th minute. The score was tied 19–19 with 10 minutes to play.
At this point, the Sharks seemed the favourites to wrestle the win. They took the lead for the first time with three minutes left on the clock. It was courtesy of a Jordan Hendrikse penalty.
The Sharks held onto possession for the final minutes to secure the win.
Sharks: Tries – Makazole Mapimpi, Emmanuel Tshituka, Jurenzo Julius. Conversions – Jordan Hendrikse 2/3. Penalties – Hendrikse 1/1.
Ulster: Tries – Jack Murphy, Jude Postlethwaite, Nathan Doak. Conversions – Murphy 2/3. Penalties – .
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