The Cell C Sharks returned to Hollywoodbets Kings Park after their three match tour and proved why they’re so dangerous at home when they ran out deserved 40-12 bonus point Vodacom United Rugby Championship winners over Glasgow Warriors.
The Warriors have been in outstanding form at home, unbeaten in Glasgow in a year, but they have struggled on the road and their competitiveness in this game was there until the final half hour when the Cell C Sharks blew them away with an emphatic, committed and energetic effort.
Boeta Chamberlain opened the scoring in the 13th minute after the two teams had hammered away at each other, testing each other’s defence and not finding the gaps. His three-pointer from 45m out was quickly cancelled out with a good try in the midfield, the Warriors’ flank showing a good turn of speed and side-step to score under the posts a couple of minutes later to take a 7-3 lead.
The Cell C Sharks continued to dominate possession as they had for much of the half and were rewarded with a second kickable penalty with Chamberlain making no mistake to cut the Scot lead to one point with 15 minutes of the tight half remaining.
The Cell C Sharks flyhalf was instrumental in the next score, somehow gliding his way through the defence to make the crucial break that set Anthony Volmink up for their team’s first try with just over five minutes remaining, with Chamberlain’s conversion taking them into a 13-7 lead.
They pushed hard in the closing minutes to effect another score to extend their lead, having built up their confidence as the half had progressed, but the Warriors managed to disrupt their maul to prevent another score before the referee blew for half time with the Cell C Sharks enjoying a well-deserved, albeit narrow six point lead.
The much-vaunted maul from the Warrior earned the ultimate prize early in the second half as they quickly set from an attacking lineout and then mauled their way over the tryline for their second try, the conversion going wide to keep the Cell C Sharks in the lead, but just one point now the difference.
As the game hit the final half hour, the Cell C Sharks put together one of the best attacks of the game, the ball staying alive after head coach Sean Everitt had brought on his new front row and quick hands and the ball going out wide quickly found Volmink in space and he put on the after-burners to score his second try. Although the conversion from the corner went marginally wide, the Cell C Sharks had an 18-12 lead.
Chamberlain was on target five minutes later with a penalty to extend the lead to nine points as the Cell C Sharks’ confidence continued to grow.
This was never more evident when the forwards returned the favour of the Warriors’ earlier effort with an outstanding maul try after the visitors had been penalised on defence and the kick to the corner earned the prize.
Chamberlain’s conversion from out wide took the Cell C Sharks into a formidable lead, 28-12 ahead with just under a quarter of the game remaining.
The bonus point try came with just over 10 minutes remaining, the Cell C Sharks intent really earning the rewards they deserved and their intensity on attack catching the Warriors in all kinds of trouble. After keeping the ball alive, Jaden Hendrikse kicked the ball ahead, it bounced off a defender and into the hands of Aphelele Fassi who wasn’t going to be stopped. Chamberlain converted and a 35-12 lead was never going to be overhauled.
Such was their dominance and sheer exuberance that they came agonisingly close to scoring another two tries as the game wound down.
It was a dream return home and there can be no more praise than the fact that they took the game two and a half minutes into extra time when they could have closed the match off earlier, instead chasing another try simply for the joy of it.
The ball was kept alive wonderfully before Chamberlain sent a kick to space for Werner Kok to chase, he collected the ball inches from the line before cantering over to score the final try of a truly entertaining game.
Eben Etzebeth was a deserving Man of the Match for his gargantuan 80 minute effort on debut.