The Cell C Sharks’ 22-19 Vodacom United Rugby Championship victory over Edinburgh on Saturday evening had everything to do with courage, commitment and character and the team will have taken great heart from this performance.
“As a coaching team and management, we are so proud of the boys for the effort, the fight and the character they showed in that match,” Cell C Sharks Director of Rugby Neil Powell admitted after the game.
Forced into a massive defensive effort in a game that went well into extra time with Edinburgh chasing what would have been their only score in the second half, the Cell C Sharks withstood everything thrown at them to hold out for an incredible victory.
“I know it was tough in the last few minutes when they kept Edinburgh out, but they showed a lot of fight throughout the whole 80 minutes.”
After the Harlequins game, Powell had admitted that he had exhorted his players to up the level and they responded to the challenge, completely and with determination and fervour.
“We asked them to be physical and dominant and they were exactly that, for the entire game,” he explained.
“It was a really good start from us, in that first 25-30 minutes we defended well, we retained our structure and we played the game in the right areas of the field. But in the last 10 to 15 minutes of the first half, they played off our mistakes and we allowed the game to get unstructured which suited their way of play.
“That’s when they scored those three tries just before half-time.”
When the teams headed for the changerooms, with Edinburgh leading 19-14, Powell explained that the message to the players was clear: to control the game’s energy and flow.
“The message at half-time was to force them into our systems and the structure we wanted them to play to and not to get caught up in their style of play and how loose and unstructured they wanted to make the game.
“It was a massive effort, we still had a few opportunities to take the game away from them in the first and then later in the second half, but overall it was a very good win for us.”
With the Vodacom Bulls, DHL Stormers and Emirates Lions all picking up losses this weekend, the Cell C Sharks defeating Edinburgh who had been lying above them on the log but who they’ve now leap-frogged, and Benetton also suffering a defeat, and with the Cell C Sharks still to play two games they have in hand, the log table is looking decidedly tight at this stage of the tournament.
“We will definitely take a lot of confidence and momentum out of this one,” said Powell. “We’ll enjoy the win before returning to South Africa to start our preparations for the Stormers’ game at Hollywoodbets Kings Park this weekend. We know we have to refocus and prepare well for that game.
“Everyone is committed and knows where we want to go this season and that commitment was shown on the field [against Edinburgh], especially on defence.
“We’re just so, so, so proud of the boys for what they showed out there and this is the standard we want shown from the Cell C Sharks in how we play and how we pitch up for every single game.
“A great effort, great character and great fight.”