The Hollywoodbets Sharks snatched a last gasp victory when Makazole Mapimpi scored the match-winning try in injury time to defeat Edinburgh 18-17 in a pulsating Vodacom United Rugby Championship clash on Friday evening.
Labelled the Biltong Series by the Scots in this third of three matches against South African opposition in as many weeks, the Durban side created heartbreak for their hosts who thought they had the result wrapped up, but for a final intense effort that gave them the spoils.
The weather might have been cold, but it was a heated exchange and often boiled over as the referee had his hands full controlling two sets of highly motivated rugby teams.
Jordan Hendrikse put early points on the board, kicking a 45m penalty inside the opening five minutes after excellent work by Andre Esterhuizen in his attempt to poach the ball with Edinburgh pinged for holding on under pressure.
Both sides looked to play positive, attacking rugby and it was the hosts who were rewarded next, a sweeping movement sending the ball from one side of the field to the other before a dive over the defence in the corner earned the hosts the first try of the game, with the touchline conversion going wide for a 5-3 lead after 13 minutes.
The physical intensity never let up and both sides contested at every possible moment, but it was Edinburgh who scored next, their second try, in the same corner, with the same result from the attempted conversion, as they took a 10-3 lead on the half hour.
With time almost up on the clock, Jordan Hendrikse struck his second penalty after Edinburgh were pinged following an attacking lineout from the Hollywoodbets Sharks to cut the lead to just four points and while the hosts had a late opportunity on attack, they could not handle the defensive pressure exerted on them before the half-time whistle saw the hosts take a 10-6 lead into the changerooms.
The Hollywoodbets Sharks struck a blow inside the opening couple of minutes of the second half, Edinburgh initially able to hang on in defence before Lukhanyo Am, playing at scrumhalf, dummied a pass and then broke, feeding Aphelele Fassi who wasn’t going to be stopped in the 22, and when Hendrikse made no mistake with the conversion, the Durban side held a 13-10 lead.
Edinburgh retook the lead with their third try following three cards – two to the Hollywoodbets Sharks and one to the hosts – with both sides’ discipline faltering, the conversion finally on target for a 17-13 lead in the 48th minute.
With both sides restored to 15 men and Edinburgh on a team warning for numerous incidents of killing the ball at the tackle, the game was poised on a knife edge with the final quarter left to play.
There were heroics from Man of the Match Andre Esterhuizen who held up three forwards on the tryline, and Ethan Hooker who prevented a certain try later on, and in the end, it was a brave effort from the entire team to wrestle a turnover on their tryline, earn a scrum penalty and then score the match-winner in the 81st minute to maintain their hold on fourth spot on the log.