Hollywoodbets Sharks XV head coach JP Pietersen was proud of his team’s effort in their week four Carling Currie Cup clash against Suzuki Griquas in Kimberley on Friday afternoon, confirming that his team is on the up.
It’s been a tough campaign for this very young side, having thrown numerous debutants into the cauldron of fire each week as he bloods numerous youngsters and looks to build depth for the union.
As the Hollywoodbets Sharks XV look to the big picture of playing and competing in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship and Investec Champions Cup, long term gain does translate into short term pain, but the gains are worth it given the length of the season, the demands on the players and the loss of the team’s Springboks for periods of the two campaigns.
With scrumhalf Ceano Everson scoring, flyhalf Vusi Moyo converting and adding a penalty, the Hollywoodbets Sharks XV were able to take a well-deserved 10-7 lead into the half-time break.
In the second half, a converted try to centre Diego Apollis with Moyo converting meant the Hollywoodbets Sharks were leading by the end of the third quarter, before the hosts scored a quick-fire brace to run out eventual 26-17 victors to keep their home record intact for the season.
“I’m immensely proud of the boys for the effort and the fight they showed,” Pietersen said after the match as he expressed his thoughts on the game.
“To be up at half-time and to lead the game shows the fight and the growth in the group. It also shows that we’re moving in the right direction.
“Unfortunately, it takes time to polish out errors, but that’s rugby, the more you play, the more cohesion you get, the more understanding you get.
“It was a good fight from the boys, the set-piece went well and we were able to apply pressure.
“There were some good stats that came out of the game and that’s something we can be really proud of; the boys made the Hollywoodbets Sharks jersey proud.”
The team now shift their focus to coastal rivals, DHL Western Province who visit Hollywoodbets Kings Park on Friday evening for a round five clash between two teams, both high profile franchises, both focusing on the development of youth and depth for the future.
The match promises to be a keenly-contested one between the old rivals.
Kick-off is at 7.10pm.