The Hollywoodbets Sharks scored a 29-19 victory over the Scarlets in a tense Vodacom United Rugby Championship fifth round clash on a warm spring afternoon at Hollywoodbets Kings Park.
The bonus point win was crucial with the tournament heading into a month-long break and the positivity that success drives. It wasn’t easy and Scarlets certainly came to Durban to play, but ultimately there was too much from the Hollywoodbets Sharks as they took many of their chances, poached numerous lineout balls and turned scrum dominance into territorial gain.
Early pressure from the kick-off didn’t yield results initially, but the home side were relentless as they kept Scarlets pinned in their 22, defending against numerous phases, before Vincent Tshituku went over in the corner after a lovely break from Siya Kolisi found the defence in all kinds of trouble and it was a matter of sending the ball wide to the flank who went over for the first score inside the opening five minutes.
10 minutes later, the visitors struck back with their first try, a breakthrough the middle and the regulation conversion from right in front pushed them into a 7-5 lead.
There wasn’t much pause in the action as pressure from the kick-off once again yielded results, this time Manu Tshituka dancing his way through the defence to score the second try, with Jean Smith – in for Siya Masuku in a late change – converting to take the lead to 12-7 in the 19th minute.
The see-sawing nature of the game came immediately, Scarlets hitting back right from the kick-off and scoring their second try a minute later, the conversion taking them into a 14-12 lead.
Lee-Marvin Mazibuko, another late change [for Vincent Koch], went over for try number three just shy of the half hour mark after his team earned a penalty on attack, sent it to the corner for the lineout and the forwards did their job getting the ball to, and over, the line, with Smith adding the extras for a 19-14 lead.
The teams went hammer-and-tongs at each other in the remaining 10 minutes of the first half, but neither was able to turn midfield possession into points and when the half-time whistle rang out, the Hollywoodbets Sharks held a five-point lead over a Scarlets side that was looking increasingly fatigued from the heat and physicality.
However, they showed no ill-effects of an intense first half and were first to score in the second half, first phase attack off a scrum five minutes in handing them their third try, the conversion going wide but scores par at 19-all.
It took just three minutes for the Hollywoodbets Sharks to exact revenge, Siya Kolisi going over for the bonus point try from a lineout maul after Scarlets had been penalised on defence in their 22 and there was no stopping the home team’s forwards, with Smith adding the extras for a 26-19 lead with half an hour remaining.
As the game hit the final quarter, a penalty conceded on defence put the visitors under further scoreboard pressure when Smith calmly slotted a 48m effort to extend the lead to 10 points, crucially putting the Hollywoodbets Sharks two scores ahead.
Scarlets were determined as they chased two log points in the latter stages of the game, but some gritty defence held the visitors up time and again, with the game closing out in the Hollywoodbets Sharks favour.