The Hollywoodbets Sharks were forced to fight hard against a resolute Vodacom Bulls side in a Vodacom United Rugby Championship of test match intensity at Hollywoodbets Kings Park on Saturday evening before seeing off the Pretoria side 21-12.
A sell-out Sharksfest clash of epic proportions treated fans to an early Christmas present as their side put on a focused and determined second half effort to wrestle an important result, denying the Vodacom Bulls any log points or any tries.
It was a typical South African derby match with no quarter asked or offered, the visitors using their forward pack to good effect and building strong momentum in the opening exchanges, mostly forward-dominated. They were first to get over the tryline, a strong maul setting up the potential score, but the TMO confirmed the referee’s decision that the ball was held up over the tryline.
The opening try came against the run of play as the Vodacom Bulls attack from deep in their own half, but a long, looping pass was intercepted perfectly by fullback Hakeen Kunene who raced the 80-odd metres to the tryline, scoring under the posts for a Jordan Hendrikse conversion and a 7-nil lead in the 15th minute.
A pair of Handre Pollard penalties in the ensuing few minutes kept his team in the fight, but the fire was quickly extinguished when Phepsi Buthelezi went over after a lovely break from Hendrikse, with more metres gained by Ethan Hooker before Kunene was brought down close to the line. Once again the TMO was called to rule, this time identifying a knock-on and denial of the Hollywoodbets Sharks’ second try.
A lineout steal set up the Hollywoodbets Sharks to make good and in the ensuing attack, a deliberate and cynical knock-down saw the visitors lose a player to the sin-bin on the half hour.
But a dominant scrum gave them a strong advantage that kept the Hollywoodbets Sharks on the back foot and it was the visitors who took a 9-7 lead into the half-time break with a third penalty before the break.
The Hollywoodbets Sharks had been more enterprising on attack and looked the more dangerous with ball in hand, but the severe humidity made ball-handling difficult and they couldn’t finish off some of the exciting opportunities they created.
Although there was no letting up in the high tempo speed the second half attack was played in, both sides battled to turn possession into sustained pressure and the game was reduced to a stop-start affair.
A quarter hour into the second half, a scrum penalty for the visitors pushed them into a 12-7 lead, the first points of the second period. But it would be the last time they scored.
By the time the game reached the final 10 minutes, there appeared to be a subtle shift in domination, the Vodacom Bulls still competitive but just a little off the mark against a Hollywoodbets Sharks side that looked to be growing in confidence and purpose.
With the visitors on a team warning, an attack with intent was closed off by Siya Kolisi who scored the all-important try that drew the teams level, before George Whitehead converted for a 14-12 lead.
With the Vodacom Bulls’ discipline unwinding, the Hollywoodbets Sharks punished their frequent second half indiscretions and as the game edged closer to it’s thrilling finale, Jaden Hendrikse chipped the ball over the first line of defence for Edwill van der Merwe and there was no stopping the speedy wing as he ran onto the perfect kick and went over for the try that put the final nail in the coffin, with Whitehead’s conversion making it an unassailable 21-12 lead.
Hendrikse marked a chip into his 22 in a final effort from the visitors in their quest for a losing bonus point, and after two jackal penalties, had brought huge value off the bench.