Following the Sharks’ heartbreaking 22-23 defeat to the Lions, here’s how we rated JP Pietersen’s charges in the United Rugby Championship clash.
Sharks player ratings v Lions
15 Aphelele Fassi: First game back since his concussion against Saracens, but wasn’t off the pace in the slightest. Strong under the high ball and put in a deft kick to Makazole Mapimpi, which led to a try. The coaching staff breathed a sigh of relief when he was able to continue after being clattered by Ruan Venter. 7
14 Edwill van der Merwe: Really effective in the air. He put Angelo Davids under pressure and he outpaced the former Blitzbok to score too. Needs to put up his hands for some of the issues in defence, though, as the Lions managed to get around the press. 7
13 Ethan Hooker: Needed more opportunities in attack and was guilty of a few misreads defensively too. It’s seldom that he has an underwhelming performance, but this match was the anomaly. 4
12 Andre Esterhuizen (c): Was his usual imposing self in contact, but the powerhouse Springbok was uncharacteristically error-ridden with four turnovers conceded. Brilliantly kicked through to send Van der Merwe away for his try too, but his decision to scrum in front of the posts near the end was a costly one. 4
11 Makazole Mapimpi: Competent under the high ball, though the Lions didn’t send many his way, and he competed. He did well to regather Fassi’s kick and keep the attack alive which led to Jason Jenkins’ try. The Sharks will hope that his injury isn’t too serious as he limped off early in the second half. 6
10 Jordan Hendrikse: His overcooked restart after the Lions’ first try ultimately led to the visitors’ second, but much like most of his teammates, he grew into the game. His quick thinking inspired Van der Merwe’s try. Needs to stamp out some of the soft errors in the game, but ended in the black. His inaccurate goal-kicking was ultimately the difference to as the Sharks outscored the Lions four tries to three but still lost. 4
9 Grant Williams: Sluggish start, poor first kick and then conceded the penalty that gave the Lions the lead. Misread Siya Kolisi’s intentions from a lineout set move, which resulted in lost possession. However, he turned his performance around through his box kicks before impressing on the wing yet again when Jaden Hendrikse entered the fray. 8
Johan Ackermann slams media coverage on Springboks coaches ‘sharing ideas’ with Bulls
Ulster v Munster: Five takeaways as ‘ultimate vibe’ shines in the snow against ‘fumbling’ visitors
The forwards
8 Manu Tshituka: A busy shift from the number eight in all facets of the game, he hardly put a foot wrong. He got the Sharks’ first points of the game with a nice low carry near the line. 6
7 Vincent Tshituka: A go-to ball-carrying option for the hosts. He did that job rather effectively, while he threw his weight around effectively. A handy lineout jumper, too. 6
6 Siya Kolisi: Almost chipped in with a double before the ball slipped out of his grasp. He also had a mix-up with Williams, which killed off a threatening attack, but those were small errors in the grand scheme of things as Kolisi put in an influential performance. He timed his breakaway to perfection to score and smartly held onto the ball after running a great support line off Mapimpi in the build-up to Jenkins’ try. A strong start to the year for the Springboks skipper. 7
5 Emile van Heerden: Sharks’ lineout always operates better when he is in the starting pack, and he was just as effective in competing for the ball too. That platform was central to the Durban side’s surge back into the game. 7
4 Jason Jenkins: Lions fans will be questioning the grounding of his try, but the officials were happy. Did his part in putting the visitor’s lineout trouble and was a wilful carrier. 6
3 Hanro Jacobs: Scrum penalties were a rare commodity for much of this match, but Jacobs did eke one out early in the game. Did what was required of him around the park with little fuss or error. 6
2 Bongi Mbonambi: Looks to have rediscovered his accuracy in the lineouts and was his usual self around the park with some good carries and distribution as well as landing some solid hits. Conceded a penalty but was otherwise solid. 6
1 Ox Nche: His head-to-head battle with Asenathi Ntlabakanye was a tasty post-Christmas treat with the duo exchanging hefty hits around the park while honours were mostly even at scrum time. His first game back since his injury against Japan and the Springboks star barely missed a beat. 7
Replacements: Hit and miss from the Sharks’ bench as they looked to have the upper hand in the scrum until they didn’t and it proved costly. Jaden Hendrikse had a handful of bright moments but ultimately, the hosts needed their replacement to see out the win and they failed. 3
Want more from Planet Rugby? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for world-class coverage you can trust.
READ MORE: Percy Montgomery revisits World Cup-ending ban and why Eben Etzebeth is ‘lucky’