Following the Sharks’ 21-12 triumph over the Bulls in their United Rugby Championship (URC) derby at Hollywoodbets Kings Park in Durban on Saturday, Planet Rugby picks out five takeaways from the thrilling action.
The top line
This was a clash between two of the heavyweights of the South African game which meant there was no quarter asked or given for the full 80 minutes.
As expected, there was great physicality from both sides with big hits the order of the day for the full 80 minutes and the set-piece battle was also fascinating in the grander scheme of things.
The opening exchanges were cagey before Sharks full-back Hakeem Kunene crossed for the opening try in the 15th minute from a 70-metre run after he intercepted a wayward Bulls pass close to his 22.
Jordan Hendrikse added the extras, but the Bulls held a slight edge during the rest of the half with Handre Pollard slotting three penalties during that period to give the visitors a 9-7 lead at the interval.
Pollard extended his side’s lead with another three-pointer off the kicking tee in the 57th minute before the Sharks came alive in the final quarter and sealed their victory with converted tries from Siya Kolisi and Edwill van der Merwe.
Forgottten Springbok is Sharks’ hero
2025 was the season that Sharks scrum-half Jaden Hendrikse became a forgotten Springbok as the 25-year-old was dropped from the world champions’ squad and failed to get a recall.
With a fellow Boks number nine returning from international duty in recent weeks, Hendrikse was relegated to the bench and kicking his heels amongst the replacements for most of this encounter.
The 2023 Rugby World Cup winner eventually entered the fray in the 68th minute with the Sharks trailing 7-12 but he quickly left his stamp on this match.
Soon after coming on, Hendrikse offloaded to Kolisi, who crossed for his try, before winning two crucial turnovers in quick succession. The nippy number nine then spotted space behind the Bulls’ defence and delivered a perfectly weighted box kick which Van der Merwe gathered before dotting down.
It was an influential cameo from Hendrikse, and his efforts will be a reminder to Boks head coach Rassie Erasmus that he still has ambitions of playing at the highest level.
Bulls only have themselves to blame
Although the home side deserve plenty of credit for their strong finish which secured them a deserved victory, the Bulls only have themselves to blame for finishing on the losing side.
The visiting forwards held the upper hand throughout this encounter with their powerful scrum giving them good attacking momentum for long periods of this game.
Despite that dominance at the set-piece, the Pretoria-based outfit’s decision making left a lot to be desired as they did not show much attacking intent when they were awarded penalties.
Although Pollard was accurate off the kicking tee, as he succeeded with four penalty shots at goal, the Bulls were outscored by three tries to none and that was largely due to them showing little creativity on attack.
Sharks revival continues
After a poor start to their 2025/26 campaign, the Sharks made the difficult decision to part ways with their experienced head coach John Plumtree after their Investec Champions Cup defeat against Toulouse.
2007 Rugby World Cup winner JP Pietersen came in to take over the coaching reins and after clinching a narrow victory over Saracens in the Champions Cup, they have now followed it up with this league win over the Bulls.
Although they were under the cosh for long periods against the Bulls, the Sharks refused to surrender and thanks to their superb second half fightback, they emerged as victors in front of their fanatical home fans.
The result is a momentous one for the Sharks as it is only their second victory in this season’s URC after four losses and one draw in their previous six matches.
Although they still have plenty of homework to do, they will be encouraged by their current form and will be determined to build on it during the rest of the season.
Jeandre Rudolph shines in a losing cause
Although he finished on the losing side, Rudolph can hold his head high as he emptied the tank for the full 80 minutes and took the fight to the Sharks until the end of this clash.
Rudolph was a real warrior for the men from Pretoria as he came to the fore with an outstanding all-round performance in which he showed his class on attack and defence.
The 31-year-old was in the thick of the action from the outset as he gave his side good momentum as a ball carrier and also brought great physicality to the Bulls cause as he put in some big hits on defence.
Rudolph eventually finished with a match-high 14 tackles made while also putting his body on the line at the breakdown battle. Despite his side’s defeat, he was rewarded with the official player-of-the-match award.
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