Ken Borland

With the Sharks nearing the complete game of rugby in the second half of their United Rugby Championship match against the Glasgow Warriors last weekend, flank Siya Kolisi obviously has a key role to play in ensuring both attack and defence are working together at optimum level.

The Springbok captain was typically industrious in playing his role in a “bomb squad” that brought tremendous intensity and turned a one-point lead after 50 minutes into an overwhelming 40-12 win. Kolisi was his usual physical presence in defence at close quarters, attended plenty of rucks and also popped up on attack, providing valuable continuity and offloads.

It was the sort of all-round display that showcased his hybird loose forward abilities very well, and Kolisi feels his role in the Sharks loose trio is pretty much the same as with the Springboks.

“I think we have a similar game-plan, and our shape is definitely very similar, but we get the opportunity to run the ball a bit more at the Sharks,” Kolisi said.

“Coming off the bench, I was able to get stuck in and we played more of an offload game, which was really enjoyable for me. They also expect me to look after the breakdown and it was a fast game with a bit more ball-in-hand.

“But the Sharks are similar to the Springboks in that we also choose carefully which areas we want to play in. When we came on there was still a lot to do, and we were able to bring some energy and the physicality that is always needed.

“For me it was just exciting to be back after a week off and a week of integration, and I just wanted to try add value,” Kolisi said.

The 31-year-old also loved being on the field again with his mates like Eben Etzebeth, Bongi Mbonambi, Ox Nche, Makazole Mapimpi and Thomas du Toit. When that bunch of Springbok giants looks around at each other, it must do wonders for their confidence to know the level of support that is around them.

“They’re all experienced guys and they stood up on the weekend. We make sure that we back each other and there’s going to be no place to hide on Saturday against Ulster, we know it’s going to be decided up front,” Kolisi said.

“Ulster have good backs too, but we know we need to stand up and set it up up front first.”

Sharks coach Sean Everitt praised the major impact of the bench in their impressive 40-12 win over the Glasgow Warriors at Kings Park, saying it was exactly what he had hoped for when he loaded his replacements with a number of Springboks.

Bongi Mbonambi, Ox Nche, Siya Kolisi, Sikhumbuzo Notshe and Makazole Mapimpi were all substitutes against Glasgow, and it was no coincidence that the Sharks finished emphatically, turning a narrow 13-12 lead after 50 minutes into a crunching, bonus point win.

“I’m very happy, we knew it would be a difficult first half, but we showed a lot of power in the second half. The game opened up and we played well from turnover ball,” Everitt said.

“We managed to get our attack and defence together in the same game. The starting line-up did the hard yards and tired out the opposition, and then we had a big impact off the bench.”

Even Warriors coach Nigel Carolan admitted that they had been blown away in the second half.

“There was always going to be an onslaught, it was very difficult to handle that sort of power in the last 30 minutes. And because we did not have enough on the scoreboard to protect, we had to try and get on the front foot still,” Carolan said.

Debutant Eben Etzebeth was the obvious choice for the man of the match award, for the power of his carries, his domination of the lineouts and the offloading skills he showed in ensuring the continuity of attacks.

“Eben was immense in disrupting their lineout and the quality ball he and Hyron Andrews won at our lineout gave us a good foundation to attack,” Everitt said.

“He has fitted in really well, he had done his lineout homework thoroughly, he was outstanding in both attacking and defensive lineouts.

“There was also much to be admired in his all-round play, he certainly played like the best lock in the world,” Everitt said.

The Sharks took 50 minutes to turn from fish into apex predators, but a strong finish to their United Rugby Championship match saw them hammer the Glasgow Warriors 40-12 at Kings Park on Saturday.

The Sharks led 13-7 at halftime, but it had been an arm-wrestle for the home side, and it looked like Glasgow would push them to the final whistle when the Warriors scored three minutes into the second half. In a horror start after the break, the Sharks conceded consecutive ruck penalties and then missed the contest at the five-metre lineout, allowing a relatively easy maul try for the visitors, flank Thomas Gordon dotting down for the second time.

But the Glasgow defence was relatively slow to get off the line and the Sharks began finding the gaps as they cut down on the handling errors, and the fluency of their attack started to become apparent. It started in the 52^nd minute with a well-worked try, slick hands by replacement prop Ox Nche, flyhalf Boeta Chamberlain and fullback Aphelele Fassi sent wing Anthony Volmink finning down the touchline for the Sharks’ second try.

Volmink had scored the first, in the 33^rd minute, when Chamberlain burst through on a wrap-around move and sent the speedy wing racing away.

The Sharks had struggled to get their maul going, partly because Glasgow were allowed to swim up the side, but they got around that by changing the contact point in the 63^rd minute and replacement hooker Bongi Mbonambi powered over for the try.

Neat interplay between forwards and backs then saw Fassi knife through and score to clinch the bonus point with 11 minutes remaining, before the Sharks rounded off the win with Chamberlain producing a precise crosskick for right wing Werner Kok to run on to and score.

Lock Eben Etzebeth, on Sharks debut, was a deserved man of the match, carrying the ball strongly and ruling the lineouts, making some crucial steals.

The Sharks are clearly a dangerous side when they get their attacking momentum going, but they will be disappointed in a first half where they made too many mistakes.

Defensive lapses are also a worrying feature and, having dominated the opening stages and taken a 3-0 lead through a Chamberlain penalty, the Sharks then allowed Glasgow an easy score as Gordon picked the ball up at a ruck and roared away as there was no pillar defence, sidestepping Fassi for the opening try.

Battling to get return from the maul, the Sharks struggled to break down a Glasgow defence who are canny and attack the breakdown hard.

The Sharks will be disappointed they didn’t get more from the referee, but they took matters into their own hands in the second half by just increasing their accuracy, to great effect.

Scorers

Sharks – Tries: Anthony Volmink (2), Bongi Mbonambi, Aphelele Fassi, Werner Kok. Conversions: Boeta Chamberlain (3). Penalties: Chamberlain (3).

Glasgow Warriors – Tries: Thomas Gordon (2). Conversion: Tom Jordan.

Eben Etzebeth is up from the Cape and excited to be making his Sharks debut against Glasgow Warriors at Kings Park on Saturday, with coach Sean Everitt expecting some superhero stuff from the Springbok legend as the home side look to lay down the law up front from the start against their Scottish opposition.

Etzebeth is joining his fellow former Stormers legends Siya Kolisi and Bongi Mbonambi, both of whom will come off the bench and give Glasgow no respite from the physical onslaught.

“Eben is the best lock in the world and we are starting with him because we want to improve our lineout and our ball-carrying ability,” Everitt said on Friday. “A good start is going to be crucial for us.

“He is very excited to be part of the Sharks, he’s settled in well and made Durban his home. He’s in a good place and looks at home. Eben will bring a wealth of experience and leadership, and the younger guys can really learn from him.

“Glasgow have an extremely good lineout, they have some tall timber, and we learnt that the hard way last season. They like to speed the game up and they blew the Bulls away with that pace last weekend.

“They’ll be aggressive at the breakdown too and they like to love the ball around, but a 4G pitch is a lot quicker than grass and I’m sure playing at Kings Park will be a challenge for them,” Everitt said.

With the Sharks now back in town after they began their United Rugby Championship campaign on tour, Etzebeth is one of six current Springboks that will unleashed in Durban on Saturday.

Jaden Hendrikse is back to drive things from scrumhalf, and prop Ox Nche and wing Makazole Mapimpi are also on the bench, so the Sharks will be targeting high-intensity play for 80 minutes, if not high-speed.

“It makes for a very strong match-day 23,” Everitt said. “We are blessed with our front row resources and we have Ox, Bongi and Carlu Sadie to call on off the bench, which will certainly help our cause.

“It’s also better to get Vincent Tshituka back into the mix at flank sooner rather than later after injury. He was the top flank in the URC last season and having him and Eben will certainly improve our lineout options.”

Sharks – Aphelele Fassi, Werner Kok, Marnus Potgieter, Ben Tapuai, Anthony Volmink, Boeta Chamberlain, Jaden Hendrikse, Phepsi Buthelezi, Vincent Tshituka, Dylan Richardson, Hyron Andrews, Eben Etzebeth, Thomas du Toit (c), Kerron van Vuuren, Ntuthuko Mchunu. Bench: Bongi Mbonambi, Ox Nche, Carlu Sadie, Reniel Hugo, Siya Kolisi, Sikhumbuzo Notshe, Cameron Wright, Makazole Mapimpi.