Sharks shut out Scarlets for valuable home win
The Sharks made the most of their home ground advantage on Friday against the Scarlets in what marked their first match against European opposition in the United Rugby Championship.
The home side secured a 37-20 victory at Kings Park in Durban.
The Durbanites scored three tries and a penalty try to claim the bonus-point victory, their sixth of the season, while they limited the visitors to two tries.
The first half was a tight tussle with neither team able to breach the defence despite their best efforts to run hard at the opposition and get close to the tryline, and this resulted in the sides entering the break tied at 6-6 with two penalty goals apiece.
Both the Scarlets and the Cell C Sharks threatened to score with their hard running, and the Welshmen threatened first but their attempt to cross the line was denied by fullback Aphelele Fassi who managed to get his finger on the ball before the Scarlets touched down.
Shortly after the Scarlets kicked a penalty goal in the ninth minute and Steff Evans (wing) had another go at the tryline in the 11th minute, which also proved unsuccessful, but they added a penalty goal in the 15th minute after some good attacking play close to the tryline to extend their lead to 6-0.
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The Durbanites hit back with a penalty goal in the 18th minute by Curwin Bosch (flyhalf), and after missing two more attempts at the post within two minutes, but he levelled the scores two minutes before the break with his second three-pointer to enter the break at 6-6.
The Scarlets struck first in the second half with flank Aaron Shingler scoring a try from an attacking lineout in the 47th minute to push them 13-6 ahead.
Bosch had the opportunity to reduce the gap with a long-range penalty goal in the 51st minute, but his attempt was unsuccessful.
Fassi, however, scored the first try for the hosts in the 55th min after gathering a beautiful grubber from Jaden Hendrikse (scrumhalf) from the ruck and Bosch’s conversion leveled the scores at 13-13.
The Scarlets had a chance to take the lead in the 58th minute with a penalty goal, which proved unsuccessful, and four minutes later Bosch scored from a charge down close to the visitors’ tryline as they attempted to kick the ball out of their red zone, and his conversion pushed the hosts 20-13 ahead.
The Sharks threatened to score again in the 68th minute, and they showed some enterprise on attack with some hard running rugby, but the last pass flew outside the sideline. Bosch, however, slotted a penalty goal soon after to push their lead to 23-13.
The Scarlets were dealt a blow in the 72nd minute with Kemsley Mathias (replacement prop) receiving a yellow card, but despite this they added their second try two minutes later with Steff Evans (wing) dotting down from a powerful rolling maul to reduce their deficit.
The Scarlets lost yet another player to a yellow card to Thomas in the 83rd minute, reducing them to 13 players and the hosts took full advantage to score their bonus-point try by Marius Louw (centre), which saw them secure an encouraging 37-20 victory.
