Following a 20-8 defeat to Toulouse in the Investec Champions Cup clash in Durban on Saturday, here are the player ratings for the Sharks.
15 Hakeem Kunene: A big task to fill in for the outstanding Aphelele Fassi and he struggled to get much ball on the front foot. He cleared up well at the back a couple of times, but Kunene did not get many opportunities in the opposition half. 5
14 Yaw Penxe: See his back three team-mate as Penxe had a tough time against the Toulouse flyer Matthis Lebel. He’s a very talented runner, but he had little chance to impress. 5
13 Ethan Hooker: Against what is effectively an international-standard team, the youngster would have been looking to stake a Springboks claim, but he was well shackled in attack. However, Rassie Erasmus will like what he saw in defence with some impressive turnovers. 6
12 Francois Venter: Ran hard and also did his bit in defence but it was a tough afternoon for the outside backs. 6
11 Makazole Mapimpi: The most memorable moment from the Springboks wing was when he was smashed backwards by Toulouse’s replacement tighthead in what was an underwhelming display. 5
Big boot
10 Jordan Hendrikse: Some may criticise the odd miss kick to touch but his clearances were vital in keeping the Sharks in the game. That booming boot is a very useful weapon. 7
9 Jaden Hendrikse: Like his brother, the kicking game was effective, allowing the chasers to compete with the Toulouse catchers, but his pack failed to give him front foot ball. 6
8 Siya Kolisi (c): Very quiet from the skipper, who was outplayed by the magnificent Toulouse back-row, where Jack Willis, Anthony Jelonch and Francois Cros were excellent. Kolisi was in fine form in the latter part of 2024, but this was not a great start to 2025. 5
7 Manu Tshituka: Put himself about in the opening exchanges where his physicality was evident. Tshituka swatted away some hefty units too, but he couldn’t quite keep that up for the full 80, despite a good display. 7
6 Phepsi Buthelezi: The flanker was tireless throughout but, like Kolisi, the impact was not quite there in the tighter exchanges. 6
Effective lineout work
5 Jason Jenkins: Disrupted the opposition lineout well, particularly in the first half, and put himself about defensively as they worked to stop the Toulouse juggernaut. 7
4 Corne Rahl: Doesn’t obviously have the power of Eben Etzebeth and it showed in the scrum. Can’t doubt his work ethic, however, as the Sharks battled to keep in touch. 5
3 Vincent Koch: Didn’t appear for the second half after a difficult first period which saw the Sharks front-row marched backwards. 5
2 Bongi Mbonambi: The Sharks were under pressure in the front-row and that was evidenced by a missed hook by Mbonambi, who was another to be replaced early on. 5
1 Ox Nche: Not often you see the Springboks loosehead folded in two but he was hammered in the set-piece on occasion. Tried to make up for it with his efforts in the loose and there were a couple of key interventions but it was a difficult day at the office. 5
Replacements: Jurenzo Julius was magnificent and scored the try which threatened to spark a comeback. It never materialised but the youngster was very lively and the Sharks’ most impactful performer. The rest of the bench was manful as they prevented Toulouse from running amok. 7
Src: Planetrugby.com - https://www.planetrugby.com/news/sharks-player-ratings-siya-kolisi-outplayed-as-springboks-stars-struggle-in-toulouse-defeat
