Following the Sharks’ 29-10 victory over the Ospreys in Durban, here is how we rated John Plumtree’s men.
Sharks player ratings v Ospreys
15 Aphelele Fassi: An error or two with his clearances, but the Sharks did not suffer much from it at all. Still the weekend special was able to weave some magic from the back and played a pivotal role in Hooker’s try by applying the pressure and forcing the error from Keelan Giles. His form is trending in the right direction for the Springboks and Sharks. 7
14 Ethan Hooker: Put in a superb shot on a rampaging Dewi Lake to stop the front rower dead in his tracks. Never really has a poor game, and today was no different as he was rewarded for his work-rate, latching onto Giles’ mishap. Great under the high ball too, and strong in possession. Worked tirelessly throughout the game and was fittingly named Man of the Match as he continues his bid to become a Springbok in 2025 through his sensational form. 8
13 Jurenzo Julius: Caused the Ospreys‘ defence all kinds of issues with his slick footwork and sharp running angles. Defended well too in yet another showing where he proved why the Springboks coaches are interested in having a closer look at him. 6
12 Andre Esterhuizen: A powerhouse in the midfield with hulking carries and distributed well when required. He shifted into the pack and still managed to make his presence known before making way when Venter was ready to return. Grabbed a try too. 8
11 Makazole Mapimpi: Contested the high ball superbly as his combination with Hendrikse and Masuku paid dividends for the Sharks. The service to him wasn’t the best at times, including Fassi’s late flick that didn’t sit up nicely. 6
10 Siya Masuku: The standout gaffe was his penalty kick to touch that went dead but otherwise it was a solid shift from the fly-half who looked to be carrying a bit of a niggle. His high bombs were on point more often than not, and he made good decisions on the whole. 7
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9 Jaden Hendrikse: A few wayward passes, which meant that the attack stuttered, but his box-kicks were back to the usual high standard. Smartly held up the ball to assist Esterhuizen. He was slow to react to Kieran Hardy’s dart off the back of the scrum but the try was ruled out so no harm done in the end. 6
The loose forwards
8 Siya Kolisi: Not a blockbuster performance, but no less impactful as the Springboks skipper worked tirelessly from minute one to 80. He too chased the kick brilliantly and hammered into the rucks. He made a great cover in the backfield too, one that would have threatened a try. 7
7 Vincent Tshituka: Continues to be a great source of solid lineout ball and carried well too. A consistent performer for the team, and it was just more of the same. 6
6 James Venter: Battled away well in what was a fiery battle at the breakdown and came up with a pair of turnovers. A busy tackler too. Forced off the pitch with a blood injury but returned to finish the game strongly. 6
Tight five
5 Jason Jenkins: Conceded the penalty resulting in Ospreys’ first points but quickly went about righting that wrong and succeeded, scoring the side’s first try with a hulking carry. Made a lovely break early in the second half too. One of his best shifts for the Sharks. 8
4 Eben Etzebeth: A real shame that he was forced off just 29 minutes into the match for what looked like a serious knee injury. He attempted to soldier on, but eventually conceded, and the golf cart assisted him. What makes it even more heartbreaking is that he was having another standout shift as he carried brilliantly in the build-up to his second row partner’s try, contested the lineout well and chased high balls superbly. 7
3 Vincent Koch: The Sharks scrum struggled to contain the power of the Ospreys, and the Boks veteran was not immune. He landed some good shots on defence but an unusually quiet shift from the classy tighthead. 5
2 Bongi Mbonambi: Ditto in the scrums but was a real force with ball in hand and hit his jumpers in the lineouts. 7
1 Dian Bleuler: Much the same as Mbonambi and Koch. Tom Botha had his number in the scrums, but he was effective in the carries. 5
Replacements: John Plumtree got great purchase from his bench as they kept the tempo that the starters set and covered for the injuries superbly as the Sharks barely missed a beat. Phepsi Buthelezi was fantastic while the front-rowers managed to get one over the Welsh outfit in the scrums. Francois Venter also filled Esterhuizen’s void in the centres brilliantly. Finally, Manu Tshituka had a bright shift before being forced off. In short, the Sharks’ Bomb Squad fired them over the line. 8
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Src: Planetrugby.com - https://www.planetrugby.com/news/sharks-player-ratings-springboks-hopeful-stars-as-bomb-squad-fires-where-starters-stuttered
