Following the Sharks’ narrow 35-34 triumph over Zebre Parma 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
As the scoreline suggests, his was a nail-biting affair and the match was in the balance until the game’s closing stages
The opening half started brightly for the hosts as they raced into a 14-0 lead courtesy of converted tries from insipirational skipper Siya Kolisi and Jurenzo Julius.
However, the visitors were level at 14-14 midway through the half after Alessandro Gesi and Giacomo Ferrari crossed the whitewash with Giovanni Montemauri converting both and the visitors soon led 17–14 after Giovanni Montemauri also slotted a penalty.
The Sharks finished the half stronger though and held a 28-17 lead at the break after Siya Kolisi and Vincent Koch dotted down with Jordan Hendrikse continuing with his fine goal-kicking to add a brace of conversions to go with his earlier two.
Zebre took control of proceedings after the break when captain Geronimo Prisciantelli crossed for a couple of tries soon after the restart which meant they held 31-28 lead by the 51st minute.
The hosts seemed shell-shocked by the intensity of their opponents’ onslaught and when Montemauri slotted another penalty in the 63rd minute, it looked like we were set for a shock result.
The Sharks finished stronger though and Ethan Hooker dotted down in the right-hand corner in the 75th minute before Jordan Hendrikse held his nerve to slot the match-winning place-kick from close to the touchline to spare the home side’s blushes.
Siya Kolisi continues with fine form
The Springboks and Sharks skipper returned to action at the start of this month and showed some deft touches off the bench in defeat against the Lions before catching the eye with a superb performance after starting in a victory over the same opposition a week later.
Kolisi continued where he left off in that latter game as he was in the thick of the action from the outset against Zebre Parma and delivered a commanding display in all facets of play.
The 33-year-old took the fight to his opponents as a ball carrier, gaining valuable metres with some barnstorming runs and he wa rewarded with a couple of tries for his efforts.
He also showed his class on defence as he put in several big hits in that department while he also did his bit in the lineouts where he was a valuable source of possession at the tail of the set-piece.
Overall, it was an outstanding all-round effort from the legendary Springbok during an 80-minute shift and it was not a surprise when he walked off with the official man-of-the-match award after the game.
Sharks scrum dominance almost comes to nothing
The home side came into this encounter with the Springboks trio of Ox Nche, Bongi Mbonambi and Vincent Koch starting in the front-row and they showed why they are amongst the best players in the world as they impressed ib the scrums.
The Sharks’ pack dominated the set-piece with aforementioned players having a field day as they shoved their opponents off the ball on several occasions.
With the backline assured of good front foot ball, it was not surprising that the hosts held a solid lead at the interval and with a bonus-point already secured.
Although they were still dominant in the scrums in the second half, they Sharks seemed to take their foot off the pedal in other areas and it allowed Zebre to get back into the game.
The victory consolidates the Sharks’ position amongst the top four teams in the standings, but head coach John Plumtree still has plenty of work to do if his team wants to kick on during the business end of the competition.
Sharks bench spare their blushes
Although they held the upper hand for most of the opening half, the Sharks looked a different side after the interval as Zebre Parma caught them by surprise with a determined onslaught.
The Italian outfit dominated most facets of play during that period while the home side’s play was littered with a plethora of unforced errors and, if truth be told, Zebre held a deserved six-point lead by the 63rd minute.
With time running out on the clock, Plumtree made some tactical changes with the likes of Corne Rahl and Vincent Tshituka bringing much needed energy up front, while Springboks centre Andre Esterhuizen made his return from injury in the backline.
Rahl did his bit as a ball carrier and in the lineouts with Tshituka also impressing on attack, and at the breakdowns, while Esterhuizen’s calmness during the closing stages proved crucial when the Sharks were chasing the game during its closing stages.
Zebre Parma’s improvement continues
The Italian outfit came into this encounter as massive underdogs but showed why they are one of the most improved teams in the United Rugby Championship as they gave their opponents an almighty scare.
Zebre have punched above their weight throughout the season and coach Massimo Brunello deserves plenty of credit for that and they can consider themselves unlucky not to leave Durban as victors.
They were competitive from the outset and caught the home side by surprise as they upped the ante on attack with their captain Geronimo Prisciantelli leading the way by example from full-back with a superb attacking performance.
Prisciantelli was rewarded with a brace of tries and also led his troops well but they will be kicking themselves that they did not close out this game. Despite their narrow loss, they can be proud of their effort and if they continue with this form they could sneak into the play-offs via the back door.
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Src: Planetrugby.com - https://www.planetrugby.com/news/sharks-v-zebre-parma-five-takeaways-as-siya-kolisi-leads-the-way-with-commanding-display-in-narrow-win-for-hosts
