After losing to Connacht last week in the United Rugby Championship, the Sharks returned to winning ways with a bonus-point 32-3 victory over Bordeaux Begles in the Champions Cup in Durban on Saturday afternoon.
The Durban-based franchise may have felt the score could have been a bigger margin against a weak Bordeaux side, but in the end they secured a thrilling victory and sealed their qualification to the round of 16.
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The Sharks have been in scintillating form and Jaden Hendrikse scored two of his three tries in the first half as Gerbrandt Grobler scored another for the home side to take a 22-0 lead into the break.
The Durbanites lost flyhalf Curwin Bosch before kickoff and was replaced by Lionel Cronje at No.10
The visitors had discipline problems as they received four yellow cards in the game and made the task of attracting attention very difficult.
Marnus Potgieter was behind Siya Kolisi’s brilliance, catching a low pass on the wing to score the first try of the game. It didn’t take long for Potgieter to dot down for the second two minutes later.
Bordeaux’s period of pressure on the Sharks line was limited as it was limited to a penalty goal by Maxime Lucu in the second half.
Aphelele Fassi also featured for the first time since picking up an ankle injury on SA A duty in November last year.
Printer:
Shark: Try – Jaden Hendrikse (2), Marnus Potgieter (2); Penalty – Lionel Cronje; Conversion – Lionel Cronje (2)
Bordeaux: Punishment – Funny Maxime