Despite a massive and dominant first half performance, the Hollywoodbets Sharks were knocked out of the EPCR Challenge Cup by Connacht in their Round of 16 clash at Dexcom Stadium on Friday evening.
After leading 12-7 at the half-time break, Connacht came out in the second half, their performance stinging them into a rearguard action that took them to the quarterfinals courtesy of a 29-12 victory.
The Hollywoodbets Sharks started off showing their competitive intent, stealing the first lineout of the game and pressuring the home side with enough determination to force them into conceding the first of four first half penalties that flyhalf Jean Smith converted to strike first blood in the opening five minutes and give his team just the start they needed.
Dominating almost exclusively, the Hollywoodbets Sharks would have felt aggrieved not to have more reward than a 3-nil lead after the opening quarter hour, but brave defence and good poaching on the ground kept Connacht in a game the relentless pressure could so easily have been turned into valuable points.
Smith doubled his tally and his team’s score with a 20th minute penalty following a dominant scrum effort, but Connacht struck back almost immediately, taking the ball wide and then back inside before feeding the wing how had the space and pace to get over for the first try, the conversion giving the hosts a 7-6 lead after 23 minutes of play.
It had come completely against the run of play but underlined the home side’s threat on attack, having barely had a sniff of possession up until that point.
Smith pushed his side ahead in the 31st minute with a wonderfully-struck 60m penalty on the angle, and then added his fourth a minute later for a 100% success rate after striking an incredible 50-22 from deep inside his own half, turned from a lineout to penalty after the defender kicked the ball away preventing a quick throw-in.
The first half finished with the Hollywoodbets Sharks continuing their exciting form on attack and leading 12-7, with head coach JP Pietersen’s words looking prophetic: “We’ve come here to win.”
But playing with the wind in the first half had been to their advantage, and they found why Connacht had battled and how they themselves were affected playing into the teeth of the wind.
And so it turned into a game of two halves with Connacht turning the scoreboard on its head and scoring 22 unanswered points in the second half, proving just how strong they are playing at home, and extending their current run to six wins on the trot.
Their second try came in the 46th minute as they struck level, the conversion taking them into a 14-12 lead, one they would not relinquish again until the game’s conclusion.
A third try, the forwards mauling the ball over the tryline, pushed Connacht into a 19-12 lead and then as the game hit the final quarter, they went through for the final try, going 14 points clear and extending that to 17 with a penalty in the 70th minute, to close out a disappointing outcome for the visiting Durbanites.