The Hollywoodbets Sharks endured a frustrating return to Vodacom United Rugby Championship action with a 44-17 loss to Connacht at Dexcom Stadium in Galway on Saturday evening.
Missing numerous players through injury and Springbok commitments, the Hollywoodbets Sharks were brave and desperate, but ultimately found the going too tough.
A seventh minute penalty opened the scoring in Connacht’s favour after the Hollywoodbets Sharks had spent the early stanza bravely and successfully defending their tryline, but it was the visiting Durban side who scored the first try, Fez Mbatha being driven over from a lineout maul after a successful 50-22 kick from George Whitehead gave his side the attacking position from which to strike, punishing the home side and taking a 5-3 lead after the opening quarter hour.
Two minutes later a midfield break from Connacht took them into a strong attacking position and they made no mistake sending the ball wide behind the defences to score in the corner, with the touchline conversion giving them a 10-5 lead.
A breakdown penalty in the 26th minute allowed Connacht to stretch their lead to eight points and a team warning for repeated infringements around the tackle, which was acted on at the next breakdown when Jason Jenkins was given marching orders for ‘hands on the deck’.
With the numbers advantage, Connacht punished the Hollywoodbets Sharks when the ball was sent wide and they went over for their second try on the half hour mark, and with the conversion went 20-5 ahead.
An off-sides penalty conceded on the stroke of half-time gave Connacht another three pointer and the successful conversion sent them into the changerooms leading 23-5.
The second half proved to be a little more evenly-contested, with the Irish winning the last forty 21 points to 12, and they struck first in the second half after being contained for the opening quarter hour before scoring in the 56th minute.
10 minutes later, Makazole Mapimpi went over in the corner after a strong and accurate build-up with the forwards featuring strongly before the ball was sent out wide and the Bok finisher made no mistake.
Going into the final 10 minutes, Connacht put the game well out of contention when a somewhat disjointed attack was finished off and with it, a 37-10 lead.
Emile van Heerden, back from injury, scored his team’s third try with five minutes remaining following a productive driving maul that took the Hollywoodbets deep into Connacht’s territory and close enough to the tryline to ensure the score.
But the last say was left to the Connacht forwards who finished off a multi-phase close-quarters attack to seal the reward.