The Hollywoodbets Sharks were in rampant form as they dominated from start to finish in their 46-7 demolition of the visiting Benetton team in a pulsating Vodacom United Rugby Championship clash at Hollywoodbets Kings Park on Saturday afternoon.
With the youngsters injecting the exhilaration of youth and the freedom to play, this game was a joy to watch. It was excitement, brutal domination at scrum and lineout time, tries galore and rugby at its best.
To their credit, Benetton gave it their all, but they had no answer to the rampaging Hollywoodbets Sharks who came to prove a point – and did.
Both sides showed a desire to play running rugby in the perfect conditions and it was from a sweeping movement in the 11th minute that Edwill van der Merwe went over for the first try of the game following a power scrum penalty kicked to touch. The try stood after a TMO check and the Hollywoodbets Sharks were 5-nil ahead.
10 minutes later, Jurenzo Julius who had supplied the earlier try-scoring pass was too powerful with a dummy and then somehow managing to fend off three defenders to swivel his way over for his team’s second try.
Benetton were finding the going tough and suffered even further with a yellow card in the 25th minute, the penalty kicked to touch and Siya Kolisi emerged from the bottom of the maul as his team’s third try-scorer, pushing the lead to 15-nil.
The Hollywoodbets Sharks have unearthed an absolute gem in Zekhethelo Siyaya who, after two games at fullback, was thrust into the pressure-cooker of the midfield, but showing maturity beyond his 18 years and levels of sublime attacking skill that almost beggar belief.
His involvement levels and willingness to put his body on the line gave his team plenty of impetus and as head coach JP Pietersen said [echoing his own coach Dick Muir from 19 years ago]: ‘if he’s good enough, he’s old enough.’
Just before half-time, Makazole Mapimpi was felled a few metres short of the tryline, but the tackle had been head-high and Benetton were back to 14 men after losing their flyhalf with a red card. Unfortunately, Mapimpi also left the field – injured.
Benetton were already under the pump and found themselves a fourth try down following the continued dominance and pressure from the home side, Edwill van der Merwe somehow managing to fend off numerous defenders to get over for his second and the bonus point for a 20-nil half-time lead.
The Hollywoodbets Sharks started the second half like a house on fire, taking attack from inside their 22 and all the way to the opposition 22 before earning a penalty at the breakdown that was kicked to touch. From first phase, Andre Esterhuizen took the ball and smashed his way through the defences to score the fifth try, with Bradley Davids adding the extras.
With their tails up and playing with freedom under a dominant platform, it was only a matter of time before the sixth try came, Vodacom Man of the match Jurenzo Julius over for his second after an impressive build-up, with Jean Smith adding the two for a 34-0 lead with the final quarter left to play.
Two minutes later, Julius was over for his hat-trick after his centre partner Esterhuizen had broken though the defences in the midst of an attack that came off a stolen lineout 70m from the tryline. Smith added the two to take his team 41 unanswered points in the clear.
With two minutes of this exhilarating game remaining, Benetton put on their best passage of play to score a multi-phase try, the touchline conversion scant reward.
But there was no stopping the rampant Hollywoodbets Sharks, Litelihle Bester closed out the game in injury time with a try the debutant absolutely deserved with his valuable contribution throughout the game.
This was what the fans had come to see and they were richly rewarded.