In a game of pressure and determination, it was the Hollywoodbets Sharks who prevailed 21-15 over a game but ultimately outplayed Cardiff Rugby team in a tense and uncompromising Vodacom United Rugby Championship clash at Hollywoodbets Kings Park on Friday evening.
The talk in the week leading up to the game was about consistency – consistency in team selection and in play – and head coach JP Pietersen would have been content with the back-to-back victories his team had achieved in Durban.
With the opening five minutes spent almost exclusively in the Cardiff half, it was inevitable that the first score would take place over their tryline, with a charge-down from an attempted clearance turning the visitors around and then forced to defend a powerful maul. The going was too tough and Phepsi Buthelezi emerged from the bottom of the pile of bodies to claim the first try of the game, with Jordan Hendrikse converting from out wide.
The momentum shifted immediately with Cardiff spending the ensuing 10 minutes hammering away in the Hollywoodbets Sharks’ half. Mostly repelled, they finally came good with a score in the corner, also converted to level matters at 7-apiece after 17 minutes.
At the quarter hour mark, the referee stopped the game for a water break, such was the debilitating nature of the Durban summer heat, the temperatures in the upper 30s over the course of the game and not far off during the match. Indeed, Cardiff had been forced to make two injury replacements in the first quarter, such was the intensity and physicality of the game.
But their tails were up and following another strong period of attack, Cardiff struck a second blow with another cross-field kick that paid dividends for a 12-7 lead just shy of the half hour mark.
The Hollywoodbets Sharks suffered a double blow in the first half, losing talented young fullback Luan Giliomee to injury and Hendrikse to the sin bin, but the disruptions only served to strengthen their resolve.
Showed their attacking intent and prowess, they forced a penalty and from the ensuing lineout, set up the maul beautifully from which Vodacom Man of the Match Buthelezi burst through and between the desperate defenders to score his and his team’s second try with Bradley Davids converting for a 14-12 lead in the 33rd minute.
The Hollywoodbets Sharks’ third try had the element of the sublime about it as another attack had Cardiff in trouble, before the ball went loose, but a quick pick-up and feed to Yaw Penxe saw the wing spot space, exploit it and then chip and gather to score, with Hendrikse converting to take his team 21-12 ahead with just a couple of minutes remaining.
Cardiff had one last effort before the half-time whistle, but the slippery ball won the battle and proved elusive in the build-up to potential danger, handing the home side a nine-point lead at the break.
Although there was no shortage of action in the second half, neither side was able to break through. While Cardiff have been no strangers to success this season, they battled against a relentless fight from the Hollywoodbets Sharks who competed successfully at lineout time and scrum pressure always had the visitors on the back foot at the set-piece; they were rarely able to convert possession into anything that came close to scoring.
Cardiff opted to kick for points from a 72nd minute penalty to put themselves six points adrift and within striking distance of securing what would have been a stunning victory against the odds.
But when it came to the crunch, it was the Hollywoodbets Sharks who had the composure and the pressure game to hold out and deny Cardiff the victory they valiantly fought for, but ultimately were unable to wrestle away from the domination of the Hollywoodbets Sharks.