The Hollywoodbets Sharks came back from 3-24 down to secure a dramatic 44-all draw with the Pumas in the fifth round of the Currie Cup at Mbombela Stadium on Saturday.
A hattrick to Phiko Sobahle inside the first 30 minutes lifted the hosts to a 27-8 halftime lead, but a tremendous fightback from JP Pietersen’s youngsters ultimately saw the spoils shared.
The Durbanites had the chance to win it when Champion of the Match Bradley Davids knocked over a 79th-minute penalty to put his side in front for the first time in the contest, but a Clinton Swart three-pointer soon thereafter put the exclamation point at the end of what was a thriller in Mpumalanga.
“We feel disappointed. We could have walked away with five points but, in saying that we walk away with three-points against a very good Pumas team that has played finals rugby,” said Pietersen post-match.
“We’re not happy, but we’re quite pleased to take three-points home. In saying that we need to play better, we can’t play rugby with a game of two halves. We need to be better, start the game well and compete for 80-minutes. I think that will always be a challenge with the young group we’ve got, but we’ve got fight; a group that will never give up. You can see we will fight to the last minute.”
The Sharks looked dead and buried at a stage early on, but their second-half revival speaks volumes for the character and determination in the squad. They’ve dropped to sixth on the log standings but remain well in contention for a spot in the semi-finals.
“Time will tell, but we’re on the right path and the exciting part about it is that the okes are still young,” noted Pietersen. “80% of the group is under 23-years-old, so they’re learning on the go. But the growth of their learning is immense and it’s exciting as a coach.
“Going forward as a Sharks union, we must get excited about these youngsters coming through the ranks to fight in a man’s competition and to be so competitive.
“From a coach’s side, we’ll recover well, and we’ll fight again come Griquas on Sunday at Kings Park.
