Sharks XV coach Mike Vowles believes his side produced their best performance of the Currie Cup season despite being held to a 22-22 draw by the Lions at Woodburn Stadium in Pietermaritzburg on Friday night.
The Sharks appeared to have done enough to claim victory when Meno Barnard crossed for their fourth try late in the match, only for the Lions to produce an excellent attacking move and send Gilermo Mentoe over for the equaliser.
Lions flyhalf Sam Francis then missed the conversion that would have won the match for the visitors, leaving the Sharks to settle for a draw.
Despite the frustration of surrendering a late lead, Vowles was full of praise for his players, particularly the defensive effort that kept them in a contest that swung dramatically after half-time.
“What a roller-coaster today,” Vowles said. “I think in the first half we probably disappointed ourselves, let ourselves done with some poor discipline. It didn’t allow us to really get a foothold in the game. That was really the message at half-time.
“And then I think the second half, the way this team defended and fought for 80-odd minutes, just incredibly proud of the performance.”
The Sharks trailed 10-5 at half-time before turning the game around after the break, scoring twice in the opening stages of the second half to move 17-10 ahead.
The Lions levelled the scores at 17-17 through hooker Armand Combrinck, setting up a tense final quarter before Barnard’s late try appeared to have settled the contest. For Vowles, however, the response from his players was more significant than the result.
“I said to the coaches now, it’s probably the best 80 minutes that we put together in the Currie Cup,” he said. “Just incredibly proud of the effort, the fight and the overall performance from the group.”
Vowles also highlighted the character in his squad, particularly the way they were able to recover from a difficult first half and remain composed under pressure.
“This team has got such fight and character,” he said. “We were able to show that within our system and it was a really, really good effort.”
One of the Sharks’ standout performers was 20-year-old Luan Giliomee, who was named Man of the Match after producing an influential display at fullback. Giliomee provided the final pass for Christie Grobbelaar’s try and impressed with his decision-making and composure despite his age.
“Luan’s a special player, right? He does things at 20 years old that many people can’t do,” Vowles said. “He really understands the game. He understands the game and he’s tough as anything, so I’m just so happy that he can put a performance in for the team like he did.”
Friday’s other Currie Cup results saw defending champions the Griquas strengthen their position at the top of the log with a 38-14 victory over the Airlink Pumas in Mbombela, while the Stormers XXIII kept their semi-final hopes alive with a 50-26 win over the Bulls XV at Loftus.
@RowanCallaghan
IOL Sport
