Sharks player ratings: JP Pietersen’s men fail to overcome losing ‘lethal’ Springboks weapons through unpunished acts in disappointing defeat
Sharks backs Ethan Hooker (INPHO/Laszlo Geczo/EPCR) and Siya Masuku with an inset of Ox Nche (INPHO/Dave Winter/EPCR).
Following the Sharks’ disappointing 21-17 defeat to the Ospreys, here’s how we rated JP Pietersen’s men in the United Rugby Championship clash.
The Sharks player ratings v Ospreys
15 Zekhethelo Siyaya: Sharks boss Pietersen was just 19 when he debuted for the Durbanites, and since taking charge of the team, he has made a point of blooding in youngsters and has been rewarded for doing so. Today is just another example of that, as Siyaya showed why there is so much hype around him. Shoots of brilliance throughout his performance, with the one critique being that he forced the 50/50 on occasion, but that is completely understandable for such a young player. One to keep an eye on going forward, as remarkably, he looked right at home at this level. 8
14 Edwill van der Merwe: Relentlessly charged after the high bombs and had some good success in doing so, even when he was unable to reclaim possession, he tapped it back for a teammate. Got a few touches of the ball but little of real substance with Ospreys covering him well. 6
13 Le Roux Malan: A clear-cut head-high tackle ended his evening, one that also went unpunished. That came when he erroneously held onto the ball when he really should have passed. Before then, he did little wrong on either side of the ball. 6
12 Andre Esterhuizen (c): Always a force with the ball in hand, but he will be livid with his intercept pass to Kasende that led to a try. That was his standout error in what was another strong performance. 6
11 Ethan Hooker: Finished off a scorching try after a deft offload from Vincent Tshituka, making the most of the rare opportunity he got with the ball in hand. However, that was accompanied by a Luke Morgan dogshot that the officials managed to ignore despite reviewing the try multiple times. Hooker has been a lethal weapon for the Sharks and Springboks for the last year and that challenge ended his game as he couldn’t return to the pitch after half-time, suffering a shoulder injury. Simply unacceptable. 7
10 Jean Smith: Attempted the speculative more often than not, it didn’t come off, and handed possession back to the Ospreys, letting them off the hook with an intercept pass leading to a try. Missed two shots at goal, too, which was the difference on the scoreboard. Not his finest outing. 4
9 Jaden Hendrikse: Good service and kicked well from the base and caused havoc for the Ospreys’ backfield with the occasional dink over the top. Finished the game at fly-half but barely saw the ball when he did. 5
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The forward pack
8 Manu Tshituka: A willing, aggressive, and physical carrier in what was a tidy and impactful shift. Really got stuck into a powerful Ospreys pack and more than held his own. 7
7 Vincent Tshituka: His spoiled catch from the restart was one of the very few blemishes on the Springbok’s performance as he led the charge on both sides of the ball and was excellent in the lineouts. His offload to Hooker was superb, and he also claimed a crucial turnover. 8
6 Phepsi Buthelezi: Today’s result was certainly not the starting loose trio’s doing, as Buthelezi did what was required of him and did it well. Made his tackle, carried strongly, and contested at the breakdown. 6
5 Emile van Heerden: Ran a good defensive and attacking lineout for the Sharks alongside Vincent Tshituka. His usual busy self around the park. 6
4 Jason Jenkins: Aggressive in everything he did and had a solid 50-odd minute shift, by which time he looked shattered. Fair enough as he went through a ton of work. 5
3 Hanro Jacobs: Endured a tough time in the scrum against Gareth Thomas and finished his shift with two penalties conceded. Decent on the carry but not much else. 4
2 Fez Mbatha: Played just half an hour before Pietersen gave him the shepherd’s hook. Perhaps a ploy to turn the tide in the scrum or due to injury as it was hardly a poor shift from the hooker. 5
1 Phatu Ganyane: Pretty much the same as his fellow prop as struggled against the wily Tom Botha. Also conceded a pair of penalties but was fine in open play. 4
Replacements: The Sharks had to go to their bench earlier than expected due to the injuries caused by the unpunished foul play, forcing a major backline shuffle. Springboks props Ox Nche and Vincent Koch dominated two scrums before the Ospreys had injuries, forcing uncontested scrums, and removing a real advantage the Sharks had at a crucial time. Corne Rahl was strong outside of the harsh penalty he conceded while Siya Masuku had more good moments than bad, while Makazole Mapimpi barely had the opportunity to influence the game. 5