The Sharks secured a dramatic 33-31 pre-season victory over the Lions at Ellis Park, leaving head coach JP Pietersen full of praise for his squad’s resilience despite facing a fresh injury concern.
The closely contested friendly served as the final major warm-up for the Durban-based franchise before their upcoming Vodacom United Rugby Championship (URC) campaign officially gets under way against the Ospreys at Kings Park on 26 September.
Pietersen expressed immense satisfaction with how his young players navigated a relentless onslaught from a clinical Lions outfit. Historically, the team has struggled to maintain momentum during heavy second-half squad rotations, but Pietersen noted a massive shift in mentality during this outing. He described it as "beautiful" to watch the next generation of talent stand their ground, handle intense pressure, and continuously find a way back into the game to seal the win.
However, the victory was slightly overshadowed by a setback to winger Yaw Penxe, who was forced off the field during the match with a back injury. The coaching staff is closely monitoring his condition ahead of the season opener. “Hopefully it’s not too serious,” Pietersen said, remaining optimistic about the winger's recovery. On a brighter note, the match saw successful returns to action for flyhalf Jordan Hendrikse and powerful lock Jason Jenkins, both picking up crucial game time.
There was also highly encouraging news regarding the team's midfield depth. Centres Jurenzo Julius and Murray Koster missed the trip to Johannesburg after picking up minor injuries in the Sharks’ 66-0 victory against the SWD Eagles in George last week. Pietersen confirmed that their return to the pitch is imminent. “Jurenzo’s got a bit of an ankle niggle; it’s not too serious. Him and Murray Koster, hopefully they can train next week,” Pietersen said, providing a major boost as the squad fine-tunes its preparations for the URC.