The Cell C Sharks 28-23 United Rugby Championship victory over Leinster on Saturday night was a study in grim determination, physical dominance and a bit of x-factor thrown in for good measure.
It was a close-fought match with Leinster pushing hard at the end and camping on the Cell C Sharks’ line in their quest for a late try to seal a draw or even victory. But a committed defensive effort in the final moments secured an important URC victory in the grand scheme of the tournament.
Cell C Sharks head coach Sean Everitt admitted afterwards that his side had been well and truly tested, but was thrilled with the effort that delivered a bonus point victory over the log leaders.
“Even without their top internationals, Leinster is a formidable team,” he said. “They have a lot of depth and cohesion in their squad and with a few internationals on their field against us, it was always going to be a tough ask for us.
“I thought the guys stuck to their guns well and we’re very happy that we got the five points.”
The coach admitted that of the concerns going into the match and something he warned his team about, was losing focus or concentration at vital times, something they heeded.
“I’d spoken to the players about our alertness on the field during the week, there had been lapses in concentration against Edinburgh and despite dominating, we lost that game. These teams are sharp and they pick up on that.
“There were soft moments and we had opportunities of our own we didn’t convert which put us under pressure on the scoreboard.”
But Everitt felt that a highlight was the massive effort from the forwards who delivered a comprehensive domination over their Irish rivals to lay the platform for victory.
“I’m really happy with how the front row – and the pack for that matter – stood up. We looked to them for ascendancy and they certainly gave us that in the mauls and the scrums.”
Aphelele Fassi’s return to action suggested that he had never been injured, such was the seamless way he fitted back into the team and his incredible contribution from fullback.
“He’s come back from a lengthy injury after being in-form at the time, we possibly rushed him back into action for this game after only a week of field training, but his character is such that he just gets on with the job. He’s not fazed by anything and he certainly possesses x-factor and even his kicking game has improved.
“It’s really good to have a guy like him back and we hope he gets higher honours when the June internationals come around.”
Someone else whose game grew in confidence was flyhalf Curwin Bosch and Everitt said, “We’re very happy for him, he’s been criticised a lot and I was criticised for selecting him, but my feeling is that form is temporary and class permanent, and he’s certainly starting to show that he has an all-round game.
“His defence has improved, his tackle percentage is way up in the 90s, which used to be a glaring weakness of his, and we saw what he can do with ball in hand; he countered well, made the right decisions on attack and I’m very happy where he is and proud of how he has stood up.”
The five points from this match pushed the Cell C Sharks closer to a top four finish with two rounds remaining, something Everitt spoke about at length.
“We always knew with the run-in the South African teams had that there would be opportunities for us. We needed help from some of the other teams and there are also some big games ahead which could help us get into the top four.
“We are motivated by that fact, we also have Super Rugby experience, like playing a quarter-final in Christchurch on a Saturday, it was always going to be a tough ask and not many South African teams have won knock-out games overseas in Super Rugby.
“It is difficult to play away and that’s why there’s everything to play for.”
