26 September 2026
Hollywoodbets Sharks head coach JP Pietersen praised his youthful side's ability to grind out a maximum five-point result despite a flurry of early handling errors following a clinical 41–24 bonus-point victory over the Ospreys at Kings Park.
Speaking post-match, Pietersen made it clear that he would gladly take a win even if it was not entirely polished. While acknowledging the performance lacked ultimate polish, Pietersen said that securing the win at home outweighed any minor friction in execution.
“I’m pleased with the performance, and pleased to get a win at home,” he said. “I think it’s the first time the Sharks have won their first game in the URC. If you win ugly you’ll be happy.”
The match erupted into life in the second half as the Sharks' lethal backline found its rhythm and went on the attack. Fullback Luan Giliomee pulled the strings beautifully, unlocking space with razor-sharp distribution to dismantle the Ospreys' fringe defence.
“The stats will say there were a lot of handling errors from us, but that comes when you go forward; you want to move the ball,” Pietersen explained. “If we win, I’ll be happy with four points. Today, we got five.”
He described Giliomee, who is set to join the Bulls before the end of the year, as nothing short of exceptional.
“He understands the game, he understands space, and he’s got speed,” the coach added. “We’re just grateful that we had time with him, and we’ll still have him next week.”
Pietersen was equally delighted with how his fringe players stepped into the pressure cooker of senior rugby. According to Pietersen, last-minute call-up Janco Purchase’s stellar performance at inside centre reflects incredibly well on the Sharks' junior system.
“We talk about Gilly, but we had Purchie here who did everything right, coming in at the last minute,” Pietersen noted. “It just shows how professional he is. He’s a smart kid who wants it, and you can see from the performance he put in today that he grabbed the opportunity with both hands.”
