Relief was all over John Plumtree’s face, not to mention rivers of sweat, when he addressed the media as coach of the SA Shield-winning Sharks on Saturday afternoon.
The Durbanites hung on to beat the Lions 25-22 in an arm wrestle between evenly matched United Rugby Championship sides at a steamy Kings Park.
“It was a war of attrition,” Plumtree said.
“During the week, we had these words written on a board ‘Who is prepared to go the hardest for the longest?’
"I’m pleased that we hung in and got over the line when it could have gone the Lions’ way in those last minutes.
“A week is a long time in rugby, and I am very proud of the boys after a tough seven days (following the 38-14 defeat at Ellis Park last weekend).
“We are a proud bunch, and last week our pride got seriously dented, and by a good rugby team.”
The Sharks had attacking rugby on their menu, and only a few minutes into the game, a break-out from near their 22 saw Yaw Penxe scorching down the openside touchline, and an inside pass found Grant Williams, who skinned fullback Tapiwa Mafura to score in the corner.
But within a minute, the Zimbabwean had redeemed himself when he scored in the diagonally opposite corner of the field.
For Plumtree and his assistants, it was a ‘coach killer’. Schoolboys know that the most important passage of play is the one after you have scored.
You don’t bank the points until you have handled the kickoff and exited your danger area. But the Sharks could not do that, and the Lions cashed in.
Both sides had talked up the importance of starting strongly, and 7-5 to the Lions after 20 minutes was a fair reflection.
The Sharks were much improved from Ellis Park, while the Lions played with the confidence you would expect, with scrumhalf Morné van den Berg playing a blinder. He continues to do his Springbok aspirations no harm.
The Sharks had flanker Lappies Labuschagne held up over the line, and Penxe broke brilliantly but could not finish off.
But as the hooter approached, they hit the afterburners, and Siya Kolisi burst over to give the Sharks a 12-7 halftime lead.
The captain was leading from the front, and scored his second 10 minutes into the new half. The conversions were not going over, but 17-7 was a commanding advantage in the conditions.
But the Lions sing from a different hymn sheet, and they struck back immediately via the slippery winger Richard Kriel to make it 17-12 at the three-quarter mark.
The Lions crept closer with a Gianni Lombard penalty to make it a two-point game at 17-15, and with 17 minutes to go, they emphatically took the lead when hooker and Sharks old boy Franco Marais bustled over off the back of a maul.
Lombard’s conversion meant that at 17-22, the Sharks had to score a seven-pointer to win.
Substitute flank Nick Hatton seemed to have the answer when he went over after a scrum near the Lions’ line, only for Jaden Hendrikse to hit the upright with the conversion attempt to leave the teams locked up at 22-22 with 10 minutes to go.
Scores are LEVEL at the 🦈 tank with just over 🔟mins left!
— vodacomrugby (@VodacomRugga) March 8, 2025
Hollywoodbets @SharksRugby are down to 14 men 👀#SHAvLIO | @Vodacom #URC pic.twitter.com/8mzVkCVzgS
There were five minutes left on the clock when Jaden Hendrikse kicked the Sharks into the winning lead by fortuitous means – his kick hit the upright once more, but glanced inwards and over.
Plumtree said the Lions are a team on the up, and deserve the respect that is coming their way.
“The Lions have arrived on the scene with their consistency wherever they play, and are competitive in all parts of the game now,” he said. “Credit to them and their coaches for the way they have gone about their business.”
Plumtree said he had a sense of déjà vu as the Lions threatened to snatch the game at the end, as they did in the corresponding fixture last year when they kicked a last-minute penalty to win 20-18 at Kings Park.
The Lions were leading with 15 minutes to go, but the Sharks responded.
“We had 14 men after Yaw Penxe was carded, but what a moment when Nick Hatton did great work to get over the line. I love moments like that, when a good young player coming through scores a crucial try in a big game.”
The Hollywoodbets @SharksRugby is the @Vodacom #URC South African Shield Winners! 🤩 pic.twitter.com/xjirl0MBhR
— vodacomrugby (@VodacomRugga) March 8, 2025
Hatton has risen from club rugby ranks in Durban to get a shot with the Sharks.
Plumtree said the real-feel hear of 36 degrees was hugely demanding on both sets of players.
The match kicked off at 2pm in blazing sun and stifling humidity. The understanding is that the game was played so early because of television demands to have all eyes on the Six Nations game between Ireland and France, which kicked off at 4.15pm SA time on Saturday.
“The conditions out there were next level,” Plumtree said. “They were very tough for both teams, and there was the constant need to keep the guys hydrated. Ice and cool towels were going on all the time.
“To be honest, they were also going up to the coaches’ box. It was boiling in there too, and my heart was racing!”
Points-Scorers
Sharks 25 – Tries: Grant Williams, Siya Kolisi (2), Nick Hatton. Conversion: Jordan Hendrikse (1). Penalty: Jaden Hendrikse (1).
Lions 22 – Tries: Tapiwa Mafura, Richard Kriel, Franco Marais. Conversions: Gianni Lombard (2). Penalty: Lombard (1).