Sharks Cruise to 41-24 Bonus-Point Win Over Ospreys

Three tries inside the first half hour and a home record against the Ospreys that now reads three wins from three — the Sharks couldn't have asked for a better way to open JP Pietersen's URC campaign. A five-tries-to-four bonus-point win at Kings Park, 41-24, with a young Sharks backline setting the pace from the very first whistle.

It wasn't flawless — the scrum had its wobbles against a physical Welsh pack, and there were lapses in defensive concentration that let Ospreys back into it more than once. But going forward, this Sharks side looked a class above.

The Sharks set the tone early. Relentless pressure told in the 12th minute, a string of strong carries and slick offloads from Corné Rahl and Springbok scrumhalf Jaden Hendrikse putting captain Nick Hatton over. Vusi Moyo converted from a tough angle — 7-0.

They doubled the lead in the 22nd minute: Murray Koster offloaded to Jurenzo Julius, who set up flanker Manu Tshituka to finish. Moyo converted again — 14-0. Then came the pick of the bunch: fullback Luan Giliomee, just 20 years old, found a gap deep in his own half and simply ran through it, beating three defenders on a 50-metre solo effort to the line in the 28th minute. 21-0, and Kings Park was rocking.

Ospreys finally got on the board when winger Luke Morgan latched onto a long pass out wide to cross in the corner, converted to make it 21-7. The Sharks answered straight back — Giliomee was upended off the ball chasing a kick, and Litelihle Bester swooped on the loose ball to score the Sharks' fourth try of the half. 28-7.

Right on the stroke of half-time, Ospreys hooker Sam Parry powered over from a rolling maul, converted, to leave the score at 28-14 at the break — four tries to one, but a scoreline that flattered the visitors slightly given how one-sided the half had actually felt.

Ospreys started the second half the way they'd finished the first — flanker Liam Wright ran through a gap to score inside the opening minutes, the conversion drifting wide to make it 28-19. For a moment it looked like the visitors might make a real fight of it.

The Sharks had other ideas. Two Vusi Moyo penalties pushed the lead back out to 34-19 heading into the final quarter, with the flyhalf perfect off the tee all afternoon. Wing Suleiman Hartzenberg, on debut after his move from the Stormers, thought he'd scored too, but it was chalked off for a knock-on. It hardly mattered — the Sharks kept the pressure on through a series of drives, and Giliomee claimed his second try of the day out near the touchline, converted by Siya Masuku to make it 41-19.

Ospreys had the last word, a long pass sending Iestyn Hopkins over with nine minutes left to secure their four-try bonus point — the conversion missed, leaving the final score at 41-24. Two bonus points on the board for the visitors on a tough afternoon, but the day, and the extra log point, belonged comfortably to the Sharks.

A statement opening result for a Sharks side that finished a disappointing tenth last season and didn't record a win until round five. On this evidence — a composed Moyo pulling the strings and a fearless young back three doing the damage — JP Pietersen's men won't be waiting nearly that long for their next one.