Every Munster attack ended in a knock-on or turnover as the Sharks won seven tries to none.
While the Sharks’ attacking play was exceptional, captain André Esterhuizen praised his team’s defence for laying the foundation for a 45-0 whitewash of Munster at Kings Park.
Munster, the 2022/23 United Rugby Championship winners, rarely made it inside the Sharks’ 22 on Saturday night.
Instead, the top Irish side were comprehensively outmuscled in the physical contests, struggling to make ground on many occasions. They were also dominated in the scrums, lineouts and mauls.
The Sharks defended superbly, and every Munster attack either led to a knock-on or a turnover to the Sharks.
Sharks bounce back
“I am very happy about the bounce back after the last two games [losses to the Lions and Bulls],” said Esterhuizen. “Proud of the boys for pulling together.”
While the match saw Makazole Mapimpi score two great tries in the last two minutes, and 19-year-old debutant Luan Giliomee score a try and kick a 50-22 to set up another, Esterhuizen said the Sharks’ defensive press was “the best part of the game”.
“I think that’s a great achievement for the team, especially with the amount of tries we’ve leaked the last couple of games. It’s basically work-rate and putting your head in dark places to get those defensive sets.”
The Sharks captain said Mapimpi could not have asked for a more special result, and two great tries, in the milestone match.
Of Giliomee, Esterhuizen said, “Gilly is a great young prospect with lots of talent. He played unbelievably against a good Munster side that put him under pressure. He handled the pressure well and I am proud of him.”
Sharks still have it all to do
Despite the result, the Sharks remain 11th on the URC table, now having five wins from 13 games, four of which were under new coach JP Pietersen.
There are only five regular-season matches to play before the top eight teams contest the playoffs.
“Every single game is a knockout for us now,” Esterhuizen said.
“Now it’s for the next five games, consistent performances, and two on the road as well.
“If the group can stick together and play like this, and build on that because there’s still a lot of room for improvement even after tonight’s performance, we have a good chance of making the play-offs.”
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