The Sharks ran in six tries, with Jordan Hendrikse converting all of them, to beat Cardiff in Wales.
The Sharks proved a step above Cardiff, claiming their first-ever win against the Welsh side in their United Rugby Championship match at Cardiff Arms Park on Saturday (full-time score 42–22).
Cardiff secured a losing bonus point as they scored four tries compared to the Sharks’ six.
At the start of the game, neither team had won a rugby match in a month. The Sharks were on a three-game losing streak while Cardiff had two losses and a draw since their last win.
The teams played like it was all at stake but Cardiff proved their own worst enemies at their home ground. They conceded more penalties and turnovers, knocking the ball on in the Sharks 22 to squander chances.
Highlights were a brace of tries each from Sharks hooker Bongi Mbonambi and Cardiff wing Tom Bowen.
They were very different tries, 34-year-old Mbonambi’s being powerful drives over the line while 19-year-old Bowen’s were pulse-racing dashes on the sideline.
Sharks scorers: Mbonambi (two), Jurenzo Julius, Makazole Mapimpi and Francois Venter.
Cardiff scorers: Alex Mann, Tom Bowen (two) and Gabe Hamer-Webb.
Jordan Hendrikse must be credited for not missing any of his six conversions.
Sharks bring intensity to Cardiff
Cardiff opened the scoring with an overlap try on the sideline by Alex Mann in the seventh minute. But Callum Sheedy missed the conversion.
The Sharks responded seven minutes later, Mbonambi scoring a try from a driving maul. Hendrikse converted.
Jurenzo Julius followed it up with a try in the 17th minute. Hendrikse converted to make it 14–5 at the end of the first quarter.
Makazole Mapimpi scored a try in the 33rd minute after chasing a ball that bounced kindly for him.
Cardiff reduced the game to 11 points when Tom Bowen scored his first try on the sideline just before half-time.
But right after half-time, Mbonambi crashed over for his second try and a Sharks bonus point. Hendrikse secured his fourth conversion.
Bowen responded immediately with his own second try to keep Cardiff in the game. Sheedy converted this time to make it 28–17.
A Gabe Hamer-Webb’s overlap try for Cardiff was cancelled out by tries from Francois Venter and Yaw Penxe in the last quarter.
