Match Report: Cardiff Rugby vs Hollywoodbets Sharks
01/28/2025 02:02 AM
The Hollywoodbets Sharks registered their first-ever victory over Cardiff in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship with a well-deserved 42-22 victory on Saturday.
Although history was on the Welsh team's side, the injury-ravaged Durban side delivered a commanding performance to not only secure a bonus point victory, but also leap-frog the formerly third-placed team on the VURC log table.
In the lead-in to the game, head coach John Plumtree had spoken of the need for the players to empty the tank in this final game before a break, to leave nothing in the changerooms but to play with energy and commitment. The match hung in the balance at the introduction of the bench players and they certainly delivered.
It's been a season of high physical demands, but the players came with urgency and energy and came to play – and win.
They played with ruthless commitment, uncompromising and dominant.
The match didn't start on the best note for the Hollywoodbets Sharks who conceded an early try inside the opening seven minutes, but if the Welsh thought their dream start was a portent of things to come, it didn't quite unfold that way.
Bongi Mbonambi powered his way over for the try-equaliser seven minutes later after Cardiff had conceded penalties that had them defending their line against a series of lineout-mauls, with Jordan Hendrikse putting his team into a two-point lead with the conversion.
Sensational play set up the second try, Hendrikse scything his way through a tiny gap and then sending Jurenzo Julius into space, and he was too quick and carried too much momentum into the move for Cardiff to have any answer. Hendrikse converted and suddenly it was a nine-point lead as the game approached the end of the first quarter.
Five minutes later, Ntuthuko Mchunu was denied a try after the TMO ruled that the ball had been lost forward in the grounding.
With their tails up, the third try did come a few minutes later after a power scrum totally demolished the Welsh pack and from the ensuing penalty kicked to touch, the ball was sent out of the maul, kicked ahead and Makazole Mapimpi ran onto the loose ball in space and made no mistake with the score, Hendrikse pushing his team 16 points ahead with five minutes of the pulsating half remaining.
Cardiff strung together an electric effort, keeping the ball alive with some creative play that culminated in their second try with just a few minutes left on the clock, but the conversion was once again off target and the first half soon closed with the Durban side leading 21-10.
The second half started with a bang, the dream start for the Hollywoodbets Sharks with Bongi Mbonambi smashing his way over the tryline after a sustained build-up, the bonus point try and Hendrikse's conversion taking them into a 28-10 lead two minutes in.
Cardiff struck back immediately, a grubber kick sent behind the defence found the wing in space and no-one to stop him, cutting the lead to 11 points.
With the final quarter beckoning, a 50-22 decision set Cardiff up for the double strike and they showed composure under pressure to send the ball out wide to threaten the Hollywoodbets Sharks' lead, now 28-22.
With the high intensity of play from the visitors, coach Plumtree threw his bench into the fray with the desire to see the energy continued and the pace of the game maintained.
Cardiff had wrestled the advantage back with the two tries and sensing the swing of the pendulum and the need to build on their foundation, the Hollywoodbets Sharks secured a third (to none) scrum penalty which reinforced their dominance at the set-piece.
A Makazole Mapimpi breakout and then chip ahead was gathered by Jaden Hendrikse who unselfishly fed Francois Venter for the replacement centre to canted over for the fifth try in the 73rd minute to put the game out of reach for Cardiff, the conversion to maintain the 100% kicking rate pushing them into a 35-22 lead with five minutes of this exciting match remaining.
Yaw Penxe sealed a hugely successful and enjoyable outing with a ruthless build-up that captain and Man of the Match Vincent Tshituka was instrumental in creating with a dangerous run and then the perfect offload to his wing, with Hendrikse once again making short work of the conversion to set up a 20-point margin of victory.
The five-pointer was the perfect way to close out this portion of the season.
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