URC result: Sharks battle to important win over Cardiff

2026-03-27 - 19:20

The Sharks battled their way to a very important 21-15 win over a game Cardiff team in their United Rugby Championship (URC) clash at Kings Park in Durban on Friday night. With the Sharks currently in the bottom half on the URC log they needed a positive result to keep their playoff hopes alive, and they managed to do that after a huge arm wrestle between the two sides. They managed to take a good lead into the halftime break, but an error riddled second half saw both teams struggle to trouble the scorers, before the home side did enough to take the win but unfortunately without a bonus point. Stop-start It was a stop-start start to the match, with both teams conceding early penalties, but in the end the Sharks took advantage of that. They kicked two penalties into Cardiff’s half and then onto their five metre, where they secured the lineout, set the maul and rumbled over for loose forward Phepsi Buthelezi to dot down, converted by flyhalf Jordan Hendrikse for a sixth minute lead. In the 17th minute Cardiff hit back to level the scores, taking a quick tap deep in the Sharks 22m and got close, with them then switching the play and sending the ball out wide for wing Mason Grady to dive over in the corner. The Sharks were punished in the 27th minute when Hendrikse received a yellow card for a deliberate knock on with a line break on for the visitors. Cardiff immediately punished the hosts, kicking onto the 22m and attacking off the lineout, before inside centre Ben Thomas to send a cross kick wide for Grady to control the ball with his foot, before catching it and going over for the unconverted try and a 12-7 lead. Despite being down a man the Sharks responded superbly with two converted tries to take a good lead into halftime. Front row change First Sharks coach JP Pietersen sent on his reserve front row in the 30th minute, taking off Phatu Ganyane, Fez Mbatha and Hanro Jacobs, and putting on Ox Nche, Eduan Swart and Vincent Koch. They straight away made an impact, stabilising the Sharks scrum, which had been struggling, and after earning a penalty it was kicked deep into the Cardiff 22m, where they secured the lineout and set the maul, with it breaking up and Buthelezi burst through to go over for his second. With a few minutes to go to the break Sharks wing Yaw Penxe scored a brilliant individual try, after getting the ball in broken play, he chipped over the defence, caught the ball and went over for the score and a 21-12 lead at halftime. The second half was then a monster arm wrestle as the extremely humid conditions took its toll on both teams, leading to a lot handling errors over the half. It saw both teams going back and forth between the two 22s, but neither was able to breakthrough, as constant knock-ons and penalties made it a stop-start second 40. Cardiff managed to get themselves in range with a penalty to replacement back Ioan Lloyd in the 72nd minute, but in the end that proved to be the only points of the half as the Sharks saw out a tight win. Scorers Sharks: Tries – Phepsi Buthelezi (2), Yaw Penxe; Conversions – Jordan Hendrikse (2), Bradley Davids Cardiff: Tries – Mason Grady (2); Conversion – Callum Sheedy; Penalty: Ioan Lloyd