Durban — The Sharks’ glaring weakness in the tight five when their Boks are away was ruthlessly exposed at Hollywoodbets Kings Park on Saturday and if it was not for their enterprising backs, the score would have been much more than 31-24.
Pre-kick-off, the question was what would have been better for Ulster — playing this game in October when the Sharks had their 11 Springboks but it was much cooler, or playing a second-string Sharks team but in the stifling humidity of late summer in Durban?
The answer was clear in the first half when the Ulster forwards dominated and scored two textbook maul tries, driving easily through a lightweight Sharks pack shorn of Boks in Eben Etzebeth, Bongi Mbonmabi, Ox Nche, Thomas du Toit and Siya Kolisi, all of whom are in a national training camp.
Still, the Sharks scored just a minute into the game when scrumhalf Grant Williams nipped through a gap near a ruck and outpaced the defence to the line.
The visitors scored next, a penalty by John Cooney after the Sharks strayed offside at a ruck, and they took the lead when a penalty was kicked to the corner and the forwards rumbled over, with replacement hooker Tom Stewart getting the grounding.
The Sharks immediately regained the lead when fullback Boeta Chamberlain deftly nudged a kick into space for wing Thaakir Abrahams to gather and sprint to the posts.
Ulster, though, perfectly duplicated their earlier score when a penalty was again kicked to the corner and once more it was Stewart who was bundled over.
The Ulster lead accelerated to 24-12 just four minutes into the second half when alert centre Stewart Moore spotted a mistake by Williams at the base of a ruck on the Sharks’ line and pounced for an opportunistic score.
The home team was back in the match when prop Ntuthuko Mchunu burrowed over from close quarters following a series of penalties against Ulster only for big lock Harry Sheridan to muscle over.
The Sharks were truly outgunned up front but their backs were full of running and break out from their own half saw Chamberlain finishing off for what would be the last score of the match.
Scorers
Sharks 24 — Tries: Grant Williams, Thaakir Abrahams, Ntuthuko Mchunu, Boeta Chamberlain; Conversions: Curwin Bosch (2)
Ulster 31 — Tries: Tom Stewart (2), Stewart Moore, Harry Sheridan; Conversions: John Cooney (4); Penalties: John Cooney (1)
IOL Sport