Discarded Springbok’s ‘energy and impact’ hailed after Sharks’ win over Bulls
Sharks head coach JP Pietersen (inset) and scrum-half Jaden Hendrikse.
Sharks head coach JP Pietersen singled out Jaden Hendrikse for special praise after he shone off the replacements bench during their 21-12 triumph over the Bulls in Durban on Saturday.
The home side trailed the Bulls for most of the match but eventually got the better of the men from Pretoria after a strong finish in the final quarter.
Indeed, the Bulls held the lead for a long spell but failed to kick on and land the killer blow which proved costly as the Sharks eventually outscored them by three tries to none.
It was a satisfying victory for the home side and Pietersen‘s decision to introduce Hendrikse in the 68th minute was a masterstroke as he came to the fore with an outstanding cameo off the bench.
Jaden Hendrikse shines off the bench
Hendrikse, who was dropped from the Springboks squad this year, hit the ground running against the Bulls as he won two crucial turnovers soon after entering the fray and delivered a brilliantly executed box kick which Edwill van der Merwe gathered before scoring the match-winning try in the game’s dying moments.
And Pietersen couldn’t hide his delight after the contest.
“There was a lot going through my mind in that last 20 minutes – I can’t really recall everything,” he said. “But I have to give massive credit to Jaden.
“I think he made four or five big moments in the game that really changed it for us.
“That’s what you want from your bench – energy and impact. When those guys come on and lift the tempo, it makes a massive difference, and Jaden did exactly that today.”
Momentous result for the Sharks
The result is a momentous one for the Sharks as it is only their second victory in the 2025/26 United Rugby Championship (URC) campaign and moves them up to 12th position in the standings.
It’s also a memorable result for Pietersen as he has won two successive matches as Sharks head coach after taking over the coaching reins from John Plumtree ahead of their Investec Champions Cup clash with Saracens.
Although Pietersen is happy to return to the victory trail in the URC, he feel there is still plenty of room for improvement ahead of their next match against the Lions in Johannesburg on January 3.
“We could’ve done a bit better with winning the ball in the air,” he added.
“There is always something to work on. But we knew that’s what the Bulls would bring. They’re a very good team with the set-piece, especially at scrum time.
“That’s something we’ll keep working on, but the important thing for us was how we stayed in the fight.
“For us to score three tries in those conditions is massive. We still wanted to attack and move the ball, and I loved the bravery to keep giving it a go.”
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