Sharks player ratings: ‘Out of character’ display from Springboks star as promising centre their ‘only attacking threat’
Sharks duo Edwill van der Merwe and Jurenzo Julius.
Following a 34-22 defeat to the Lions in the United Rugby Championship clash at Ellis Park on Saturday, here are the player ratings for the Sharks.
15 Aphelele Fassi: Good backfield coverage and solid under the high ball in first half, while there was the odd foray with ball in hand, but the second period was not good. Lucky to avoid a sin-binning and penalty try for what appeared to be a deliberate knock-down and also kicked the ball out on a couple of occasions. 4
14 Edwill van der Merwe: Looked well off the pace with his lazy tracking back for Morne van den Berg’s try summing up Van der Merwe’s performance. Hopefully he was carrying an injury because, if not, it was out of character for the Springboks wing. 3
13 Francois Venter: Strong on both sides of the ball, providing a carrying option in attack and hitting hard in defence, but there were a few mistakes and Venter’s impact was ultimately limited. 5
12 Jurenzo Julius: Started off well enough with a fine burst off a short line close to the ruck before he showed his talent with a couple of outstanding breaks after the interval. The Sharks’ only attacking threat and deserved his score at the end having been denied one a few minutes earlier. 7
11 Jaco Williams: Unlike Van der Merwe, there was no doubting his work ethic as the youngster chased hard, but he failed to get involved too much as the Lions shut them down. 5
10 Siya Masuku: Handed a rare start but the fly-half didn’t do himself any favours with a mediocre display. Failed to get the backline moving while his kicking out of hand did not cause many problems for the hosts. 4
Costly yellow card
9 Jaden Hendrikse: There was plenty of positive moments from the scrum-half early on, including an excellent turnover, but Hendrikse tried to influence matters at the breakdown once again and it cost his side. He was sin-binned and those 10 minutes while he was off the field effectively decided the contest. 4
8 Thomas Dyer: Making his first appearance since 2024, the 21-year-old got an opportunity, but he was part of a faltering pack. Dyer put in a shift, making plenty of tackles and also attempting to influence matters with ball in hand, but it was a difficult day for most players. 5
7 Vincent Tshituka (c): Another to look the part in the opening exchanges, with Tshituka physical in contact and a useful asset in the lineout, but ended up being part of a beaten pack. 6
6 Tino Mavesere: Quiet for the most part. Couldn’t really get into the game with the Lions loose forwards absolutely dominant, while a needless infringement denied Julius what would have been a superb try. 4
Solid set-piece
5 Jason Jenkins: Probably the best of an underwhelming Sharks display. A key component in the lineout, including nicking one off the Lions, while he was everywhere in defence. 7
4 Corne Rahl: A couple of good moments from the big lock with Rahl physical in the loose, while his size no doubt helped in the scrum. 6
3 Hanro Jacobs: Probably the best part of the visitors’ performance was the scrum, with Jacobs having the better of his individual duel. Didn’t do a whole lot outside of that, but he at least laid a platform for his side. 6
2 Fez Mbatha: Part of a solid set-piece showing as both the scrum and lineout ran smoothly. Got a try for his efforts with the hooker doing his job well, which was better than his team-mates. 6
1 Phatu Ganyane: Up against a Springboks tighthead, Ganyane was excellent, sending Asenathi Ntlabakanye back when they packed down. Another to emerge with credit from a poor team display. 7
Replacements: There was certainly an improvement when the bench came but you couldn’t really say any of them particularly stood out. Jordan Hendrikse was better than Masuku, the scrum continued to impress and Yaw Penxe offered more energy than Van der Merwe, but they never threatened a comeback. 5
READ MORE: Lions v Sharks: Result, match details, stats, line-ups