Sharks XV coach Mike Vowles believes the big victory over the Bulls has underlined the quality of young talent pushing for places in the URC squad. Picture: Sydney Mahlangu/BackpagePix
Image: Sydney Mahlangu/BackpagePix
The Sharks XV may have been regarded as a development side, but they gave a compelling demonstration of the talent coming through the Durban franchise with a thrilling 53-22 victory over the Bulls XV at Kings Park on Friday night.
The emphatic bonus-point win kept the Sharks XV in contention for a place in the Currie Cup semi-finals. Still, perhaps more importantly, it provided further evidence that there are several young players capable of pushing for places in the senior squad preparing for the United Rugby Championship under head coach JP Pietersen.
Sharks XV coach Mike Vowles has been tasked by Pietersen with identifying and developing players who can make the step up to the senior squad, and his young charges gave him plenty to be pleased about in their final pool match.
Flanker Tino Mavesere was the outstanding performer, scoring four tries in a dominant display, while captain Ross Braude and hooker Jacques Marais both crossed twice as the Sharks XV produced some exhilarating attacking rugby.
The result lifted the Sharks to fourth place on the Currie Cup log, leaving their semi-final hopes dependent on results in Nelspruit and Wellington this weekend.
“It was about giving ourselves an opportunity in the competition, and we also wanted to honour the opportunity of playing at Kings Park,” Vowles said.
“We ticked the boxes on both fronts. We’ve done what we can, and it’s now in somebody else’s hands, but I’m proud that we’ve got that opportunity now.”
The Sharks XV have shown plenty of resilience throughout the campaign, something Vowles believes will serve the youngsters well as they attempt to progress to the next level.
“Rugby is so tough; if you don’t have a group that fights for one another, you’ll always come short,” he said.
“The one thing we consistently showed was fight and effort, which speaks volumes to the synergy and the culture that the leadership and coaching group have built.
“Hopefully we can go through to a semi-final.”
Vowles was pleased that his players remained focused on their performance rather than becoming distracted by the permutations surrounding the final round.
“We actually didn’t speak about the result or bonus points,” he said.
“We tried to keep our focus on our performance and things that we could control. We spoke about winning first and then what happened after that was going to be a bonus.”
Among the players to enhance their claims for greater opportunities was Mavesere, whose relentless work rate has impressed his coach throughout the campaign.
“Tino, he’s just an Energizer bunny, right? He doesn’t stop,” Vowles said.
“He’s got the speed of most backs, and he’s so powerful in his ball carries.
“Most importantly, he’s just an exceptional human. He’s so good for the team. He always puts the team first; all credit to him.”
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