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Hendrikse sublime, Phepsi purring and Curwin accurate as Sharks cull Lions in wet Durban

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Jaden Hendrikse.  (Photo by Darren Stewart/Gallo Images)
Jaden Hendrikse. (Photo by Darren Stewart/Gallo Images)

In almost a reminder of who the older sibling was, Jaden Hendrikse put on a classical performance against his brother Jordan as the Sharks beat the Lions 37-10 at Kings Park on Saturday.

The scrumhalf ran the show in difficult rainy conditions in the United Rugby Champion (URC), never allowing the home side to slip behind in their attacking endeavour.

He got them onto the front foot straight away, putting passes and kicks that almost put the Lions' challenge on the ropes as early as 10 minutes in.

AS IT HAPPENED | URC: Sharks vs Lions

The hosts went ahead first through a well-setup Gerbrandt Grobler score within the first 10 minutes. The No 4 was teed up nicely by Jaden Hendrikse's pop pass after wing Makazole Mapimpi took the close in the first phase attack.

In the process, Jannie du Plessis was yellow-carded for a needless off-the-ball cynical shoulder charge on lock Reniel Hugo.

In the 11th minute, Jaden Hendrikse did his magic tricks again when he dinked a ball over the Lions' line with his weaker foot, which Marius Louw cupped beautifully before feeding Phepsi Buthelezi for their second try.

Buthelezi was another star Sharks performer for the Durbanites.

The loose-forward academy product carried with authority, breaking numerous tackles at times and got close to finishing the game with two scores on his own.

Flyhalfs Curwin Bosch and Jordan Hendrikse traded penalties after the Sharks' blistering start as the match simmered down in tempo, mirroring the moist and heavy-footed conditions.

Curwin continued putting the Lions at arm's length with an early second-half penalty as the Sharks got close again with Henco Venter, who was held up over the line.

Turnovers were all the rage and scrums went this way then that, then collapsed in the mâché of the wet Kings Park turf.

The kick then became the go-to tactic, which also spoke of a lack of tactics as the weather mirrored more Dublin than Durban.

On the hour, though, hooker Bongi Mbonambi broke the monotony when he scored the Sharks' third try from a 15m driving maul that looked like a beautiful freight train trudging one carriage after the other in an orderly fashion.

There wasn't much the Lions could have done about it.

Bosch had given the Sharks positional supremacy with a brilliant 50-22, something he's made a weekly event since settling as the first-choice flyhalf.

The 24-year-old also kicked for poles impeccably, converting all four tries during the evening to add to his three penalty strikes - seven from seven attempts.

He even had an opportunity to score in the 68th minute but was outflanked by Lions defenders as he tried to step through unsuccessfully.

But it was an overall impressive performance for the much-maligned flyhalf.

The Sharks sealed the deal through substitute Sikhumbuzo Notshe with a try 10 minutes from time, which gave them their four-try bonus point.

The visitors managed a consolation Henco van Wyk try late in the game but that was all she wrote.

VIEW LOGS | United Rugby Championship

Scorers:

Sharks - (17) 37

Tries: Gerbrandt Grobler, Phepsi Buthelezi, Bongi Mbonambi, Sikhumbuzo Notshe

Conversions: Curwin Bosch (4)

Penalties: Bosch (3)

Lions - (3) 10

Try: Henco van Wyk

Conversion: Jordan Hendrikse

Penalty: Jordan Hendrikse

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