Pietersen’s Sharks make it two on the bounce with statement URC win over Bulls at Kings Park

The Sharks secured their second win under interim head coach JP Pietersen with a valuable victory over the Bulls on Saturday at Kings Park, a result that continued their upward trend after a difficult start to the season.

Playing in front of a full stadium in Durban, the coastal side produced a more measured and disciplined performance to seal a 21–12 victory in the United Rugby Championship (URC).

Their defensive effort was consistent throughout the match, while their game management showed improvement as they controlled periods of pressure and capitalised on scoring opportunities when they presented themselves.

The Bulls tested the home side with their physical approach and dominated at scrum time, but the Sharks responded well, matching the intensity and maintaining their structure. Importantly, they avoided lapses in concentration that have cost them earlier in the campaign, showing greater composure under sustained pressure.

For Pietersen, the win marked a second successive positive result since taking charge on an interim basis.

While the Sharks are in a rebuilding phase under him, there are clear signs of progress in terms of cohesion and confidence within the squad. The result also carried added significance given the rivalry between the two teams and the importance of building momentum in the URC.

“They didn’t score one try, so defensively we were good,” Pietersen said after the clash.

“We must give credit to Joey (Mongalo, defence coach). Even when we were under pressure in the scrum, the defending went well. They played on the front foot in the first half, looking at the statistics, and the chat at half-time was how to make them turn around.

“The plan was to win territory by kicking well and putting their skillset under pressure. We also won some balls at line-out time and credit to the boys for turning things around. It was very humid, but for us to score three tries was massive. We could’ve scored four if that try was not disallowed following a knock-on.”

The Sharks now head into a scheduled break with confidence, having put together consecutive wins that have steadied their season somewhat. The pause will offer an opportunity to recover and fine-tune areas of their game ahead of their next local derby against the Lions in two weeks’ time.

Pietersen confirmed that Springboks prop Ox Nché is back in training and will be available for the clash against the Ellis Park side. Nché should provide some much-needed experience in the front row, especially when it comes to the scrummaging.

With momentum beginning to build in Durban, the focus will be on maintaining consistency as the season progresses. If they can string together a few more strong performances over the next month, the Sharks will find themselves back in contention in the URC.