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Sharks player ratings vs Leinster | 2024/25 URC
By Ian Cameron
Sharks player ratings: A single try from Bongi Mbonambi wasn’t enough to reel in a streetwise Leinster side that used every trick in the book to escape Durban with a 10-7 victory.
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Considering the disparity in personnel between the sides and the fact that it was on home turf at Kings Park, it’s a result that should rankle this Sharks side.
Here’s how we rated the players:
1. Ox Nche – 8
Put the heat on Leinster’s Thomas Clarkson and held the upper hand throughout. A colossus at the set-piece and made mincemeat of anyone silly enough to run straight at him. There were plenty of poor performances for the Sharks but his wasn’t one of them.
2. Bongi Mbonambi – 7
Rumbled over for the Sharks’ only try, giving Durban’s faithful something to cheer about on a tough afternoon. Threw in reliably at lineout time and was his usual bulldog self around the fringes until his 66th-minute exit.
3. Vincent Koch – 7
Made Cian Healy call upon every trick in the Irish prop’s handbook. Drove hard, tackled ferociously and looked keen to prove a point against his old adversary. One of the Sharks’ standouts.
4. Jason Jenkins – 5
Facing his former side, Jenkins couldn’t produce the fireworks the home crowd wanted. A few decent hits but largely overshadowed by Mangan and Deeny in the collisions. Fumbled a few balls too.
5. Emile van Heerden – 5.5
Tried to menace Leinster’s lineout, with mixed results. Showed glimpses of power in open play, but not enough to tilt the balance.
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6. James Venter – 6
He’s got an engine but was too often chasing shadows. Managed some nuisance at the breakdown and tackled his heart out but was overshadowed by the Leinster back-row.
7. Vincent Tshituka – 6
Covered a fair bit of ground, and whenever he carried, it took more than one Leinster jersey to drag him down. Quiet in patches, but when he did appear, it was all explosive runs and punishing tackles. One very blatant fumble aside, a decent shift.
8. Siya Kolisi – 5
Father time is catching up with him. His decision to go for the lineout instead of a kickable penalty to draw the game will annoy some Sharks fans but it was probably the right call. Hindsight is 20:20 vision as they say.
United Rugby Championship
P
W
L
D
PF
PA
PD
BP T
BP-7
BP
Total
1
Leinster
14
13
1
0
62
2
Bulls
14
10
4
0
50
3
Glasgow
13
9
4
0
49
4
Sharks
14
9
5
0
45
5
Munster
14
7
7
0
39
6
Ulster
14
7
7
0
37
7
Edinburgh
14
6
8
0
36
8
Stormers
14
6
8
0
35
9
Cardiff Rugby
13
6
6
1
35
10
Scarlets
14
6
7
1
33
11
Ospreys
14
6
7
1
33
12
Connacht
14
5
9
0
33
13
Benetton
13
6
6
1
32
14
Lions
13
6
7
0
30
15
Zebre
14
5
9
0
27
16
Dragons RFC
14
1
13
0
9
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9. Jaden Hendrikse – 5
Some crisp service early on, but in a game that never really opened up, Hendrikse couldn’t engineer many breaks. His yellow card didn’t help matters.
10. Jordan Hendrikse – 5
The pivot had a tough day orchestrating the Sharks’ attack. Planted one or two decent kicks in behind the Leinster defence, but he’ll be ruing the missed opportunities to put points on the board.
11. Makazole Mapimpi – 5
Rarely saw open field, which is basically kryptonite for a winger of his finishing pedigree. Looked dangerous on the odd occasion he did get space but was forced to feed on scraps out wide.
12. Andre Esterhuizen – 4
A bruiser on his day, but this wasn’t it. Missed a handful of tackles that let Leinster’s midfield breathe easy. A few crash-ball carries stuck, but not enough to redeem an uncharacteristically shaky outing.
13. Jurenzo Julius – 7
‘The Boogie Man’ gave Leinster’s Liam Turner a torrid time with his footwork and pace. Showed a few flashes of raw ability, yet the scoreboard never reflected his intent. One of the brighter sparks in the Sharks’ backline.
14. Ethan Hooker – 7
A decent shift on the wing. Looked lively in contact and put in a few big hits on the edge to keep Leinster honest while threatening with ball in hand, eating up metres when given the opportunity.
15. Yaw Penxe – 3
The less said, the better. A horror show under the high ball, coughed up possession repeatedly, and never found his groove in the unfamiliar role of fullback. He’ll need Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones to erase this memory.
REPLACEMENTS:
16. Fez Mbatha – 5
The young hooker tried to replicate Mbonambi’s bludgeoning style but never quite found the same impact. Solid in the set piece, but his cameo was too short to truly shine.
17. Ntuthuko Mchunu – 7
A big unit who gave Leinster tighthead Clarkson more of what Ox Nche was serving.
18. Ruan Dreyer – 7
Part of a replacement front row that maintained set-piece superiority.
19. Corne Rahl – 5
Got stuck in for the final stages but couldn’t shift the momentum. A handful of tackles, a decent carry or two, and then the clock ran out.
20. Emmanuel Tshituka – 5
Offered some extra punch at breakdown time but never got the open channels he might have exploited and gave away a turnover.
21. Bradley Davids – N/A
Late cameo, limited influence. Not on long enough to rate.
22. Siya Masuku – 5
Came on to try and spark a final push, but Leinster slammed the door.
23. Francois Venter – 5
Didn’t put a foot wrong, yet couldn’t conjure any magic.
Realistically only three players definite Bok starters this year - the front row - which comfortably did the job. The rest of the team will not be anywhere in the shakeup for the championship or the incoming tours. Leinster’s young side did very well on this tour. It is obvious that the Leinster are on a different level of coaching and enthusiasm compared to the SA franchises. The No1 Leinster team is essentially Ireland - not one current SA franchise would be represented by more than three players in the Bok line-up. It’s both a strength and a weakness for Ireland. It’s an interesting dynamic.
You don’t think the Springbok captain will be in the mix this year?
I do agree that calling the Sharks side ‘Springbok-laden’ is a bit deceptive. I would say:
Almost definite Bok starters in 2025: Ox, Bongi, Siya
Part of the match 23: Jaden, Koch (although the two best tightheads in the country are Malherbe and Wilco Louw so he might struggle).
Regular Bok B team members: Mapimps, Esterhuizen, Jordan
Still, the Sharks should not lose at home to a Leinster B/C side. Coaching is terrible.