Makazole Mapimpi of the Sharks passes the ball to Curwin Bosch of the Sharks (R) in for an unmanned try during the round four Super Rugby match between the Rebels and the Sharks at Mars Stadium on February 22, 2020 in Ballarat, Australia. (Photo by Daniel Pockett/Getty Images)
Sharks coach sheds more light on Mapimpi’s selfless act
Makazole Mapimpi was on the verge of a hat-trick, but opted to hand the moment of glory to Curwin Bosch instead.
Makazole Mapimpi of the Sharks passes the ball to Curwin Bosch of the Sharks (R) in for an unmanned try during the round four Super Rugby match between the Rebels and the Sharks at Mars Stadium on February 22, 2020 in Ballarat, Australia. (Photo by Daniel Pockett/Getty Images)
Sharks coach Sean Everitt has revealed the reason behind winger Makazole Mapimpi’s remarkable selfless act during the 36-22 win over the Rebels on Saturday.
The Springbok flyer touched down twice in Ballarat, as the men from Durban ran in five tries to secure their second win on tour.
Makazole Mapimpi’s selfless act explained
A standout moment in the game was the length-of-the-field try by the visitors, with flyhalf Curwin Bosch dotting down on his comeback match after missing the loss to the Hurricanes due to a family bereavement.
The try, however, could have been Mapimpi’s third of the afternoon after he ran about 90 minutes into the in-goal area, only to selflessly pass the ball for his 23-year-old teammate to touch down.
Everitt shed more light on the reason behind the gesture.
“Makazole gave that try to Curwin because Curwin was celebrating his 50th game. We were very happy with the five tries,” said the Sharks mentor.
Sean Everitt
Coach hails improved Sharks performance
The victory came a week after a disappointing outing in Wellington, where a solid first-half display was undone by some ill-discipline in the second 40 minutes. This saw the Sharks go from holding the Hurricanes to a 17-all scoreline at the break to succumbing to a 38-22 defeat at full time.
Against the Rebels, they were better off at halftime, where they led 22-10, and held their nerve throughout the second stanza to maintain their 12-point advantage.
Everitt singled out the forwards for inspiring an improved performance.
“We are very happy with the outcome of the day, we improved hugely in the set-piece,” said Everitt.
“The scrumming and the lineout work was way better, and credit must go to the forwards. We said we would fix the problems and we did that. Although it still isn’t perfect as we still lost a few lineouts in the second half.
“We also defended really well against a difficult and physical team. The guys said afterwards it was the most physical game they played in this year so far, so credit must go to the Rebels for what they brought to the game.”
Sean Everitt
The Sharks are second in the South African conference behind the unbeaten Stormers, having won three out of their four matches played so far.
They conclude their overseas tour in Brisbane against the high-flying Reds on Saturday, 29 February. The match kicks off at 10:15 (SAST).
