REPORT: Sharks surge to bonus-point win over Zebre

Sean Everitt’s men were big favourites against the competition’s bottom side but the hosts had to be patient, leading just 10-6 at half-time thanks to a Henco Venter try.

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The Sharks kicked on after the break, with Bongi Mbonambi going over before a pair of yellow cards proved costly for the previously stubborn visitors.

Khutha Mchunu and Grant Williams both touched down during Potu Leavasa’s time in the sin bin while Curwin Bosch – who kicked 13 points – went over in Jacopo Bianchi’s absence.

The result lifts the Sharks back to the top of the South African Shield and sixth in the overall table.

The Sharks were forced into a late change to their starting XV, with Makazole Mapimpi replaced by Yaw Penxe, but they opened the scoring when Venter wriggled over in the eighth minute, with Bosch adding the extras after Antonio Rizzi had missed an earlier penalty for Zebre.

Perhaps inspired by Italy’s shock Guinness Six Nations win over Wales in Cardiff earlier in the day, Zebre put up an impressive defence to prevent the Sharks from adding to their early advantage and a Bosch penalty was as much as the hosts could muster before Rizzi got the visitors off the mark in the 31st minute.

Compounding the pre-match loss of Mapimpi, the Sharks also saw Aphelele Fassi limp off and some poor execution further hindered their progress, with Rizzi reducing the arrears to 10-6 before half-time – a vast improvement on their 33-0 deficit at the same stage against the Stormers last Sunday.

The Sharks set about widening the gap early in the second half and, after knocking on the door a couple of times, Mbonambi forced his way over, leaving Bosch with a relatively straightforward conversion.

A subsequent Williams try was chalked off for a forward pass in the build-up but Zebre lost Leavasa to the sin bin and the Sharks capitalised on the man advantage when replacement prop Mchunu crossed from close range and Bosch made it 24-6.

The bonus point arrived with Zebre still down to 14 men – the ball was spread wide to Werner Kok, who closed in on the visitors’ line before passing inside to Williams to finish.

Bosch converted and then touched down himself after Bianchi saw yellow, adding the extras to his own try.

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