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Sharks grind out win over plucky Cardiff

The Sharks have kept their Vodacom URC playoff hopes alive with a hard-fought win over Cardiff at a hot and muggy Kings Park on Friday night. The Durban side ran in three tries – including a brace by flank Phepsi Buthelezi – to register a 21-15 victory that moves them up to 10th on the overall table. The Sharks eventually found their rhythm after a slow start, striking first in the sixth minute through Phepsi Buthelezi, who powered over from a rolling maul. Jordan Hendrikse added the extras to give the hosts an early 7-0 lead. Cardiff responded swiftly. After building pressure through multiple phases, they turned down a shot at goal in favour of a quick tap – a decision that paid off as Mason Grady finished out wide. Callum Sheedy converted to level matters. The contest then became stop-start, with handling errors creeping in due to the slippery, humid conditions. The Sharks were dealt a setback when Hendrikse was shown a yellow card for a deliberate knock-on, and Cardiff capitalised. A strong lineout platform created space for captain Liam Belcher to break, with Grady collecting a cross-kick to finish for his second. The conversion drifted wide, but the visitors edged ahead. MORE: Stormers make surprise Damian call In response, Sharks coach JP Pietersen made a bold call, introducing a new front row – including Springboks Ox Nché and Vincent Koch – and it had an immediate impact. From a dominant set-piece, Buthelezi struck again, slicing through for his second try. Scrumhalf Bradley Davids converted to restore control. Yaw Penxe with a try for the #VURC showreel ‍ He puts the Sharks ahead at half-time with a beauty Stream on DStv: https://t.co/0P0NNhnwKw pic.twitter.com/bGrSWFk6xk — SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) March 27, 2026 With momentum shifting, the Sharks added a third before the break. Yaw Penxe produced a moment of individual brilliance, chipping into space and regathering to score. Davids added the extras as the hosts took a 21-12 lead into half-time. After the break, both sides showed a willingness to give the ball some air despite the conditions. The Sharks will rue a series of missed chances in that third quarter. On too many occasions, enterprising play ended with a forced pass or handling error. The visitors got the only points of the second half, courtesy of a Sheedy penalty. The Sharks next travel to Ireland for their EPCR Challenge Cup round of 16 clash against Connacht on Good Friday. AFRICA PICKS: URC Round 14 – Betting preview SHARKS – Tries: Phepsi Buthelezi (2), Yaw Penxe. Conversions: Jordan Hendrikse, Bradley Davids (2) CARDIFF – Tries: Mason Grady (2). Conversion: Callum Sheedy. Penalty: Sheedy Photo: Steve Haag Sports/Gallo Images The post Sharks grind out win over plucky Cardiff appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.

1 hour ago

English rugby chief addresses Farrell links

RFU CEO Bill Sweeney says there have been no talks with Ireland coach Andy Farrell “at present”. His comments come amid speculation that Farrell could be drafted into the England set-up after next year’s World Cup in Australia. Sweeney has indicated current England coach Steve Borthwick will be given a July trio of matches in the new Nations Championship to oversee an upturn in the team’s fortunes following a woeful Six Nations where the Red Rose brigade finished fifth following four straight defeats. Should Borthwick deliver sufficiently good results against the world champion Springboks, Fiji and Argentina he will likely see out his contract which expires after the World Cup. ALSO: ‘Springbok schedule not sustainable’ Farrell’s deal with Ireland also runs out after the World Cup but the ex-England international expects to hold fresh talks with the Irish Rugby Football Union. Nevertheless, Farrell – head coach for the British and Irish Lions’ victorious tour of Australia last year – would be among the leading candidates to succeed Borthwick should the England job become vacant. “He’s under contract to the 2027 World Cup,” Sweeney said of Farrell during a media briefing. “We’re not in a dialogue. We’re not in a discussion with him at the present.” Although the RFU has yet to conclude its review of the Six Nations campaign, Sweeney is minded to stick with Borthwick in spite of England’s disappointing Six Nations which yielded just one win as they finished fifth. After seeing off Wales in the opener to extend their unbeaten run to 12 games, they collapsed in dramatic fashion, losing the next four, including a first-ever defeat by Italy. A stirring display, however, in an agonising 48-46 loss in the final match in Paris against eventual champions France may have bought Borthwick some time. “There is a lot of noise out there,” Sweeney said. “You’ve got to take emotion out of the equation. You just look at it purely in terms of: What was the performance? What were the issues? Why did they arise? And how do we fix them? “It’s about getting back to the way we were playing. Steve talks about playing big. That has been the intention and you saw that against France. “We still think this is an extremely strong squad that has got the potential and capability to do some really good things.” RASSIE: Boks have to hit ground running – AFP Photo: Charles McQuillan/Getty Images The post English rugby chief addresses Farrell links appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.

3 hours ago