JP Pietersen proud of Sharks’ response after disrupted build-up to Munster clash

Sharks coach JP Pietersen believes his side “made a statement” with their physicality and defensive effort in a commanding 45-0 United Rugby Championship (URC) victory over Munster at Kings Park on Saturday.

After the late withdrawal of Springbok skipper Siya Kolisi due to injury and Bok centre Ethan Hooker due to a family bereavement – compounded by a host of other injuries – Pietersen was particularly pleased with the response from his players in a must-win clash.

While a lot of the spotlight was on a stunning try-scoring debut by teenage fullbackLuan Giliomee and veteran winger Makozole Mapimpi’s brace in his 100th match, the coach felt the platform had been laid by a dominant forward display.

“It was a challenging couple of days,” he admitted, in his post-match interview. “So, to get a performance like that is something very special.”

The Sharks pack controlled the set-piece and their all-round intensity was relentless, on attack and in defence. Pietersen credited the collective effort, emphasising that success in the scrums and lineouts came from cohesion rather than individuals.

“It’s always a collective effort from the pack,” he said. “They wanted to dominate and make a statement, and they did that today.”

The tight five put Munster under sustained pressure in the scrums, with prop Phatu Ganyane earning special praise for another powerhouse performance that resulted in his first Sharks URC try.

The line-out also functioned at a high level after weeks of inconsistency. Pietersen singled out the work being done behind the scenes to sharpen that area.

“A lot of hours go into that,” he said. “It’s about connection, and you could see that come through.”

Equally satisfying for the coach was a defensive display that kept Munster pointless, something he attributed to preparation and player buy-in.

“You can only show how good a system is if the players are behind it,” Pietersen explained.

“The effort was there. That’s what I challenged them on – how physical we can be and how much effort we can give.”

The impact of the replacements also underlined the growing depth within the squad, with Pietersen noting how the bench players “wanted to prove a point” when they came on. 

While the scoreline suggested a complete performance, Pietersen was quick to temper expectations, insisting the Sharks are still chasing consistency as they push for a top-eight finish. The victory kept them in eleventh place on 28 points after 13 URC rounds.

“We’re not getting ahead of ourselves,” he said.

“We’ll celebrate, but we’ll review and look at where we can improve. There’s still a lot of work to do.”

The victory keeps the Sharks in the playoff hunt and, perhaps more importantly, offered a glimpse of a team beginning to find its identity through physical dominance, defensive commitment and a growing sense of unity.