Sharks leaders praise charges after doing the double on once indomitable Stormers

The Durban franchise shocked all when they brought the Stormers' undefeated United Rugby Championship run to an end in Cape Town last week. But the Sharks backed that performance up with another solid effort in front of their own fans this past weekend, winning 36-24.

"When we got into the 22, we were ruthless," said Pietersen after the match.

"We converted our chances. It was the same last week in Cape Town - when we're direct and aggressive close to the line, we come away with points, and that was pleasing.

"We were under the pump a couple of times, but the group stuck together. Phepsi [Buthelezi] was good in those moments, Emile [van Heerden] stood up, and Vincent Koch came on and made a real impact.

"At halftime, I asked for a collective performance, not just Andre carrying us. A lot of guys put their hands up."

Part of the strategy for the Sharks included a clever kicking game executed by scrumhalves Grant Williams and later Jaden Hendrikse. The contestable kickass favoured the Sharks' ariel skills, while territory dinks kept the Stormers pinned in their half. Not always pretty, but effective.

"Jaden came on and did really well, and Grant was excellent in the first half," said Esterhuizen

"We also had a bit of wind behind us after the break, which definitely helped. Our wings were outstanding under the high ball. We put them under constant pressure and won a lot of loose scraps. That's something we focused on all week."

"If you can't exit your half, you can't play rugby. You just end up trapped. It might look nice on TV, but it's very wet and slippery out there, so that style suits days like this."

The Sharks' second consecutive win saw them move up to tenth on the congested URC table, just two points behind seventh with a game in hand.

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