Sharks XV coach Mike Vowles praised his team, and star fullback Luan Giliomee, after their 22-22 draw against the Lions at Woodburn Stadium in Pietermaritzburg on Friday night.
Giliomee, who has signed a three-year contract with the Bulls, was named Man of the Match after making a game-high 120 running metres from 14 carries, while beating seven defenders with his speed and footwork.
“Luan’s a special player,” Vowles said. “He does things at 20 years old that not many people can do. “He really understands the game and he’s tough as anything.”
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The Sharks trailed 10-5 at half-time before tries from hooker Liam van Wyk and winger Christie Grobbelaar helped them take a 17-10 lead.
The Lions hit back through hooker Armand Combrinck before lock Meno Barnard’s late bonus-point try appeared to have secured victory for the hosts.
However, Lions fullback Gilermo Mentoe scored in the 83rd minute to level the scores, with flyhalf Sam Francis missing the conversion.
“Yeah, what a rollercoaster,” Vowles said. “I think in the first half we probably disappointed ourselves and let ourselves down with some poor discipline, which didn’t allow us to really get a foothold in the game.
“That was really the message at half-time.
“Then I think in the second half, the way this team defended and fought for 80-odd minutes, I’m just incredibly proud of the performance.
“I said to the coaches now, that’s probably the best 80 minutes that we’ve put together in the Currie Cup.
“So just incredibly proud of the effort, the fight and the overall performance from the group.”
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The Sharks picked up three log points but remain seventh on the Currie Cup standings, two points behind the sixth-placed Lions.
They will host the Bulls XV at Kings Park in the final round next Friday night. While the Pretoria-based side is rooted to the bottom of the log after losing all six of their matches, Vowles will not be taking them lightly.
“In this Currie Cup there are no easy games, but we’re really looking forward to playing at the Tank,” he said. “It’s obviously a real privilege to be able to play there.
“We’ll probably have a couple of sore bodies, and then we’ll be ready to go and we’ll be up for it.”
Photo: Sharks/Facebook
The post Vowles: Luan’s a special player appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Sharks XV coach Mike Vowles praised his team, and star fullback Luan Giliomee, after their 22-22 draw against the Lions at Woodburn Stadium in Pietermaritzburg on Friday night.
The post Vowles: Luan’s a special player appeared first on SA Rugby magazine. Read More
