The Sharks opened their United Rugby Championship campaign in emphatic fashion, overcoming a spirited Ospreys fightback to claim a 41-24 bonus-point victory at Kings Park on Saturday.
The Durban side produced five tries and were clinical from the kicking tee, with Vusi Moyo converting all six of his attempts to finish the night with a perfect record.
Sharks make flying start
The hosts wasted little time putting the visitors under pressure, crossing for three tries during the opening half-hour.
Captain Nick Hatton opened the scoring after the Sharks created space with some slick handling, before Manu Tshituka finished another flowing attacking move.
Fullback Luan Giliomee then produced one of the highlights of the first half, beating several defenders to score a superb individual try.
Ospreys responded through winger Luke Morgan, but the Sharks quickly regained control when Litelihle Bester pounced for another score.
The Welsh visitors refused to surrender and reduced the deficit again through hooker Sam Parry, who powered over from a driving maul just before halftime.
The Sharks nevertheless went into the interval with a 28-14 lead.
Ospreys refuse to go away
Ospreys came out strongly after the break, with flanker Liam Wright scoring to bring the visitors back into contention.
The Sharks responded through the boot of Moyo, who added two penalties to give the home side some breathing room.
Giliomee then completed his brace in the 67th minute after another impressive attacking sequence inside the Ospreys 22.
The visitors managed a late consolation through Iestyn Hopkins, earning Ospreys a bonus point, but the Sharks had already done enough to secure an impressive opening-round victory.
Leinster next for the Sharks
The Sharks finished the match with five tries to Ospreys’ four, underlining the attacking threat they could pose during the new URC campaign.
However, there will be areas for the Durban side to improve, particularly at scrum time, before they face a considerably tougher examination next weekend.
Defending champions Leinster are the Sharks’ next opponents in Durban, setting up an early test of their ambitions for the season.
After an opening-round victory packed with attacking intent, the Sharks will now look to build momentum against one of the competition’s leading sides.
