By George Wellbelove
Sharks beat Exeter Chiefs 39-21 in their first Investec Champions Cup match of the season. Tries from Phepsi Buthelezi, Makazole Mapimpi, Grant Williams and a brace from Siya Kolisi helped their side get over line to run out as victors.
Despite going down to 12 men in the second half after three yellow card infringements, the South African side did not stumble and successfully held out Exeter, who were threatening throughout the game.
Sharks suffer the wrath of the referee
It is not often you see a side collect three yellow cards, let alone all of them arriving within a four minute window. Eben Etzebeth, Emile van Heerden and Eduan Keyter were all sent to the sin bin in the second half.
Despite this, Exeter Chiefs were unable to take hold of this advantage. The visitors came close as Will Haydon-Wood floated a cross field kick over into acres of space. All that was left was for Ben Hammersley to collect but he knocked the ball on in goal.
It was credit to the Sharks defence as they tackled valiantly and were a real nuisance at the breakdown.
Kolisi relishing his role at number eight
The South African superstar shifted to the back of scrum in the number eight and he excelled. Two tries and lots of dominant tackles helped his side to victory as he put in a man of the match display.
Speaking after the game to Premier Sports, Kolisi said: “I am loving it. I am enjoying it quite a lot.”
Kolisi started out his career at the Stormers at number eight before a transition to flanker. He has since become a mainstay within the South African national team and one of the best players in the world.
Exeter record yet another loss
It has not been a good season for Exeter so far by anyone’s standards. Currently, they are sitting at the bottom of the Premiership with zero wins and most notably, having lost to Newcastle Falcons.
Now, with a losing start in the Champions Cup, it is looking to be a similar story.
Exeter were, by no means, blown away by the Sharks but it was evident that they were unable to get a strong grip on the game.
Two of their tries came from errors by their opposition and the Chiefs could not effectively create their own scores through set plays.
Vermeulen trying to look for the positives
Exeter Chiefs captain, Jacques Vermeulen, gave his opinion on the game. The back row tried to reflect on the positives that his side could take from the match.
Vermeulen said: “There were some positives and we left some points out there.”
Exeter are seemingly moving forward but they must record a win soon to try and gain some sort of momentum, whether it be on the domestic or European stage.
Players give accounts for national sides
Many international players were able to give a good showing for their respective nations within this clash.
Siya Kolisi, Grant Williams and Aphelele Fassi were all excellent and should continue to be involved with Rassie Erasmus’ Springboks side. Makazole Mapimpi was his usual self and continues to be a great asset to have.
Whilst Exeter were on the losing end, Ethan Roots showcased his carrying abilities and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso did show glimpses of his talent despite his disappointing display.
