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- Aphelele Fassi’s return to the Sharks’ fold was illustrated in the weekend’s win over Griquas, as his presence provides some X-factor alongside with the Currie Cup trade finale looming.
- Head coach Sean Everitt praised the 22-year-old fullback’s influence, saying he brings a lot of skill and “energy” to the mix.
- The Sharks’ mentor also highlighted the determination of a pack that ignored recent criticism with a powerful display.
Complete Fassi Energy and instinct could be the exact tonic of the Sharks You need to get into the business end of the Currie Cup Bell.
For most of the campaign, Durbanns have been getting positive results without having a more spontaneous advantage.
Saturday’s 47-19 win over the Griquas at King’s Park, which saw the hosts fall seven times, could possibly indicate a change in that situation.
Fassi, back in his preferred position as fullback, was at the heart of his team’s boisterous performance.
It was not a perfect performance by any stretch of the imagination.
The 22-year-old completely overcame a fictional run of an attacking scrum early in the first half, causing a certain attempt to go haywire.
However, in the 76th minute, Fassi was weaving his magic, in particular, launching a cross kick from Griqua from his own 10-meter line with consummate ease to finish his day’s work.
“I said before the game that Aphelele brings a lot of energy to our team,” said Sean Everitt, Sharks head coach.
“He’s a true livewire that’s really dangerous from the back. He was a huge improvement since his return to the game last week (as a replacement against the Cheetahs). His performance just again illustrated the talent that he is. He’s a great guy and he gives us. X Factor “.
However, Fassi’s exploits were complemented by a highly maligned group of forwards who responded well to various challenges, ranging from Covid protocols to his own nonchalant way.
“They really dominated,” Everitt said.
“It was fueled by some excellent performances. Henco Venter was one of the standouts, starting with the number 6 jersey for the first time. Thembelani Bholi and Sikhumbuzo Notshe were not far behind. (Hooker) Fez Mbatha performed really well and hats to (the airhead) Michael Kumbirai, who received strong reviews but managed to put in a good performance.
The Sharks’ mentor noted that he could have chosen several other individuals as well, attesting to the fact that the victory was actually due to strong team performance, an achievement made all the more satisfying by their struggles from the previous two encounters. , where Lions and Cheetahs ruled them.
“I knew the guys would bounce back,” Everitt said.
“They’ve tried really hard over the last few weeks. There was pressure on us going into this game, we needed to aim for an extra point.
“We had a simple plan and the players did very well to execute it and get all the match points on offer, which has put us into the semi-finals.”
