'They stayed in the fight': JP Pietersen hails young Sharks after dramatic Lions friendly win
The Sharks enjoyed a successful outing against a Lions side that almost beat the All Blacks.
Sharks head coach JP Pietersen commended his young team for their tenacious performance in a 33-31 victory over the Lions at Ellis Park. Both sides scored five tries each, but it was the Sharks' backline that sparked a comeback in the final quarter. Pietersen noted that his team refused to buckle under pressure, with the Lions repeatedly pushing them to the brink.
"Normally teams go away when that happens," Pietersen said. "And normally we, as the Sharks, fall away. And then the Lions bring a whole new 15 players on. We always struggle when we see things like that." However, the Sharks' younger players held their ground and found a way to regain the lead, demonstrating Pietersen's desire to see his players stay in the fight right to the end.
The Lions posed a physical challenge, but Pietersen was pleased that his team executed their pre-season objectives, including granting key players game time, avoiding major injuries, and sharpening their team identity. The win also marked a successful return to action for several Sharks stars, such as flyhalf Jordan Hendrikse and lock Jason Jenkins.
Pietersen hopes that injured players Jurenzo Julius and Murray Koster will return to full training soon, and that the team will start their 2026/27 URC campaign with back-to-back home fixtures, providing an ideal platform to build on their pre-season momentum.
Written by urgent.news from IOL's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
