Everitt heaps praise on 'best in the world' Etzebeth after towering Sharks debut

Sharks coach Sean Everitt was effusive in his praise of Eben Etzebeth's man-of-the-match performance in his team's 40-12 over the Glasgow Warriors at Kings Park on Saturday.

In what was his debut for the KwaZulu-Natal franchise, Etzebeth looked every bit like a world-class lock forward even though the Sharks were patchy in the first half.

While the Sharks did concede a rolling maul try just after half-time, their pack tightened up their efforts and dominated the visitors.

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Everitt said Etzebeth lived up to his reputation in the game and deserved his post-match accolade.

"He did his lineout homework because he was superb in the lineouts from an attacking and defensive perspective," Everitt said.

"There was much to be admired from his performance and it was a great start from him. He is one of the best players in the world, if not one of the best locks in the world.

"He certainly played like that and deserved his man-of-the-match award."

“I’m South African by heart” - Eben Etzebeth ??#BKTURC #URC | #SHAvGLA @SharksRugby pic.twitter.com/jfNnLkre12

Loose-forward Vincent Tshituka also put in an excellent performance on his Sharks debut, with Everitt revealing that he wasn't feeling well in the morning.

There was nothing ill about Tshituka's performance and Everitt was more than happy with his flanker's selflessness.

"Vincent wasn't feeling well today and he wasn't in the best of shape. He woke up this morning with gastro symptoms," Everitt said.

"He was excited to play and push through. He may not have felt great, but he certainly played well enough.

"We're very proud of him."

The final scoreline may have looked convincing, but there was nothing surefooted