Maturing Curwin hailed as king of simplicity as Sharks tame Lions: 'He bossed us in 2nd half'

Curwin Bosch might still have his detractors when it comes to getting the best out of his backlines on attack, but his overall product has certainly improved immensely this season.

The Sharks pivot cemented his status as one of the stars for the Sharks in an up-and-down campaign by producing a masterclass in tactical simplicity, his booming boot paving the way for an ultimately solid 29-7 victory over the Lions at Ellis Park.

Bosch was simply relentless, kicking out of hand brilliantly to punish virtually every clumsy mistake by the hosts on attack, invariably leading to overturned attacking opportunities, which the Durbanites capitalised on fairly ruthlessly. 

Yet one couldn't exactly ignore his eye in spotting a yawning gap between heavyweights Asenathi Ntlabakanye and Willem Alberts, which led to the opening try he rounded off himself, while a neat dab ahead for Grant Williams clinched a bonus point for the visitors.

Varied and effective was the name of his peformance.   

On a damp afternoon where both team struggled for coherence, the 25-year-old was definitely the standout.

READ | Cool-hand Curwin Bosch lights up flawed Sharks victory over clueless Lions

"He's done well for us this season and he showed in that second half with how he managed the game in that period with his boot," said Neil Powell, the Sharks' director of rugby.

"He's definitely put good performances together consistently and it's great that we can rely on our 10 to lead the way. It's obviously always a risk to go in with a 6-2 split on the bench, but it paid off for us and he made it easier too."

For the hapless Lions, who imploded in the second half after making no use of a dominant first 40 - they only had a try for Marius Louw and three missed penalties