Sharks mentor Powell takes in Scottish success on bleak URC weekend for SA sides

Sharks director of rugby Neil Powell was effusive in his praise with regards to how his charges toughed it out for a crucial 22-19 win against Edinburgh in their United Rugby Championship clash on Saturday.

The Sharks had taken an early 14-0 lead through tries from Grant Williams and Marnus Potgieter, but the hosts fought back through an Adam McBurney brace and a try from Henry Immelman to take a 19-14 half-time lead.

The Sharks then kept the hosts scoreless in the second half through a mighty defensive effort that was put into perspective by the 10-minute loss of prop Carlu Sadie for an illegal cleanout in the 66th minute.

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They scored through Kerron van Vuuren and a Curwin Bosch penalty, from where they withstood everything their hosts threw at them in the last five minutes of the game.

Powell felt they allowed their opponents to stay in the game, but also lauded his team's composure despite conceding three late penalties.

"We're proud of the boys for the character, effort, and fight they showed in this game," Powell said.

"It was tough in that last few minutes, but for the whole 80, they showed the fight. We asked them to be physical and dominant and they did exactly that in this game.

"We defended well, we stayed in structure, and we played the game in the right areas of the field, but in the last 10-15 minutes, they fed off our mistakes.

"We made the game unstructured, and it suited their way of playing and that allowed them to come back into the game."

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The Sharks' win was South Africa's only success of the weekend, with the Bulls, Stormers, and Lions all dropping points against