The Sharks held on for a 19:12 win against Boland Cavaliers in the Currie Cup on Friday, ending a run of two defeats in a row. The hosts had lost 28:36 to the Stormers and 21:43 to the Cheetahs before this one, so a result here mattered more than the scoreboard might suggest.
By then the visitors were already showing signs of inconsistency. They had beaten the Stormers 41:3 and the Bulls 24:10, but those victories came against a heavy 67-point thrashing by the Lions and a 40-point loss to Western Province. This match looked like it would test whether the Boland side could actually string results together.
And here's the thing — neither team was particularly expansive. The final score tells you everything you need to know about the evening. No minutes are recorded for tries or conversions in the data supplied, but 19 points to 12 suggests a grinding affair where both sides were reluctant to take risks.
For the Sharks, this win brings them back to three victories in their last five Currie Cup matches. They had also beaten the Pumas 26:24, the Zebras 54:19 and Benetton 46:7 during the tournament. The clean-sheet run did not come to an end, though the margin was far from comfortable.
Boland's situation is less straightforward. Two wins against one heavy defeat each time out means they have not found their rhythm yet. The loss to Pumas on 2 August was only five points, which might give them something to work with going forward.
The Currie Cup table does not tell the full story. Both sides are mid-table at this stage, and the gap between them is measured in goal difference rather than points. What matters more is whether Boland can replicate the Stormers performance or if the Sharks will keep building momentum.