MATCH REPORT | SHARKS 27 v 47 GLASGOW WARRIORS
Your Sharks slipped to a home defeat in the opening game of this season’s Investec Champions Cup as Glasgow Warriors scored seven tries on an emotional day at the CorpAcq Stadium.
Ahead of kick off the players, coaches and staff from both sides joined supporters in a moving minute’s silence in honour of former Shark Hyron Andrews, who died yesterday.
And it was an emotionally charged Sharks side, led by skipper Ernst van Rhyn, who came out of the blocks the quickest. The clock was showing just two minutes when a training ground lineout move led to a try from Ben Curry on his first start for ten months.
George Ford converted to give the home side the perfect start, and it got better just minutes later when Arron Reed crossed in the left corner. Ford narrowly missed with his conversion but Sharks led 12-0 in an almost carbon copy of last year’s pool stage fixture between the sides.
That 12 point lead didn’t last long though and on 18 minutes Glasgow were awarded a penalty try when Gus Warr was sent to the sin bin for pulling down a penalty try on the line.
A one-man disadvantage quickly became two when Tom Roebuck saw yellow for a trip and the URC giants took full advantage with a Kyle Steyn try in the right corner which was converted by George Horne.
Back up to 15, Sharks took the lead again when George Ford slotted a penalty, but back came Glasgow and a converted Jamie Dobie try sent them into a 15-21 lead, which they held until half time despite a Elia Canakaivata try being disallowed.
Sharks came out firing in the second half but it was the visitors who scored first when Alex Craig powered over. The impressive Horne missed his kick but Glasgow led 15-26.
Back came the home team and after a period of sustained pressure Rekeiti Ma’asi-White crossed under the sticks to reduce the deficit to four. But before they could make any further inroads into the Warriors’ lead, the Scottish side went further ahead through a converted Rory Darge try.
Sharks scored again through Arron Reed, after a Joe Carpenter offload, but Glasgow pulled ahead in the last ten, scoring a further two tries to put a gloss on the final score of 27-47.
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