Sharks 22 - 23 Lions

Full time

03 Jan 2026

Stage: Regular Season Round 9

Hollywoodbets Kings Park

The Lions secured a narrow 23-22 victory over the Sharks in a tightly contested URC match at Hollywoodbets Kings Park. The visitors started strong, with Chris William Smith kicking an early penalty and Etienne Oosthuizen scoring a try that was converted by Smith. The Sharks responded with tries from Emmanuel Tshituka and Siya Kolisi, but a red card for Ruan Venter just before halftime left the Lions down to 14 men. Despite the disadvantage, the Lions maintained their composure, scoring a crucial try through Francke Horn. In the second half, Edwill van der Merwe extended the Sharks' lead with a try, but late-game heroics from Haashim Pead allowed the Lions to snatch the win with a final try. The Sharks fought valiantly throughout, but ultimately fell short in the closing moments. This victory marked a significant moment for the Lions, continuing their competitive edge over the Sharks in recent encounters.

Broadcasters

Where to watch in: United Kingdom

Weather

Temperature: 27.3°C (Feels like 27.1°C) Condition: Windy Wind: 24.5 km/h, gusting to 50.8 km/h Humidity: 63% Cloud Cover: 20%

Highlights

Events

Kickoff
3'

Penalty

Chris William Smith · Lions

0 - 3
6'

Try

Etienne Oosthuizen · Lions

0 - 8
7'

Conversion

Chris William Smith · Lions

0 - 10
9'

Try

Francke Horn · Lions

0 - 15
14'

Try

Emmanuel Tshituka · Sharks

5 - 15
24'

Try

Siya Kolisi · Sharks

10 - 15
25'

Conversion

Jordan Hendrikse · Sharks

12 - 15
31'

Penalty

Chris William Smith · Lions

12 - 18
38'

Red Card

Ruan Venter · Lions
38'

Try

Jason Jenkins · Sharks

17 - 18
Halftime 17 - 18
Second Half
46'

Substitution

Jaden Hendrikse on for Makazole Mapimpi · Sharks
52'

Substitution

Eduan Swart on for Bongi Mbonambi · Sharks
57'

Try

Edwill van der Merwe · Sharks

22 - 18
59'

Substitution

Morne Brandon on for PJ Botha · Lions
59'

Substitution

Conraad van Vuuren on for Asenathi Ntlabakanye · Lions
59'

Substitution

RF Schoeman on for Eddie Davids · Lions
61'

Substitution

Ruan Delport on for Ruben Schoeman · Lions
62'

Substitution

Phepsi Buthelezi on for Siya Kolisi · Sharks
62'

Substitution

Nick Hatton on for Emmanuel Tshituka · Sharks
65'

Substitution

Renzo Du Plessis on for Jarod Cairns · Lions
65'

Substitution

Phatu Ganyane on for Ox Nche · Sharks
65'

Substitution

Mawande Mdanda on for Hanro Jacobs · Sharks
65'

Substitution

Haashim Pead on for Morne van den Berg · Lions
73'

Substitution

Corne Rahl on for Jason Jenkins · Sharks
73'

Substitution

Richard Kriel on for Angelo Davids · Lions
80'

Try

Haashim Pead · Lions

22 - 23
Fulltime 22 - 23

Player ratings

Sharks

15 Aphelele Fassi 7.2
14 Edwill van der Merwe 7.2
13 Ethan Hooker 5.8
12 Andre Esterhuizen 6.8
11 Makazole Mapimpi 6.5
10 Jordan Hendrikse 5.9
9 Grant Williams 6.3
1 Ox Nche 6.5
2 Bongi Mbonambi 5.8
3 Hanro Jacobs 6.1
4 Jason Jenkins 7.5
5 Emile van Heerden 6.6
6 Siya Kolisi 6.7
7 Vincent Tshituka 6.8
8 Emmanuel Tshituka 7.2
16 Eduan Swart 5.6
17 Phatu Ganyane 5.6
18 Mawande Mdanda 6.0
19 Corne Rahl –
20 Phepsi Buthelezi 5.9
21 Nick Hatton 5.8
22 Jaden Hendrikse 5.8
23 Siya Masuku –

Lions

15 Quan Horn 7.2
14 Kelly Mpeku 7.4
13 Erich Cronje 7.9
12 Bronson Mills 8.5
11 Angelo Davids 7.1
10 Chris William Smith 6.1
9 Morne van den Berg 6.9
1 Eddie Davids 6.4
2 PJ Botha 7.2
3 Asenathi Ntlabakanye 6.3
4 Etienne Oosthuizen 7.5
5 Ruben Schoeman 6.1
6 Jarod Cairns 6.4
7 Ruan Venter 4.8
8 Francke Horn 7.7
16 Morne Brandon 6.5
17 RF Schoeman 6.4
18 Conraad van Vuuren 5.5
19 Ruan Delport 6.5
20 Sibabalo Qoma –
21 Renzo Du Plessis 6.5
22 Haashim Pead 6.8
23 Richard Kriel –