Match Report: Hollywoodbets Sharks 39 – 21 Exeter Chiefs

Exeter Chiefs opened their 2024/25 Investec Champions Cup campaign with defeat to reigning Challenge Cup champions, Hollywoodbets Sharks, in Durban.

The Chiefs side – which included four players making their competition debut – scored three tries but were unable to secure a losing bonus point as Sharks scored five and hung on to their lead in testing circumstances in the last 10 minutes as they were reduced to 12 men.

The opening quarter of the game was an attritional one for the hosts as they lost two back rowers with barely 10 minutes played. Both Vincent Tshituka and James Venter were forced from the field through injuries.

Chiefs were dealt a blow when Greg Fisilau was shown an early yellow card for a high tackle on Aphelele Fassi. The tackle, while high, was judged to have been at a low degree of danger so the back rower was given 10 minutes in the sin bin.

Despite being a man down, Chiefs held their ground to put their names on the scoresheet first. Repeated penalties in the Sharks 22 enable the Exeter men to execute their trusty play – the quick tap and go. After dominant carries from Ethan Roots and Jacques Vermeulen, Dan Frost took the latch of Scott Sio to power the ball over the line for the try.

Josh Hodge then took his place at the kicking tee to add the two-point conversion.

Having held their defence strong with 14 men on the pitch, it was after Fisilau’s return to the turf that Chiefs leaked three consecutive tries.

A team try, scored from end-to-end, secured Sharks their first through Phepsi Buthelezi. Makazole Mapimpi utilised open space in the backfield to turn on the backburners to run in their second before minutes later, Ethan Hooker tore through the Chiefs line to feed Grant Williams with a pop pass.

Two of the three scores converted by Jordan Hendrikse put the hosts 19-7 up on the board.

On 31 minutes played, and having been on the field for just three minutes as a HIA replacement for Tamati Tua, Will Rigg became the second Chief to be shown a yellow card as he was deemed to have slapped the ball out of a ruck on his own five metre line.

This time, Sharks made use of the man advantage as Siya Kolisi took the ball in space in the wide channel to power over for the bonus point score before the half was through.

Down but not out, Chiefs scored a second before the break as Frost got himself a brace try. A lineout in the corner for Sharks went awry as Eben Etzebeth got his jump wrong. Chiefs pounced upon the spilled ball and Frost kept a strong base to reach over and dot the ball down on the white line.

Hodge calmly slotted the conversion to give Chiefs the final say in the first half.

Half-time: Sharks 26 – 14 Chiefs

Sharks were first to add to their tally after the break. A penalty against Chiefs for not rolling away allowed Hendrikse to call for the tee and add three points to his name.

Karma seemed to be on the Sharks’ side when a lineout mistake from the Chiefs gave the Durban side their next score in much the same fashion that Frost had scored his second. This time, Kolisi was the man securing a brace score before his fly half converted the try.

Etzebeth became the first Sharks man to receive a yellow card on 65 minutes as he paid the price for repeated infringements. Frustratingly for John Plumtree and his fellow Sharks coaches, two more players were to follow the Springbok to the sin bin.

In the aftermath of this first sin-binning, Immanuel Feyi-Waboso scored Chiefs’ third of the day when Will Haydon-Wood spotted the option of a cross-field chip to the winger. The England international gathered safely and tip-toed the dead ball line to score the try before Hodge kicked the conversion.

Before the restart, Emile Van Heerden was shown a yellow card for more infringements from the Sharks. Eduan Keyter followed his teammate three short minutes later when he deliberately knocked-on the ball as Chiefs launched a counter-attack.

While Chiefs remained in the fight until the final buzzer sounded, it will be a work-on for Rob Baxter’s men to convert a three-man advantage into points in future.

Ultimately, however, this game will have been a key to Baxter’s squad as four players – Molina, Tua, J Roots and Rigg – were handed their competition debut. This could prove to be vital experience ahead of Chiefs v Toulouse at Sandy Park next Sunday.

Full-time: Sharks 39 – 21 Chiefs

Sharks: A Fassi (Masuku 65’); E Keyter, E Hooker (Venter 65’), A Esterhuizen, M Mapimpi; J Hendrikse, G Williams (Jaden Hendrikse 58’); O Nche (Mchunu 52’), B Mbonambi (Jenkins 53’), T Nyakane (Jacobs 52’), E Etzebeth (c), E Van Heerden, J Venter (Richardson 11’), V Tshituka (Buthelezi 5’), S Kolisi.

Tries: Buthelezi, Mapimpi, Williams, Kolisi 2 Conversions: Hendrikse 4 Penalties: Hendrikse 2

Yellow card: Eben Etzebeth, Emile Van Heerden, Eduan Keyter

Chiefs: J Hodge; I Feyi-Waboso, B Hammersley, T Tua (Rigg 28’), T Wyatt; W Haydon-Wood, S Townsend (Becconsall 59’); S Sio (Goodrick-Clarke 40’), D Frost (Innard 53’), M Street (J Roots 53’), F Molina, R Capstick (Tshiunza 59’), E Roots, J Vermeulen (c) (Vintcent 52’), G Fisilau.

Unused replacements: Skinner

Tries: Frost 2, Feyi-Waboso Conversions: Hodge 3

Yellow card: Greg Fisilau, Will Rigg

Referee: Jeremy Rozier

Attendance: 10,452