The Hollywoodbets Sharks, playing in the sweltering heat of Kings Park Stadium in Durban, secured the SA Shield by defeating the Emirates Lions 25-22 on Saturday, finishing atop the South African standings.

The home team strategically opted for a midday kickoff, leveraging the humid conditions to their advantage in their quest to clinch the SA Shield, adding to their Currie Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup trophies from last season.

The Sharks, known for drawing a strong home crowd, maintained their undefeated record at Kings Park in the United Rugby Championship (URC) this season. They were determined to continue this streak, even when reduced to 14 men.

This match was a crucial turnaround from the previous weekend’s encounter, where the Durban side suffered a 38-14 defeat. This time, a victory was essential to secure their position at the top of the standings.

Notably, the Lions had won the last three URC matches against the Sharks, including a narrow two-point victory in Durban last season.

However, John Plumtree’s Sharks started strongly, with Springbok scrumhalf Grant Williams sprinting clear to score the opening try. Jordan Hendrikse missed the conversion.

Three minutes later, Tapiwa Mafura scored for the Lions, and Gianni Lombard converted, giving the visitors a 7-5 lead.

The Sharks built attacking phases, but the Lions’ defense held firm near their try line. Handling errors continued to disrupt the Sharks’ attack. After a scrum infringement, Siya Kolisi secured the ball and dived over for the Sharks’ second try in the 34th minute. Jordan Hendrikse converted, giving the Sharks a 12-7 halftime lead.

In the second half, Kolisi, seeking redemption after last week’s loss to the Lions, scored his second try in the 47th minute from a lineout. He exploited space around the ruck, extending the Sharks’ lead to 17-7.

The Sharks then became complacent, allowing Richard Kriel to score for the Lions, evading his marker. Lombard missed the conversion.

Lombard then converted a penalty, narrowing the gap to two points.

The Lions surged forward, with Franco Marais scoring a try from a driving maul in the 64th minute after a lengthy TMO review. Lombard’s conversion gave the Lions a 22-17 lead.

The Sharks leveled the score when Nick Hatton dived over after a series of phases. Jordan Hendrikse missed the conversion.

The Sharks’ discipline faltered as Yaw Penxe received a yellow card in the 69th minute, leaving them with 14 men for the remainder of the match.

The Hendrikse brothers then switched kicking duties, and Jaden Hendrikse converted a crucial penalty, which rattled the crossbar before going through, giving the Sharks a 25-22 lead with five minutes remaining.

Despite being a man down, the Sharks maintained their composure in the final minutes, securing the SA Shield.