Sharks kick themselves one step closer to final

JOHN Plumtree has been involved in rugby in one form or another for half a century, but Saturday night's bizarre conclusion to the United Rugby Championship (URC) quarter-final against Munster was a first even for the seasoned Sharks head coach.

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After a gruelling 100 minutes of high-stakes rugby, with the scores locked at 24-24 and no breakthrough during 20 minutes of extra time, the match had to be decided by an unprecedented penalty shoot-out - a scenario more familiar to football than to the rugby field.

Instead of traditional conversions, each team nominated three kickers to take shots at goal from various positions across the pitch. As the second period of extra time wound down, the Sharks’ coaching box was suddenly a hive of activity, scrambling to locate the map outlining the kicking order and positions.

One particularly shrewd move was the decision to bring on young Bradley Davids with just two minutes remaining. The scrum-half, a product of Paarl Gimnasium, was known for his composure and kicking ability a calculated risk that proved to be decisive.