Sharks v Leinster: Five takeaways as Springboks dominance undone by the Jacques Nienaber effect

Our five takeaways from Leinster’s narrow victory over the Sharks in Durban.

Following the Leinster’s clutch 7-10 victory over the Sharks at Kings Park Stadium, here are our five takeaways from the United Rugby Championship fixture.

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It was far from a vintage from both outfits today as the Durban conditions took their toll again, as Leinster and the Sharks managed to blow chance after chance with impressive frequency.

This meant that the only score of the first half came after Jaden Hendrikse was punished for his attempt at ruck goblin dark arts, and the Leinster pounced with their tap-and-go tactics near the line, resulting in a try for Henry McEarlean.

It was a rare moment of accuracy in the error-ridden first 40 minutes, with Ciaran Frawley failing with the conversion to reignite the theme. That gave the young visitors a 5-0 lead at the break, which they added a further five points to as Scott Penny powered over the line from a lineout.

The Sharks’ power game was the shining light in a rather dim performance, and it finally paid dividends as Bongi Mbonambi rhino charged over the line after a maul, with Jordan Hendrikse adding the extras in what was the host’s only points of the match.

It came right down to the wire with Siya Kolisi turning down a shot goal that could earn his side a stalemate, rolling the dice on the then faltering lineout and while the set-piece went to plan, the maul did not as the Irish province stalled the drive to seal their 13th URC win of the season.

Jacques Nienaber effect

The former Springboks coach has been made somewhat of a scapegoat for Ireland’s woes in the Six Nations, but today showed why Leinster brought him in to replace Stuart Lancaster.

It’s not uncommon for the Irish powerhouse to go much of the regular season with a handful of defeats, but this season is different; to beat Leinster -even a second-string one- you need to produce something special.

Jacques Nienaber’s defensive system is not just tactical excellence but an emotional driver for the team and something that every single player in the Leinster system has bought into. Void of the likes of star men Jordie Barrett and RG Snyman, Leinster’s youthful squad still put up a mammoth fight against a star-studded Sharks team.

It is difficult to play expansive attacking rugby when it’s hot and slippery in Durban, and while the Sharks managed to cough up opportunities by mistiming their runs, throwing unkind passes and making the wrong decisions, a great deal of their undoing was the effectiveness of Nienaber’s system.

While the former Bok boss has become renowned for the outright blitz and stellar scramble, a real highlight of Leinster’s defensive effort is how they varied their approach throughout the 80 minutes, playing what was in front of them – a phrase often reserved for attacking rugby but plainly true today.

The buy-in from the players was shown by Frawley’s sensational tackle on the usually lethal Ethan Hooker who he managed to hold up when he looked certain to score.

But not all the praise should be reserved for the one defensive coach because today, the Joey Mongalo-coached defence was just as impressive. It took individual errors and absolute gifts from Sharks players for Leinster to breach the Mongalo’s defence. In his previous role, Nienaber used the pace and aggression of Makazole Mapimpi to great effect, and Mongalo has followed suit with the veteran winger, proving why the Sharks were eager to extend his contract.

Sharks’ soft underbelly exposed

The Sharks were their own worst enemies again today. Both teams will feel as though the game was there for the taking, but frankly, Plumtree fielded the best team possible against almost a Leinster Academy team.

Leinster’s first two tries simply came from really soft moments from the Sharks. One could argue that Jaden Hendrikse did not intentionally attempt to kick the ball out of Alex Soroka’s hand, but he is a player renowned for his guile, and it’s safe to assume that he knew exactly what he was doing. In Richie McCaw’s day, Hendrikse may have got away with it, but the TMO is far too sharp nowadays.

That served the opening try on a platter for Leinster to pounce, and the same was true for the second try as the Sharks overplayed their hand in attack and conceded a penalty at the breakdown. That was a running theme for John Plumtree’s charges, who have scored some stunning tries this season but look to force the attack far too often. When they lose ground, they attempt to keep it alive and win the gain line as soon as possible, and while that can be effective, it can be equally detrimental when you constantly going backwards.

From the ensuing lineout, Leinster found their trademark ruthless edge with Frawley finally taking the ball flat to the line as a ten should in that position before sending Penny over.

As much class as the Sharks do have at their disposal, their soft underbelly has been exposed far too often when they look to force matters and switch off at key moments. Their lineout in the second half is just another example of that.

Questions have to be asked in Durban

Another disappointing result for the Sharks, who really should have put this Leinster team to the sword. The Durbanites still sit in the top four after the defeat, but the platform was there to succeed as the Springboks’ front rowers really set the tone. Ox Nche, Mbonambi and Vincent Koch won penalty after penalty at the set-piece, but the backs simply did not pitch.

Other stars like Mapimpi and Andre Esterhuizen also pitched up and put in tidy shifts, but the half-backs weren’t at the races as they should be and could not capitalise.

It’s another trend as the Sharks fail to play to their potential, and one has to ask whether the balance in the coaching staff is right. The attack and defence fires hot and cold from match to match, suggesting the issue is with the overall structure. The question that has to be asked is: who is to blame for the inconsistency?

There is just too much class in the squad not to be doing better and beating a star-drained Leinster team.

Leinster’s tour was a success

The standards for Leinster are set incredibly high, and a 1-1 record in South Africa won’t be viewed by some sections of the fan base as a raging success, but hindsight suggests otherwise.

In 2023, an understrength side was hammered 62-7 at Loftus, and in 2025, they fell to just a one-point loss – a match they really could have won. And then today, they got over the line against the Sharks, void of game-drivers like Snyman and Barrett, with Ross Byrne only playing the final quarter.

Six points from a possible ten at two imposing venues should not be sniffed at as Leinster cemented the top spot ahead of the European break.

The odds were stacked against Leinster today, but the young lads rose to the challenge of a Bok-laden Sharks outfit and managed to eke out a crucial victory even though they conceded 14 penalties to the Sharks’ eight.