HOLLYWOODBETS SHARKS VS MUNSTER RUGBY
HOLLYWOOD SPORTSBOOK IS A LICENSED BETTING OPERATOR. HOLLYWOODBETS
TARGETING URC GLORY
The Hollywoodbets Sharks have overcome what had seemed like insurmountable obstacles over the past eight months to achieve their best finish yet in the Vodacom URC, thus establishing the Durban-based outfit as genuine title contenders for the first time. The next big challenge for them is to see off former champions Munster in tonight’s home quarter…
It has been a tough four-year journey for the Hollywoodbets Sharks since 2021 when the erstwhile Pro14 league was expanded to incorporate four South African sides and was renamed the Vodacom United Rugby Championship.
During the inaugural season, the Hollywoodbets Sharks won 11 of their 18 matches in the regular season, thereby qualifying for the quarter-finals in their debut campaign. They also drew one game and lost six, of which one defeat was at the hands of their opponents today, Munster (17-42), at Thomond Park in Limerick, Ireland.
The Durbanites finished fifth during the inaugural URC season, which required them to travel to Pretoria for the quarters where they narrowly lost 27-30 to the Bulls.
In 2022-23, the Hollywoodbets Sharks managed only nine wins from 18 games
played, scraping in at eighth position and again qualifying for the playoffs. They again drew one game, against Munster (22-22) in Durban, but this time had to fly off to Dublin for the quarter-finals, where they were eliminated by Leinster (5-35).
Munster went on to see off Leinster (16-15) in the semi-finals and the Stormers (19-14) in the final, both away from home, to be crowned champions for a fourth time.
On April Fool’s Day, 2023, the Hollywoodbets Sharks achieved a first-ever win against Munster, when they walloped the Irishmen 50-35, and by seven tries to five, in an Investec Champions Cup Round of 16 encounter in Durban.
The Hollywoodbets Sharks’ previous URC campaign (2023-24) was their most calamitous, with the side losing no fewer than 14 of their regular fixtures, including a 21-34 defeat against Munster in Limerick.
Munster finished top of the standings but was knocked out in the semi-finals by the Glasgow Warriors, who would go on to secure their second title by beating the Bulls in the final at Loftus Versfeld.
The Durban-based franchise’s woes last year were exacerbated by the fact that John Plumtree had just taken over the reins of head coach and still needed to find his feet.
By the time the current campaign kicked off, the Kiwi-born Plumtree had fully established himself again as boss of the men in black - he also coached the team from 2008 to 2012 - and the results reflected a far more settled squad and cohesive culture.
In October last year, the Hollywoodbets Sharks recorded their first URC victory over Munster, with a comprehensive 41-24 triumph in Durban. In all, the boys won 13 matches, losing only five, to skyrocket from 14th place last year to an unprecedented third this time around.
"ON APRIL FOOL’S DAY, 2023, THE HOLLYWOODBETS SHARKS ACHIEVED..."
Still, it wasn’t all smooth sailing for the Hollywoodbets Sharks, as they had to juggle URC and Champions Cup commitments with an ever-increasing casualty list, including a host of Springbok stalwarts. That they managed to prevail despite these challenges, is yet another measure of the character within the squad.
This character, together with the timely return of several key players, should stand the Hollywoodbets Sharks in great stead as they embark on their most auspicious United Rugby Championship conquest to date.
HOLLYWOODBETS
ETZEBETH RALLIES WARRIORS TO PUSH FURTHER
The Hollywoodbets Sharks are perfectly poised to gun for Vodacom URC glory, with their highest finish on the table to date. And, Eben Etzebeth is fizzing for his warriors to kick on from third place and go for gold…
“Looking back (at the regular season), there are a few results that we weren’t satisfied with, but this is the highest the Hollywoodbets Sharks have ever finished in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship,” Etzebeth said during the week.
“We ended in third spot, so, in that sense, it can be seen as a successful season. However, from this point onwards, none of what happened before counts for anything. What we do know is that we have a home quarter, which is a great opportunity; if we win, we will remain in South Africa for the semi-final - either again here in the Shark Tank or Pretoria, against the Bulls.”
Etzebeth, a veteran of three Rugby World Cup campaigns with the Springboks, of which the last two, in 2019 and 2023, were both victorious, is a past master at playoff rugby, though, and appreciates that nothing can be taken for granted in a quarter-final.
“To be hosting a quarter-final is an advantage, however, we are also aware that Munster, in 2023, won a quarter, a semi and the final all away from home to clinch the title.
“They know what it takes to achieve success in the playoffs, and they know how to win away from home, especially knockout games, which are the most important. Therefore, we’re not mulling over past results, especially our 41-24 win against Munster last October; just a week is a long time in rugby, and that win was more than six months ago.
“This is a whole new game altogether.
“But, yes, for us it is a great opportunity to hopefully push further in the URC. Enjoying home-ground advantage, in front of our fans, is a massive bonus.”
Etzebeth believes that the Hollywoodbets Sharks’s experience in recent games of grinding out wins in tight confrontations should come in handy during these knockout games.
“I can understand that the fans might become frustrated at times with the style of play, and,
as players and coaches, we too become frustrated with ourselves occasionally,” he said.
“However, whereas during the previous campaign, we lost some tight encounters and finished a lowly 14th, we’ve turned things around this season, winning those tight games and that has made a huge difference. Just a couple of points can mean the difference between hosting a quarter-final or not.
“History also shows that playoff games are often tight affairs and our recent experience of playing in tight games will help us today.”
On a personal level, Etzebeth is delighted
to be up and running again after he had been sidelined for five months with concussion, as well as a subsequent hamstring strain.
“It was frustrating with the concussion, as there’s no real timeline on it; it’s a case of wait and see. It all depends on one’s symptoms and how you respond to certain treatments.
“And, then, just when I felt that the concussion was something of the past, I picked up a hamstring niggle and had to sit out even longer.
“So, it was good to get that first 80 minutes against Scarlets under the belt. It’s good when you play 20 here or 60 there, but when you finally get a full game, that’s when you feel like you’re back for real.”
HOLLYWOODBETS SHARKS PLAYER PROFILES
BORN: 08/08/2000 HEIGHT: 2.00 m BORN: 23/03/2000 HEIGHT: 1.81m
110KG WEIGHT:
HOLLYWOODBETS SHARKS
APHELELE FASSI
ETHAN HOOKER
MUNSTER RUGBY
THAAKIR ABRAHAMS
MAKAZOLE MAPIMPI
JADEN HENDRIKSE
JADEN HENDRIKSE
VINCENT TSHITUKA
JAMES VENTER
JASON JENKINS
EBEN ETZEBETH (C)
VINCENT KOCH
BONGI MBONAMBI
TADHG BEIRNE (C)
ASSISTANT REFEREES
MUNSTER RUGBY PLAYER PROFILES
BORN: 05/05/1999 HEIGHT: 1.83 m WEIGHT: 115KG
BORN: 08/04/1992 HEIGHT: 1.85 m
BORN: 29/01/1988 HEIGHT: 1.88m WEIGHT: 112KG WEIGHT: 118KG
BORN: 26/08/1993 HEIGHT: 2.03 m WEIGHT: 120KG
BORN: 10/01/1999 HEIGHT: 1.83m WEIGHT: 105KG
BORN: 08/01/1992 HEIGHT: 1.98m WEIGHT: 110KG WEIGHT: 113KG
BORN: 11/12/1997 HEIGHT: 1.98m
BORN: 17/09/1989 HEIGHT: 1.91m WEIGHT: 105KG
BORN: 19/04/1994 HEIGHT: 1.65m WEIGHT: 75KG
BORN: 01/10/1993 HEIGHT: 1.88m WEIGHT: 100KG
BORN: 06/08/1998 HEIGHT: 1.83m
WEIGHT: 98KG
BORN: 08/08/1997 HEIGHT: 1.78m WEIGHT: 90KG
BORN: 29/07/1999 HEIGHT: 1.85m
WEIGHT: 121KG
BORN: 10/01/1999 HEIGHT: 1.75m
WEIGHT: 76KG
BORN: 02/08/1988 HEIGHT: 1.83m
WEIGHT: 120KG
BORN: 03/03/2001 HEIGHT: 1.88m
BORN: 22/02/2000 HEIGHT: 2.06m WEIGHT: 105KG WEIGHT: 115KG
WEIGHT: 93KG BORN: 20/04/1989 HEIGHT: 1.88m
BORN: 03/08/2000 HEIGHT: 1.91m
BORN: 13/01/2000 HEIGHT: 1.85m WEIGHT: 95KG WEIGHT: 89kG
BORN: 25/10/1996 HEIGHT: 1.88m WEIGHT: 98KG
BORN: 22/12/1993 HEIGHT: 1.78m
WEIGHT: 95KG
BORN: 28/06/1994 HEIGHT: 1.91m
93KG
JACK CROWLEY
GAVIN COOMBES
NIALL SCANNELL
STEPHEN ARCHER
TADHG BEIRNE (C)
CRAIG CASEY
MICHAEL MILNE
JEAN KLEYN
JOHN HODNETT
ALEX KENDELLEN
TOM AHERN
CALVIN NASH
TOM FARRELL
THAAKIR ABRAHAMS
JOSH WYCHERLEY
DIARMUID BARRON
JOHN RYAN
RORY SCANNELL
MIKE HALEY
CONOR MURRAY
MAJOR MATCHUP AM VS FARRELL
It’s a tussle between the 31-year-olds at No 13 today. Springbok World Cup winner Lukhanyo Am is back in the No 13 jumper of the Hollywoodbets Sharks tonight, celebrating his 100th cap for the Durban-based outfit!
The veteran midfielder, who is equally at home in the No. 12 jersey, has battled a series of injury woes over the past couple of seasons, which also led to him missing out on active participation in RWC 2023.
Back to full fitness, Am still has plenty of rugby left in him and could, as has been the case so often in the past, provide the catalyst to ignite the attack of the Hollywoodbets Sharks with his instinctive feel for the game and astonishing array of silky skills.
Amazingly, Tom Farrell has no international caps to his name, although he did represent Ireland U20 in 2013.
The Munster No. 13, who previously turned out for Connacht on 112 occasions, has statistically been the standout performer of the current Vodacom URC. Not only is he one of the top try-scorers with a tally of nine tries, but he also boasts the most successful carries (109), most offloads (41) and most carries (238), while the 61 defenders he has beaten are second most in the competition.
Just recently, Farrell scooped the Man of the Match spoils against Ulster with a brilliant brace of tries, after he had recorded a hat-trick against the selfsame Ulster on the eve of Christmas last year.
VODACOM URC
ROAD TO THE QUARTERS
The third place the Hollywoodbets Sharks secured this year is their highest finish on the Vodacom URC table since South Africa’s entry into the expanded European tournament four years ago, hence today’s home quarter-final. This is how the boys did it…
The Durban-based franchise won no fewer than 13 of their 18 regular matches in the 2024–25 Vodacom United Rugby Championship, two more than their previous best (11) in 2021-22 and nine more than their meagre four wins during the previous campaign. We highlight six of the most significant victories over the past eight months of URC warfare…
Beat Dragons 33-30, Newport, October 5
Coming off a narrow 30-36 away defeat against Connacht in their first game, where they squandered a 27-7 lead at halftime, coach John Plumtree stressed the importance of finishing strongly.
The Hollywoodbets Sharks, following a sluggish start at Rodney Parade, heeded to grind out a hard-fought but invaluable 33-30 win on this occasion. The tourists exhibited exemplary patience in the face of staunch Dragons' defence during the final quarter, to eventually manoeuvre Fez Mbatha across for the clincher in the 85th minute.
Beat Glasgow Warriors 28-24, Durban, October 19
Back home from their three-match European excursion, and still smarting from a 10-38 hiding at the hands of Benetton in Italy, Plumtree admitted to a rather “nerve-racking” week of preparation for this outing against the defending champions.
Several Springboks were blended back into action after three weeks of rest following the Castle Lager Rugby Championship, and they invariably appeared rusty at stages. Ultimately, however, the Hollywoodbets Sharks managed to generate enough positive play to emerge with this pleasing triumph over a most competent Warriors outfit.
Beat Munster 41-24, Durban, October 26
The Hollywoodbets Sharks laid down a massive marker with this sensational 17-point hammering of Munster, the former URC champions, whom they are hosting for today’s quarter-final. This convincing win, which could’ve been even more comprehensive had the visitors not been allowed in for a couple of soft tries at the end, was squarely built on the tried and trusted Bok recipe of destructive scrummaging and scintillating backplay. André “The Giant” Esterhuizen smashed across before halftime already for the bonus-point try and a handy 31-10 lead at the break.
Beat Stormers 21-15, Durban, November 30
It was the Durban-based outfit’s third victory on the trot, and all three against quality opposition, yet this was by far the most dramatic and, indeed, heart-stopping win of the three. With no time left on the clock, the Hollywoodbets Sharks seemed for all money’s worth to have tossed away, again, a lead of 21-8, when the Capetonians were first awarded a late penalty try and then, at the death, Manie Libbok waltzed over for the “winning try”. The TMO, however, came to the rescue, having spotted a minute but distinct fumble, by the selfsame Libbok, at a ruck in the lead-up to the “try”.
Beat Bulls 29-19, Pretoria, February 15
This must rank as one of the most extraordinary performances in URC history.
To be sure, the Hollywoodbets Sharks defied considerable odds to eventually run away, literally and figuratively speaking, with a 10-point win at “Fortress Loftus”.
Midway through the contest, they seemed like sharks to the slaughter after they had been reduced to 12 men, through three yellow cards. The Bulls duly mauled their way across for a try during that period, yet a hardening of resolve in the last quarter saw the visitors cut loose with three sensational, high-speed tries, all from within their half, to well and truly down the home side.
Beat Ulster 22-19, Belfast, April 26
The Hollywoodbets Sharks showed with this hard-fought win, their second on the road, that they are adept at winning away from home at hostile overseas venues, like Kingspan Stadium, which may well be their destiny should they advance through to the final of the URC.
In Belfast, they faced a shocking deficit of 0-19 after half an hour, however, when the final whistle blew 50 minutes later Plumtree’s men had emerged with an invaluable three-point win. They rediscovered their mojo in the second half, enabling them to pull through and become the first South African team to win at Kingspan.
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EMIRATES LIONS VS HOLLYWOODBETS SHARKS | 38-14
HOLLYWOODBETS SHARKS VS ZEBRE PARMA | 35-34 HOLLYWOODBETS SHARKS VS LEINSTER RUGBY | 7-10 EDINBURGH VS HOLLYWOODBETS SHARKS | 17-18 ULSTER RUGBY VS HOLLYWOODBETS
HOLLYWOODBETS KINGS PARK
HOLLYWOODBETS SHARKS VS MUNSTER RUGBY
