Eben stars as Sharks rout Warriors

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Eben Etzebeth put in a dominant performance on his Vodacom United Rugby Championship debut as the Cell C Sharks thumped Glasgow Warriors in Durban on Saturday.

Leading by six points at half time, the hosts scored four tries after the interval to convincingly beat the visitors 40-12 in a bonus-point win at Kings Park.

Making his Sharks bow, Etzebeth put in a Man of the Match, 80-minute performance, highlighted by a smashing tackle from the Springbok enforcer on Glasgow hooker George Turner.

The hosts opened the scoring via a Boeta Chamberlain penalty inside an intermittent first quarter riddled with poor handling from both teams, before Glasgow blindside flank Tom Gordon broke free for the first try after stepping past a slipping Aphelele Fassi. Flyhalf Tom Jordan added the extras.

But, the Durbanites went into half time 13-7 ahead thanks to another Chamberlain penalty and a converted try for left wing Anthony Volmink, who scored following a sizzling show-and-go from the Sharks No 10 to split the line.

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Glasgow scored first after the break when Gordon barged over from a lineout maul, but good interplay from the Sharks put Volmink away in the left channel to complete his brace and make it a six-point game midway through the third quarter.

Chamberlain extended the home side’s lead by three from the kicking tee, before the introduction of the Sharks’ star-studded replacements, like Bok skipper Siya Kolisi, ended in a rolling-maul touchdown for Bongi Mbonambi.

And the bonus-point mission was accomplished with 10 minutes left when Fassi crossed the whitewash, before right wing Werner Kok latched on to a Chamberlain crosskick to race over the tryline after the hooter, capping the perfect start to their home campaign in the URC.

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Photo: Steve Haag/INPHO/Shutterstock/BackpagePix

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Devin Hermanus