URC leaders Leinster bounced back from their first defeat of the season with a 10-7 victory over Sharks in Durban. The Irish side, who suffered a dramatic loss to the Bulls last week, responded brilliantly ahead of their Champions Cup round of 16 clash against Harlequins at Croke Park next weekend. With eight changes from the team that lost at Loftus Versfeld, Leinster capitalised on Jaden Hendrikse's yellow card as Henry McErlean scored in the 18th minute.
However, Ciaran Frawley was unable to convert. Scott Penny added a second try for Leinster seven minutes into the second half, but Frawley's conversion hit the post. Sharks, who had won four out of their last five games and were hoping for a home quarter-final tie in the play-offs, fought back with a try from Springboks hooker Bongi Mbonambi, converted by Jordan Hendrikse.
Despite this, Leinster managed to secure only their second win in South Africa since 2019, handing Sharks their first defeat at Hollywoodbets Kings Park in this season's competition. Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email alerts ..
