‘A special kid’: Pietersen blown away by Giliomee’s dream Sharks debut

The Sharks dominated Munster in their United Rugby Championship clash at Kings Park on Saturday, but it was the performance of debutant Luan Giliomee that had everybody talking after the match.

The Durban-based franchise ran out 45-0 winners, with Giliomee putting in an impressive display at fullback.

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No doubt Giliomee would have been nervous for his first start in the URC, but that didn’t show as he scored a try and produced other moments of magic during his time on the field.

One of those was an impressive 50-22 metre kick early in the half, which set up a Sharks attack from which prop Phatu Ganyane scored to give the home side a 19-0 lead.

Speaking to reporters after the match, Sharks coach JP Pietersen said that Giliomee showed exactly what he has to offer.

“Yeah, Luan is a special kid,” Pietersen told reporters.

“I think if you look at his history, from school [to] Craven Week... special. And then, obviously, Blitzboks, he was good too. He won a tournament [with them].

“You can see he's a BMT. He belongs on that field [and] never looked out of place.

“I was excited to see this kid. And he showcased what he can do.

He's an unbelievable talent,” Pietersen said.

The Sharks scored seven tries on the night, with two coming in the final two minutes for Springbok veteran Makazole Mapimpi.

Pietersen was full of praise for the Sharks winger too, a player at the other end of his rugby journey when compared to Giliomee.

“What is special today is that he [Giliomee] played with Makazole [Mapimpi] in his 100th game. And he [Mapimpi] just showed what it takes to get to 100 caps,” said Pietersen.

“And Makazole can also look at it the other way when he made his debut. So it's really special today.”

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The win moves the Sharks up to 11th on the URC log, and they still have a massive fight on their hands to get into the playoff spots for a shot at the knockout stages of the competition.

However, with players like Giliomee emerging, they are still in with a chance.

They next face Cardiff at the Shark Tank on Friday, 27 March, and Giliomee has certainly put up his hand for a starting spot in the run-on team.

Related tags

JP Pietersen Luan Giliomee Munster Rugby Rugby Sharks United Rugby Championship