United Rugby Championship: Sharks 69-14 Dragons - World Cup stars inspire record win

The defeat surpassed the 64 points Dragons conceded to Munster in March 2022

Sharks' World Cup winners made a triumphant return in Durban to inflict a record defeat for Dragons in the United Rugby Championship (URC).

Makazole Mapimpi and Eben Etzebeth scored to inspire the surprise bottom team to a first win of the season.

Dane Blacker and Rio Dyer scored in either half for an under-strength Dragons who were further weakened by a series of early injuries.

The Welsh region are now without an away league win in 19 months.

The result completed a remarkable afternoon for the South African sides with Lions, Bulls and Sharks all scoring more than 50 points.

Basement battle

These two sides had managed just a solitary victory between them in 10 games so far this season, Dragons' win over Ospreys in the previous round.

But the contrast in the strength of depth was laid bare by the respective team sheets.

Dragons travelled to South Africa without Wales forwards Dan Lydiate, Leon Brown, Ben Carter, Elliot Dee and the suspended Taine Basham.

Added to that, head of performance Dan Baugh served a one-match ban for his altercation with referee Ben Whitehouse last week.

Sharks, meanwhile, welcomed back world champions Etzebeth, Mapimpi, Jaden Hendrikse, Ox Nche and Grant Williams.

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Dragons were further hurt by the loss of playmakers Will Reed and Cai Evans as well as Ollie Griffiths, all in the first half, as well as a yellow card for prop Chris Coleman as pressure at the scrum told.

By then Dragons were 15-7 down to tries from Aphelele Fassi and Mapimpi, though Dragons had scored the best team try of the half when Reed, Evans and Aneurin Owen combined for scrum-half Blacker to score.

However, Werner Kok touched down from Hendrikse' audacious reverse pass in first-half injury time to break Dragons' resistance.

Etzebeth clinched the bonus-point and Grant Williams added a fifth only for Dyer to score directly from the restart when Sharks' forwards misjudged the kick-off.

However, it was a brief respite as Dyer and Hewitt had tries disallowed and Phepsi Buthelezi, Lappies Labuschagne, Williams, Fassi and Lukhanyo Am completed the rout in the final quarter.

The result was the most points Dragons have conceded in the league, surpassing the 64 shipped to Munster in March 2022, and a record victory for Sharks.

Dragons head coach Dai Flanagan said:

"The boys worked hard, showed real energy and enthusiasm, but did so as individuals. We need to curb that and work on how to do all those things collectively.

"When you face a team with this quality of players then they are going to punish you.

"Rugby is a game of momentum and it takes a lot to stop it when it's against you."

Sharks: Aphelele Fassi; Werner Kok, Lukhanyo Am (capt), Francois Venter, Makazole Mapimpi; Curwin Bosch, Jaden Hendrikse; Ntuthuko Mchunu, Fez Mbatha, Coenie Oosthuizen, Eben Etzebeth, Emile van Heerden, James Venter, Phepsi Buthelezi, Sikhumbuzo Notshe

Replacements: Daniel Jooste, Ox Nche, Hanro Jacobs, Corne' Rahl, Lappies Labuschagne, Grant Williams, Boeta Chamberlain, Rohan Janse van Rensburg.

Dragons: Cai Evans; Rio Dyer, Sio Tomkinson, Aneurin Owen, Ewan Rosser; Will Reed, Dane Blacker; Aki Seiuli, Bradley Roberts, Chris Coleman, Matthew Screech, George Nott, Sean Lonsdale, Ollie Griffiths (capt), Aaron Wainwright

Replacements: James Benjamin, Rhodri Jones, Lloyd Fairbrother, Joe Davies, Harri Keddie, Rhodri Williams, Steff Hughes, Ashton Hewitt.

Referee: Frank Murphy (IRFU)

Assistant referees: Christopher Allison & Stephan Geldenhuys (SARU)

TMO: Eoghan Cross (IRFU)