The Sharks' 26-20 win over Leinster at Kings Park was built on a foundation of scrum dominance and a returning Bok contingent firing on all cylinders. Du Toit was the chief tormentor at loosehead, drawing multiple penalties and eventually forcing Clarkson into a yellow card, before Nche came off the bench to compound Leinster's misery. Esterhuizen and Van der Merwe were the backline weapons — combining for the crucial third try, with Van der Merwe's intercept try sealing the bonus point and earning him man of the match. Etzebeth and Hooker also made their presence felt from the bench.
Leinster's defeat was as much self-inflicted as it was Sharks-imposed. They moved the ball well through phases but haemorrhaged turnovers, conceded scrum penalties freely, and struggled with discipline at the breakdown and offside line. Prendergast's introduction at 10 sharpened them up — his penalty, a 50/22, and the assist for Osborne's late consolation try showed his quality — but it was too little to rescue a second straight defeat to open their campaign.