Sharks coach Robert du Preez hailed his team’s come-from-behind 31-24 victory against the Lions in Durban on Saturday.

The Sharks, who trailed 21-11 at the break, put in a strong second-half showing, with André Esterhuizen and Lwazi Mvovo bagging tries to help them end the Lions’ 21-match winning run against South African teams.

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Du Preez was full of praise for his players after the game, with the win keeping the Sharks’ playoff hopes alive.

‘I knew we would need a special performance,’ Du Preez said. It was a really big fightback for the boys. I just asked them to play for each other and to fight for each other, and that is what they did.

‘We obviously didn’t have any possession in the first half‚ or territory. We probably didn’t have enough speed in our setup. But we sorted that out.

‘The defence was outstanding, apart from the two soft tries at the beginning of the game. It took its toll in the end. I think we broke them down defensively. In the end, that gave us the upper hand.

The Sharks now face a crucial final two weeks, as they travel to Newlands to play the Stormers before hosting the high-flying Jaguares in a potential showdown for a wildcard spot.

‘It is one game at a time. This obviously gets our campaign back on track and the boys were outstanding,’ Du Preez added.

Photo: Gerhard Duraan/BackpagePix