The Australian men's water polo team, the Aussie Sharks, have scored a strong 13-2 victory over South Africa in a minor playoff on day five of the FINA World Cup in Almaty, Kazakhstan.
Jarrod Gilchrist provided a notable performance, as he put three shots in the back of the net on the Sharks road to victory, one of which was the opening goal of the game.
After being eliminated from the main draw on Friday, the Sharks used the game to test differing combinations in the water ahead of their final game against Kazakhstan.
Youngsters George Ford and Lachlan Edwards were the beneficiaries of this with robust Aussie offence helping both to join the scorers list.
It was a slightly slow start for the Sharks as they led 4-2 at the first break. They increased the lead to 7-2 come half time, with their defensive effort successfully preventing South Africa from scoring.
The third stanza saw the Aussies jump a further four goals ahead, before a final term haul of three goals ensured the win was beyond doubt.
Australian assistant coach Paul Oberman said Saturday's game was important ahead of the team's final game on Sunday.
"It was a great opportunity today for us to test the depth of the squad," Oberman said.
Sharks captain Richie Campbell said the team's defence was very pleasing.
"It was a good defensive effort from our side to keep them scoreless for three quarters of the game."
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