Cape Town - Western Province coach Allister Coetzee has praised the character of his injury-plagued team after their upset 15-10 win over the Sharks in Durban on Saturday.

Province recorded 18 injuries in the Currie Cup before the clash at the Shark Tank and went into the game as heavy underdogs.

A late opportunistic try by scrumhalf Dewaldt Duvenage stole the victory for the Capetonians to keep their semi-final aspirations alive.

“This was a special win for the side. To come up to Durban and win against a team with far more experience, it is highly impressive. The players once again showed their fight and heart. We fought to the end and it keeps us alive in the competition," Coetzee told the WP Rugby website.

“I think we did well to not give too many turnovers away. We started much better than we have over the last few weeks and our defence was outstanding. The pack played well and our set pieces were very good. In the end it was a disciplined performance and a fantastic victory for the guys.”

Province take on the Lions in Johannesburg this weekend, before concluding their round-robin campaign with a clash against the Pumas at home on October 15.