Canes edge Sharks in thriller
The Hurricanes stretched their lead at the top of the Super Rugby standings with a thrilling 32-24 win over the Sharks in Wellington on Saturday.
It was a much-improved Sharks team, who will feel aggrieved by some questionable calls made by New Zealand referee Chris Pollock - including denying them a legitimate try.
However, days, weeks and years from now the scoreboard will reflect a Hurricanes win.
And they deserve credit for the manner in which they continued to come back in the face of a determined Sharks onslaught.
The Sharks, who were expected to go into their shells, given their form and results this season, showed great variety in their game in the early exchanges. They also managed to hold onto the ball much better, building pressure through the phases, being very direct with the forwards.
However, the Hurricanes again showed why they are top of the table - pouncing on every weakness they could find and exploited the lapses that still crept into the Sharks' game all too often. Their tempo was also much higher than that of the Sharks.
Discipline also remained an issue for the visitors, as Etienne Oosthuizen was sent to the sin bin in the first half after one too many high tackles.
After a period of sustained pressure - in which the Sharks took the ball through multiple phases and also won a penalty - hooker Bismarck du Plessis barged over from close range. Frans Steyn added the conversion - 7-0 in as many minutes.
Steyn got the Sharks back in front with a penalty that came after the accumulative pressure of 22 phases, before Conrad Smith exploited some sloppy Sharks defence. However, the initial impetus came from a neat inside pass by Ma'a Nonu to Matt Proctor - 14-10 after 21 minutes.
Barely a minute later the Sharks were down a man - Etienne Oosthuizen sent to the sin bin for a high tackle, the Sharks' infamous lack of discipline again coming to the fore, with the referee having already warned them about a number of high hits in the game.
However, the Sharks hung on without conceding any points. In fact right on half-time Steyn had a shot at goal from just inside his half, but it was a real shocker - hardly reaching crossbar height - and the Hurricanes took that four-point (14-10) lead into the break.
The Sharks again scored first after the break - withstanding a period of sustained pressure by the Hurricanes, before a turnover deep inside their 22, a hack upfield by Bismarck du Plessis and a powerful counter ruck, won them the ball - which was spun wide very quickly, with Sibusiso Sithole using his pace to beat the cover. Steyn's conversion made it 17-14 after 47 minutes.
Now it was the Hurricanes' turn to build pressure through the direct route, with their South African prop Reggie Goodes the man to finally carry the ball over the line. Marshal made it 21-17 with the conversion.
Despite a ridiculous call by New Zealand referee Chris Pollock to rule obstruction at a perfectly legal maul, the Sharks got back in front 15 minutes from time - quick hands and some great interplay found Odwa Ndungane in space and he had no trouble strolling over. Steyn's conversion crept inside the upright - 24-21.
The tit-for-tat battle continued when Jeremy Thrush went over with six minutes to go - following classic Hurricanes inter-passing in which forwards and backs linked brilliantly. Marshall's conversion attempt drifted wide - 26-24.
Marshall gave his team a five-point lead with three minutes to go and then made it 32-24 right on the full-time hooter - denying the Sharks a bonus point.
Man of the match: Frans Steyn looked very impressive at inside centre, Marcel Coetzee, Bismarck du Plessis and Tendai Mtawarira, on defence and with ball in hand, worked very hard. However, the Sharks most threatening player was wing Sibusiso - who not only scored a crucial second-half try, but often got his team over the advantage line with some powerful bursts. Nehe Milner-Skudder produced his usual bursts of energy, Cory Jane was impressive, Conrad Smith and Ma'a Nonu were very threatening in midfield, 11 Matt Proctor, Victor Vito and Ardie Savea were powerful and James Broadhurst continued to enhance his reputation. However, our award goes to Hurricanes lock Jeremy Thrush - who not only scored the bonus-point try at a crucial stage, but made 15 tackles, had 13 carries (most effective) and won five line-outs.
The scorers:
For the Hurricanes:
Tries: Jane, Smith, Goodes, Thrush
Cons: Marshall 3
Pens: Marshall 2
For the Sharks:
Tries: B du Plessis, Sithole, Ndungane
Cons: Steyn 3
Pens: Steyn
Yellow card: Etienne Oosthuizen (Sharks, 22 - foul play, high tackle)
Teams:
Hurricanes: 15 Nehe Milner-Skudder, 14 Cory Jane, 13 Conrad Smith (captain), 12 Ma'a Nonu, 11 Matt Proctor, 10 James Marshall, 9 Chris Smylie, 8 Victor Vito, 7 Ardie Savea, 6 Blade Thomson, 5 James Broadhurst, 4 Jeremy Thrush, 3 Ben Franks, 2 Motu Matu'u, 1 Chris Eves.
Replacements: 16 Brayden Mitchell, 17 Jeffery Toomaga-Allen, 18 Reggie Goodes, 19 Callum Gibbins, 20 Brad Shields, 21 Frae Wilson, 22 Otere Black, 23 Rey Lee-Lo.
Sharks: 15 Lwazi Mvovo, 14 Odwa Ndungane, 13 JP Pietersen, 12 Francois Steyn, 11 Sibusiso Sithole, 10 Lionel Cronje, 9 Stefan Ungerer, 8 Renaldo Bothma, 7 Etienne Oosthuizen, 6 Marcell Coetzee, 5 Marco Wentzel (Captain), 4 Stephan Lewies, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 Bismarck du Plessis, 1 Tendai Mtawarira.
Replacements: 16 Franco Marais, 17 Dale Chadwick, 18 Lourens Adriaanse, 19 Mouritz Botha, 20 Kyle Cooper, 21 Conrad Hoffmann, 22 Andre Esterhuizen, 23 Waylon Murray.
Referee: Chris Pollock
Assistant referees: Ben O'Keeffe, Michael Lash
TMO: Aaron Paterson