Super Rugby leaders Hurricanes edge battling Sharks
Last Updated: 09/05/15 2:01pm
The Hurricanes stretched their lead at the top of the Super Rugby standings with a 32-24 bonus-point win over the Sharks in Wellington.
The Sharks threatened to extend their good record against the Hurricanes and led on a number of occasions, but their opponents always had an answer and finished strongly to claim their 10th win in 11 games.
The Sharks had won four of the last five meetings between these teams and took a fifth-minute lead when the Hurricanes lost the ball from a line-out and Bismarck du Plessis crossed.
Frans Steyn slotted the conversion but the Hurricanes wasted little time in replying, Cory Jane crossing in the corner on 11 minutes and James Marshall adding the extras.
Lionel Cronje's 18th-minute penalty put the Sharks back in front, but the Hurricanes' response came in the form of a try, with the Sharks unable to bring down Conrad Smith.
The Sharks had Etienne Oosthuizen yellow-carded for a high tackle but the home side could not make their advantage pay before his return and it remained 14-10 at the break.
Momentum soon swung back the other way as the Sharks launched a swift counter-attack in the 46th minute, allowing S'bura Sithole to race down the wing and score.
Again the Hurricanes' response was swift as they won a scrum five metres out and forced their way over for Reggie Goodes to score.
Injuries to Du Plessis and Nehe Milner-Skudder disrupted the game but it was the Sharks who regrouped most quickly as they began to put the Hurricanes under pressure once more.
They thought they had scored when they used a maul to drive over in the 60th minute, but the TMO ruled obstruction.
They came again four minutes later, stretching the Hurricanes on the wings and creating space for Odwa Ndungane to score, Steyn kicking the conversion.
The Hurricanes piled on the pressure in the final 10 minutes and were rewarded when some acrobatic play from Ardie Savea set up Jeremy Thrush for the bonus-point try.
The Hurricanes kept up the pressure and two late penalties from Marshall denied the Sharks the losing bonus point they deserved.
