Sharks win with 14 ... again
The Sharks cemented their place at the top of the Super Rugby standings with a hard-earned 29-23 win over the Blues in Albany on Friday.
It was the Blues' first loss at home this season, but more significant the Sharks won despite being reduced to 14 men on two occasions.
The legitimacy of the two yellow cards will be debated for days to come, just as the Blues' deliberate off-the-ball tactics will be a point of discussion.
However, the scoreboard – which doesn't have a comments section – will only reflect that the Sharks won by six points in a game that each team scored two tries.
The Blues had their chances, but their game was so riddled with errors that the Sharks relished every occasion the Blues had the ball in hand.
Not only because of the home team's high error count, but the Sharks also tackled the living daylights out of the Blues.
In fact it was their resolute defence that caused most of the Blues headaches and resulted in a number of crucial turnovers.
Frans Steyn opened the scoring in sixth minute with a penalty, that just moments after Ma'a Nonu coughed up a ball on attack inside the Sharks 22. However, almost immediately Simon Hickey levelled the score after a breakdown penalty.
Again the Sharks showed their intentions, as they won a turnover as the Blues attempted to run from inside their 22. A few quick phases and a sniping break by Sibusiso Sithole put the Sharks right on the line, from where Bismarck du Plessis muscled his way over. Steyn added the conversion – 10-3 after 11 minutes.
Hickey kicked a second penalty in the 18th minute, before Steyn slotted a sweetly-struck drop-goal in the 28th minute and a penalty six minutes from half-time to give the visitors a 10-point (16-6) lead at the break.
However, soon after the restart New Zealand referee Nick Briant flashed a yellow card at Sharks prop Jannie du Plessis, for repeated infringements and going offside.
The Blues opted for a scrum and a few phases later Luke Braid flopped over under the posts. The try was awarded after the TMO had a good look at what appeared to be both obstruction and a 'forward pass', but still awarded the five-pointer. Hickey's conversion made it a three-point game.
Just on the 50th minute Steyn made it a six-point game (19-13), after a period of sustained pressure by the visitors.
That became 26-13 five minutes later – another Blues attack going pear-shaped and the ball being hacked upfield, where Cobus Reinach followed up to dot down. Steyn added the conversion for the 13-point lead.
The Sharks were again reduced to 14 men with just under 20 minutes left on the clock, after Frans Steyn was sent to the sin bin for a professional foul – killing the ball on the ground.
And the Blues got the benefit of another questionable TMO decision when he ruled that Ma'a Nonu's pass had 'drifted' five metres forward and Tevita Li was awarded the try in the left corner. Ihaia West slotted the touchline conversion for a six-point game (20-26).
SP Marais (69th minute) and West (73rd minute) exchanged penalties as the game stayed on a knife's edge.
The Blues threw everything into attack, but the Sharks held on for a deserved win.
Man of the match: Ma'a Nonu was prominent, but not as effective as his team would have liked. Luke Braid was the home team's go-to man. Sibusiso Sithole was a monster on defence, while Frans Steyn is beginning to set into the flyhalf role nicely and producing some sublime touches – not to mention beginning to find the target with his drop-goal attempts. Lubabalo Mtembu was an all-action figure that made an impact on defence and with the ball in hand. However, our award goes to Sharks captain Bismarck du Plessis, who again showed why is regarded as the world's best hook – not just being brutal on defence and winning turnovers, but showing some great touches with the ball in hand.
The scorers:
For the Blues:
Tries: Braid, Li
Cons: Hickey, West
Pens: Hickey 2, West
For the Sharks:
Tries: B du Plessis, Reinach
Cons: Steyn 2
Pens: Steyn 3, Marais
DG: Steyn
Yellow cards: Jannie du Plessis (Sharks, 42 – repeated infringements, offside), Frans Steyn (Sharks, 61 – professional foul, killing the ball on the ground)
Teams:
Blues: 15 Lolagi Visinia, 14 Frank Halai, 13 Pita Ahki, 12 Ma'a Nonu, 11 Tevita Li, 10 Simon Hickey, 9 Bryn Hall, 8 Jerome Kaino, 7 Luke Braid (captain), 6 Peter Saili, 5 Tom Donnelly, 4 Patrick Tuipulotu, 3 Charlie Faumuina, 2 Keven Mealamu, 1 Tony Woodcock.
Replacements: 16 James Parson, 17 Sam Prattley, 18 Angus Ta'avao, 19 Hayden Triggs, 20 Steven Luatua, 21 Jamison Gibson-Park, 22 Ihaia West, 23 Albert Nikoro.
Sharks: 15 SP Marais, 14 JP Pietersen, 13 Sibusiso Sithole, 12 Paul Jordaan, 11 Lwazi Mvovo, 10 Francois Steyn, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Willem Alberts, 7 Lubabalo Mtembu, 6 Jacques Botes, 5 Stephan Lewies, 4 Etienne Oosthuizen, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 Bismarck du Plessis (captain), 1 Tendai Mtawarira.
Replacements: 16 Kyle Cooper, 17 Dale Chadwick, 18 Lourens Adriaanse, 19 Ryan Kankowski, 20 Keegan Daniel, 21 Charl McLeod, 22 Tim Swiel, 23 Heimar Williams.
Referee: Nick Briant (New Zealand)
Assistant referees: Mike Fraser (New Zealand), Aki Aso (Japan)
TMO: Aaron Peterson (New Zealand)
