Spiteful Sharks sneak past Chiefs
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The Sharks did just enough to secure a 12-11 victory over the Chiefs at Kings Park in a match marred by poor discipline.
Sharks hooker and skipper Bismarck du Plessis and centre Frans Steyn and Chiefs hooker Hikawera Elliot were red-carded by Australian referee Angus Gardner within 28 minutes of the kick-off in Durban.
And several other players were lucky to escape at least a yellow card with Chiefs replacement back Tom Marshall not punished for striking scrumhalf Cobus Reinach in the back with his knee.
"It was a very ugly first half," conceded Sharks flyhalf and stand-in skipper Patrick Lambie. "It is never nice to see players being sent off in a rugby match."
Chiefs skipper and flank Liam Messam jumped to the defence of the red-carded trio, stressing that none of them were "dirty players".
"Rugby is a contact sport and that is the way it goes sometimes. None of those sent off are dirty players," said the All Black.
Elliot was first to go having struck Sharks prop Tendai Mtawarira on the back of the head with a flying shoulder during a ruck after 16 minutes.
A fallen Du Plessis followed him to the touchline just two minutes later after pushing his right boot into the side of the face of Chiefs No.8 and Japan captain Michael Leitch.
Steyn was dismissed on 28 minutes with the referee overruling the television match official, who believed a dangerous tackle on Chiefs flyhalf Aaron Cruden was only a yellow-card offence.
Lambie kicked four penalties from five attempts to win the sixth-round game for the Durban outfit, who trailed 11-9 at half-time in wet, windy conditions.
Chiefs flank Sam Cane scored the only try at Kings Park and Cruden slotted two penalties while missing two other shots at goal.
Victory lifted Sharks three places to fifth on the table while two-time champions the Chiefs remained fourth.
Lambie and Cruden exchanged penalties within five minutes of the kick-off and after the three red cards, they slotted another penalty each.
Cane struck on 34 minutes with a try that had 'made in South Africa' stamped on it.
Chiefs won a line-out, created a driving maul and over Cane went, using a tactic much favoured by South African teams.
Lambie cut the gap to two points with his third penalty on the stroke of half-time and another successful shot at goal on the hour proved decisive.
Man of the match: Not many candidates in a messy affair, but Chiefs flank Sam Cane was the only player to score a try and was good at the breakdown as well to take our award.
The scorers:
For the Sharks:
Pens: Lambie 4
For the Chiefs:
Try: Cane
Pens: Cruden 2
Red cards: Hika Elliot (Chiefs, 15 – Foul play, shoulder charge), Bismarck du Plessis (Sharks, 17 – Foul play, kicking a player), Frans Steyn (Sharks, 27 – Foul play, dangerous tackle)
Teams:
Sharks: 15 SP Marais, 14 Odwa Ndungane, 13 JP Pietersen, 12 Francois Steyn, 11 Lwazi Mvovo, 10 Patrick Lambie, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Ryan Kankowski, 7 Renaldo Bothma, 6 Marcell Coetzee, 5 Marco Wentzel, 4 Mouritz Botha, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 Bismarck du Plessis (captain), 1 Tendai Mtawarira.
Replacements: 16 Kyle Cooper, 17 Dale Chadwick, 18 Lourens Adriaanse, 19 Lubabalo Mtyanda, 20 Daniel du Preez, 21 Conrad Hoffmann, 22 Andre Esterhuizen, 23 Waylon Murray.
Chiefs: 15 Damian McKenzie, 14 Bryce Heem, 13 Seta Tamanivalu, 12 Andrew Horrell, 11 James Lowe, 10 Aaron Cruden, 9 Brad Weber, 8 Michael Leitch, 7 Sam Cane, 6 Liam Messam (captain), 5 Michael Fitzgerald, 4 Matt Symons, 3 Siate Tokolahi, 2 Hika Elliot, 1 Jamie Mackintosh.
Replacements: 16 Rhys Marshall, 17 Ben Tameifuna, 18 Mitchell Graham, 19 Michael Allardice, 20 Johan Bardoul, 21 Augustine Pulu, 22 Tom Marshall, 23 Hosea Gear.
Referee: Angus Gardner (Australia)
Assistant referees: Marius van der Westhuizen (South Africa), Cwengile Jadezweni (South Africa)
TMO: Marius Jonker (South Africa)
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