The Sharks overcame a 12-point deficit early in the second half by running in three tries to record a 30-28 win over the Queensland Reds in their Super 14 clash on Saturday.
The home side fought back through clever use of the rolling maul after flyhalf Quade Cooper had extended the Reds’ 14-9 halftime lead when he scythed through the home side’s defense from just outside the Sharks’ 22m line.
Cooper offloaded to outside center Will Chambers who dotted down under the posts for his second try with Cooper adding the extra two points.
The Sharks’ Odwa Ndungane responded with a try and the home side took the lead in the 56th minute when Jacques Botes was shoved over the line and Ruan Pienaar scored the conversion.
Pienaar ended the match with 15 points courtesy of three penalties and three conversions.
With 14 minutes left in the contest the hosts stretched their lead to nine points when wing JP Pietersen was on hand to score under posts.
But the visitors struck back almost immediately as Cooper was responsible for another scoring pass when the pivot found replacement prop Greg Homes unmarked with the front rower scoring in the left-hand corner for the Reds’ fourth try.
“We were a bit too loose in the first half,” said Sharks captain John Smit, who was celebrating his 32nd birthday. “But we came together and realized we had to make a change of tactics and tighten things up.”
“We got a few dividends from that and I am just happy with the boys reacting,” Smit said.
Pienaar had opened the scoring with a penalty in the fourth minute as the home side made the early running.
The Reds struck back in the 11th minute when Cooper jinked his way over for a try he converted himself.
The home side fought their way back into the contest and two penalties from Pienaar took the Sharks into a two-point lead in the 23rd minute.
The two sides settled into a midfield battle, with the Reds dominating possession, before the Australian side struck two minutes before the interval when Chambers took a pass from Cooper and barrelled his way over for a converted try.
“The Sharks played better across the 80 minutes,” Queensland coach Ewen McKenzie said. “We scored four tries but I never felt like we were in control of the game.”
“I’m proud of the boys,” Sharks coach John Plumtree said. “It was a long trip back from New Zealand and at 21-9 down, we were staring down the barrel. But the way the forwards took over in the game was great.”
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