The Sharks stayed in the hunt for the Super 14 playoffs by beating the Auckland Blues 23-10 on Saturday after keeping them scoreless in the second half.
The hosts struggled to cope with the early pace, but found their rhythm and discipline late in the first half to score 20 unanswered points and secure a fifth consecutive win.
The victory lifts the Sharks to ninth spot, level on 25 points with the Blues, who have the same points difference but are one place higher having scored more points.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Both teams are nine points off a semi-final position with three rounds left, but the Blues’ chances of making the playoffs have likely ended as they failed to secure any points.
Scrumhalf Ruan Pienaar led the way for the Sharks by scoring 14 points thanks to a try, drop goal and two penalties.
The opening period of the match saw ferocious defending by both teams, although the home side failed to build any continuity as they conceded seven penalties in the first 15 minutes.
Blues flyhalf Stephen Brett finally took advantage of the Sharks’ profligacy when he slotted an 18th-minute penalty.
Pienaar replied with a penalty of his own three minutes later, but the Blues, who looked threatening in midfield, scored the first try with a piece of individual brilliance from Brett.
In the 26th minute, the flyhalf got the ball on the Sharks 10m line and stepped past two opponents before offloading to No. 8 Peter Saili who touched down under the posts.
The home side ended the half stronger and deservedly took the lead in the dying seconds when Pienaar sniped over from a 5m scrum for a one-point lead at the break.
Flyhalf Andy Goode took over the kicking duties for the Sharks in the second half and stretched their lead with a penalty 10 minutes after play resumed.
Both teams were happy to fling the ball around in an attempt to breach the opposing defense, but it was Sharks’ replacement scrumhalf Rory Kockott who scored next with a 53m penalty.
In the final 10 minutes, Kockott sent over his second penalty as the Sharks moved into a 20-10 lead. Then, with time running out, Pienaar, who had moved to flyhalf, popped over a drop-goal from in front of the posts to complete the scoring.
■BULLS 51, LIONS 11
REUTERS, PRETORIA
The Bulls survived an early scare to record six second-half tries and go top of the Super 14 as they consigned the winless Lions to a big defeat at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday.
The holders lacked the creativity or sharpness to put the Lions away in the first half, with the visitors enjoying a fair portion of possession and scoring the only try through winger Wandile Mjekevu.
The Bulls went on the rampage in the second half, however, with six tries, including two in as many minutes from fast winger Gerhard van den Heever.
The Bulls head the table on 39 points, with the Stormers, the Canterbury Crusaders and Queensland Reds all on 34 points.
In a scrappy first half, the Bulls appeared happy to wait for the Lions to infringe at the rucks and flyhalf Morne Steyn kicked four penalties.
Lions flyhalf Herkie Kruger replied with one penalty, before great hands by winger Michael Killian and center Walter Venter gave Mjekevu the space to go racing down the left touchline and score.
That made it 12-8 to the home team at the halftime break.
The Lions, who have conceded the most tries in this season’s competition, were penalized at the kickoff for obstruction, which led to flanker Derick Kuun’s try for the Bulls, which came from a rolling maul.
The Bulls were 22-11 ahead as the match went into the final quarter and the floodgates opened.
Van den Heever beat Mjekevu to an awkwardly bouncing ball after fullback Zane Kirchner’s break and grubber kick. Steyn converted the try.
Van den Heever scored again two minutes later as he finished off an overlap.
Steyn missed the conversion after seven successive kicks on target, but he did score the Bulls’ bonus-point try in the 76th minute.
The weary Lions conceded two more tries in the last four minutes from center Wynand Olivier and John Mametsa.
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