Sharks: Caned in New Plymouth
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The Hurricanes returned to winning ways after trashing the Sharks 42-18 at Yarrow Stadium in New Plymouth on Friday.
In an absorbing - but at times ill-tempered - encounter, the Hurricanes outscored their visitors six tries to two with the Sharks always having to play catch-up after trailing from start to finish.
The Hurricanes had the match wrapped up at half-time after leading 25-3, and didn't make the same mistake as last week (when they threw away a 21-point lead away to the Cheetahs) as the hosts pushed on for a comprehensive win.
Whilst Sharks fans will feel aggrieved at some dubious refereeing decisions by Kiwi ref Glen Jackson and the TMO after two controversial tries were awarded, the Hurricanes were deserved winners in the end.
Played at a fast pace, both sides were keen to give the ball plenty of air with tackle-busting runs the order of the day.
Hurricanes full-back Andre Taylor gave the home crowd a taste of things to come after powering through two would-be defenders, before stepping on the gas to cruise in for his fifth try of the season. Beauden Barrett added the easy extras and the 'Canes were 7-0 ahead after 14 minutes played.
It looked like Sharks scrum-half Charl McLeod had hit back in perfect fashion with a try in the corner, but the TMO ruled that a foot was in touch thanks to a brilliant try-saving tackle by TJ Perenara.
Sharks pivot Frederic Michalak slotted over a penalty to narrow the gap slightly, only for Jack Lam to extend his team's lead after the flank was deemed to have scored under a pile of bodies. Once again, Barrett raised the flags with a simple conversion.
All hell broke loose soon afterwards when a scuffle between Jannie du Plessis and Karl Lowe ended in an all-out brawl with several players getting their boxing gloves out. The end result was a penalty to the Hurricanes - converted by Barrett - and both teams being white-carded by Jackson, with their feat now in the hands of the citing commisioner.
Barrett was on target with his second penalty of the first half, before speedster Julian Savea finished off a Hurricanes break-out in the corner on the stroke of half-time.
The Sharks come out strongly after the break, with Michalak sending over another three-pointer and JP Pietersen dotting down following sustained pressure on the Hurricanes' line for a converted try.
Suddenly at 25-13 the South Africans looked back in the hunt, but their reprieve didn't last long.
First Hurricanes skipper Conrad Smith chased a Perenara grubber kick to score in the corner - picking up his team's bonus-point try in the process. But questions were raised whether Smith managed to put downward pressure on the ball.
Barrett pushed the kick wide to keep the score at 30-13, before another turnover lead to a Barrett bust and a superb chip and chase try to inside centre Tim Bateman. The conversion attempt was charged down to leave the hosts with a 35-13 lead.
A try to Sharks' hooker Craig Burdon gave the Sharks some hope of gaining at least a bonus point, but a last-minute try to replacment lock Jeremy Thursh put the icing on the cake for the Hurricanes.
The scorers:
For Hurricanes:
Tries: Taylor, Lam, Savea, Smith, Bateman, Thrush
Cons: Barrett 3
Pens: Barrett 2
For Sharks:
Tries: Pietersen, Burden
Con: Michalak
Pens: Michalak 2
Hurricanes: 15 Andre Taylor, 14 Cory Jane, 13 Conrad Smith (c), 12 Tim Bateman, 11 Julian Savea, 10 Beauden Barrett, 9 TJ Perenara, 8 Victor Vito, 7 Karl Lowe, 6 Faifili Levave, 5 Jason Eaton, 4 James Broadhurst, 3 Jeffery Toomaga-Allen, 2 Dane Coles, 1 Ben May.
Replacements: 16 Motu Matu'u, 17 Michael Bent, 18 Mark Reddish, 19 Jack Lam, 20 Chris Eaton, 21 Tusi Pisi, 22 Charlie Ngatai.
Sharks: 15 Riaan Viljoen, 14 Louis Ludik, 13 JP Pietersen, 12 Tim Whitehead, 11 Lwazi Mvovo, 10 Frederic Michalak, 9 Charl McLeod, 8 Keegan Daniel (c), 7 Willem Alberts, 6 Marcell Coetzee, 5 Jandre Marais, 4 Steven Sykes, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 Craig Burden, 1 Dale Chadwick.
Replacements:16 Bismarck du Plessis, 17 Wiehahn Herbst, 18 Anton Bresler, 19 Jean Deysel, 20 Jacques Botes, 21 Meyer Bosman, 22 Marius Joubert/Paul Jordaan.
Referee: Glen Jackson
Comments
sandal says...
Apologies for coming in late.
But what doubt, after watching the video, was there in Smith's try? He was holding the ball, he placed it on or beyond the tryline, try. What part of that, exactly, is wrong?
Posted 05:22 10th April 2012
philipjfry says...
@ruckingkiwi: You wrote this: 'maybe that is the Saffa way, whinge, cheat, cheap-shots and diving and then cry after they are retaliated against'. Prejudiced? :)
Posted 07:20 09th April 2012
Ramage says...
@philipjfry my apologies if you thought I included you in my attacks on some of the posts to this article. I certainly did not and I usually refer to the many sane saffas who write on here.I can assure you I am not a xenophobe and it is that very thing my complaints are about. Yes I did read the comments but I ask you to go back and read the comments about any game that NZ team plays in this competition and it is littered with this kind of put downs of NZ referees suggesting that they try to influence games. So lets get it right some of the articles on here attack and vilify NZ referees suggesting they only rule the way they do because they are cheats and want to give NZ an advantage. This is rubbish. It is continued on the International scene by others who claim similar things about International referees .It is said so often that I am sick of it as it is saying all our top referees are blatant cheats and favour NZ including Craig Joubert. I am sorry if in defending our referees from these dirty accusations comes across as xenophobic but these people have to be taken to task. Our referees are not cheats do not fix games and to say so is outrageous. If you don't believe me take a look at some of the posts by a saffa correspondent Leebok on the Bulls Crusaders games read his insane statements where he uses the words cheats, cheats cheats and then tell me who is the xenophobe in this case. I am not criticising all saffas just those who write this rubbish. Finally to Jonesy if you add those kind of comments about SA referees you are no better to those I am complaining about. Tackle theor refereeing on law not the so called assumptions about favouritism.
Posted 09:30 08th April 2012
carpelone says...
I will look with interest to the Canes this season. I think that what they are doing is exceptional. They will come third in NZ conference, I predict.
Posted 08:38 08th April 2012
Ramage says...
@martinmarais the bleats came long before suzie which I agree was a joke and yes there was bleating in Cardiff but have you heard it from me? I dont believe so. Finally you have never heard so many groans and moans about a referee since Cardiff lol remember Bryce Lawrence and what was said to him and all the calls that were made to a B Lawrence, the wrong one, from RSA threatening his life. So much so that it is not considered safe for the man to referee in South Africa so seriously those threats were taken. We have already seen an Irish referee put out of the game because of a crazed saffa fan coming on to the field and assaulting him. Just a few weeks ago another crazy fan threw a bottle at Meleamu once again getting onto the field seems to be a penchant for that in SA. it is a shame because most people who post on this site from SA are knowledgeable and worth reading but why do those sore losers continually blame the referee and call them cheats. Every game time after time there are those who just cant accept the fact that their team lost and lost to a better team on the day.
Posted 18:05 07th April 2012
philipjfry says...
@ruckingkiwi and jonesy2: You two are prejudiced towards South Africans and really no better than the South Africans who make the sweeping comments about the poor refereeing.
Posted 17:10 07th April 2012
Ramage says...
@jaystarr geez your wish about martinmarais is a low shot no matter how much he might upset you one never wishes that to happen to anyone . Low, low, low from the no1 bleater.
Posted 17:07 07th April 2012
davodiablo says...
Just want to say what an awesome ref performance At last an ex player blows the whistle . Who are we to argue .
Posted 10:07 07th April 2012
kahui says...
Jay starr - U got a taste of the Canesssssssssssssss
Posted 09:46 07th April 2012
jonesy2 says...
i seriously cant believe the saffas and even PR talking about the reffing!!! yeah lets forget all the games that saffa refs fix in SA but as soon as a crappy, dirty SA team gets smashed by a team that deserved more than just a win everyone starts complaining. ref was fine, the TMO gave the benefit of the doubt with those tries but the bottom line is the sharks got smashed by a far better side. same old crap from whining saffas every loss is the refs fault. youre all pathetic.
Posted 05:44 07th April 2012
brands says...
just watched the scuffle in the first half, dirty dirty sharks, shouldnt be surprise really, good to see them get a smacking though!
Posted 03:18 07th April 2012
7ton says...
Jaystar
Maybe things did seem to go the hurricanes way but I remember when your team the Stormers played played the hurricanes everything seemed to go the Stormers way so if people take a leaf from your book should they all support any team who plays the Stormers?
Posted 00:24 07th April 2012
philipjfry says...
@Ramage: You've clearly not read any of the comments. Have you got anything worthwhile to add to the discussion apart from blatant xenophobia?
Posted 20:49 06th April 2012
martinmarais78 says...
Ramage, South Africans with their conpiracies... One word mate: SUZIE!!! You've started it, so stop beieng such a hipporcate... I have anyway never heard so many groans and moans as with a certain night not to long ago in Cardiff...
Posted 17:44 06th April 2012
Sveniwitch says...
So martin if the sharks don't win anything because of their import culture (except those 2 currie cups in the last 5 years) why haven't the stormers/WP won anything of note the past 12 years? Importing and living in denial maybe? Sorry to all reasonable stormers fans, this is not aimed at you, just the wise,all knowing oracle of rugby, martinmarais78
Posted 17:27 06th April 2012
JayStarr says...
@ martinmarais78: I hope the next time you swim in the sea you get eaten by a shark.
@ Ramage: Stop bleating about South Africans bleating about refs...
@ IslandPower: You're right actually... I agree. I didn't see everything - the citing officers will hopefully have a better look... I just hope this time they punish everyone who deserves to be punished. For example: Jannie du Plessis slapped a guy - and got a penalty for it. If they punish him again it would be unfair. But what are they going to do about the guy who punched JP Pietersen's lip open (whoever that was)? Or the guy giving the uppercuts..?
I really don't like the way refs have become lax on punches... It sets a very bad example to school kids. So I hope those responsible gets punished properly and fairly - and that the refs start sending people off for punches again.
Posted 16:48 06th April 2012
Ramage says...
@startled wombat have you ever refereed a game when a fight erupts and players run in from all over the field. The officials got it right with the incident that started it and they wished to allow the commissioner to look at it and see whether any one else should also receive some punishment. That is what the white card is about and as it has been recorded the commissioner can look calmly to see just what really happened. I would have thought that this was the right thing to do.
@davodiabolo As for dubious tries given or not all I will say to the South Africans screaming blue murder is Muewesen. We all know about TMOs who go beyond their brief and who also constantly get it wrong but of course as we all know it is
only NZers who cheat and are corrupt. Obviously you had a better view and were closer to the play than Jackson. Jackson asked Kelly the TMO can you give me a reason why I can not award the try. Kelly replied he could not so where was Kelly wrong can you tell me from the replays.It is not him who awards the try it is the referee who clearly thought a try had been scored. Kelly also believed there was enough downward pressure to award the first try and offered that decision to Jackson on the first occasion. @kkovak sorry but you will see more of Glen Jackson as he is a fine referee and I note that you have very little regard for referees with you post about Walsh in the Reds game. A rather backhanded compliment but then your knowledge of refereeing and laws would be better than those given the job of doing the games.
Seems there some Saffas on this site who are poor losers and continually find fault with refereeing decisions that go against their teams. Why not look at the poor performance of the Sharks. Just like the Blues it wasn't the ref who lost them the game it was their own inept play. Same as the Hurricanes last week against the Cheetahs.
Posted 16:33 06th April 2012
Ramage says...
The bleaters and whiners are at it again do they ever stop. have a look at what happened and take off the eye patch.I notice a Saffa who disagreed was roundly criticised for daring to suggest the Sharks did not play well. However it is becoming par for the course if a game goes against a South African team the bleaters and whiners come on suggesting the end of the world is nigh. It is so predictable and has reached the point of being repetitiive. Of course these bleaters from the comfort of their arm chairs aided by their superior knowledge of the rules make judgments when they are miles from the play and then bore us with their conspiracy theories. Yes we all know that NZ referees cheat, they take backhanders and go out of their way to influence games
Posted 15:37 06th April 2012
martinmarais78 says...
Today just proofed again that the Sharks are a mid to low table team. No change they will ever win it mainly due their 'import' culture...
Nothing wrong with saying that until they get the right mindset in Durban! Heck I am actually doing you guys a favour!
Posted 15:17 06th April 2012
SACanuck says...
@martinmarais78, please look up what the word "Professional" means on Wikipedia, you may learn something about the difference between amatuar and professional. Rugby has moved on since 78
Posted 14:46 06th April 2012