Ruan Pienaar kicked an extra time penalty for the Sharks to snatch a 26-29 victory for the Sharks in Wellington earning his team their second win of the season.
The Sharks looked to have sealed victory going into the final 10 minutes with a try by JP Pietersen but the Hurricanes hit back with two late tries which when both were converted by Piri Weepu levelled the scores at 26 all.
Aaron Cruden however gave away a penalty just inside the Hurricanes half so Ruan Pienaar took the kick and sealed victory for the Sharks.
Pienaar finished with 19 points from five penalties and two conversions – seven goals from eight attempts – to lift the Sharks to their second straight win and consign the Hurricanes to their fourth straight loss.
“I didn’t think too much about it,” Pienaar said of his winning goal.
“Obviously I really wanted to kick it and luckily it went through the posts.
“I was just happy to get a win and now we can home and try to capitalize.”
The Sharks, who broke a five-match losing streak at the start of the season with a sixth-round win over the Highlanders, lifted themselves further from the bottom of the standings with Saturday’s win in Wellington.
The Sharks led from the fifth minute when 19-year-old fullback Lambie scored his first try in his second start in Super 14 rugby.
Hurricanes Flyhalf Willie Ripia kicked two penalties to cut the margin to 7-6 but penalties to Pienaar in the 35th and 40th minutes allowed the Sharks to take a 13-6 lead to halftime.
The Hurricanes changed their inside back combination at halftime, replacing Tyson Keats and Ripia with Piri Weepu and Aaron Cruden, strengthening their backline.
Weepu kicked penalties in the 42nd and 52nd minutes to make the score 13-12 before a further penalty to Pienaar put the Sharks 16-12 ahead.
Pietersen finished a brilliant counter-attack down the right flank in the 64th to score the Sharks’ second try and to give the Durban-based team a 23-12 lead.
The Hurricanes responded only five minutes later with a try to All Blacks center Ma’a Nonu, converted by Weepu, which restored a four points margin.
Pienaar nudged the Sharks further ahead with his fourth penalty in the 73rd minute before Vito and Weepu combined to equalize near fulltime.
The Hurricanes made the mistake of trying to run the ball through midfield late in the match, infringed and conceded the penalty which allowed Pienaar to decide the match.
“It was an excellent game but the sort of game that takes years off you as a player and a coach,” Sharks captain John Smith said.
Final Score Hurricanes 26 Sharks 29 Scorers
Hurricanes
Tries – M Nonu, V Vito
Pen – W Ripia 2, P Weepu 2
Con – P Weepu 2
Drop –
Cards –
Sharks
Tries – P. Lambie, JP Pietersen
Pen – R Pienaar 5
Con – R Pienaar 2
Drop –
Cards –
Match Officials
Referee: Ian Smith (Australia)
Assistant referees: Kane McBride (New Zealand), Glenn Newman (New Zealand)
TMO: Shane McDermott (New Zealand)
Teams
Hurricanes – 15 Cory Jane, 14 Tamati Ellison, 13 Conrad Smith, 12 Ma’a Nonu, 11 Andre Taylor, 10 Willie Ripia, 9 Tyson Keats, 8 Rodney So’oialo, 7 Karl Lowe, 6 Victor Vito, 5 Michael Paterson, 4 Jeremy Thrush, 3 Neemia Tialata, 2 Andrew Hore (c), 1 John Schwalger.
Reserves: 16 Dane Coles, 17 Jacob Ellison, 18 Bryn Evans, 19 Nick Crosswell, 20 Piri Weepu, 21 Aaron Cruden, 22 David Smith.
Sharks – 15. Patrick Lambie , 14. Stefan Terblanche , 13. Adrian Jacobs , 12. Riaan Swanepoel , 11. JP Pietersen , 10. Andy Goode , 9. Ruan Pienaar , 8. Ryan Kankowski , 7. Willem Alberts , 6. Jacques Botes , 5. Alistair Hargreaves , 4. Steven Sykes , 3. Jannie du Plessis , 2. Bismarck du Plessis , 1. John Smit ( Capt )
Replacements: , 16. Tendai Mtawarira , 17. Wiehahn Herbst , 18. Wilhelm Steenkamp , 19. Jean Deysel , 20. Rory Kockott , 21. Waylon Murray , 22. Odwa Ndungane
A Bull first on a sharks blog? Something wrong if I am!
1@ Pirate – Bulls are always 1st… we are just THAT GOOD… hehehehe
hey now be nice 😆
Well done Pienaar, i really liked the way things turned out for you. I dont have the replay of the game but did i see spooke or did the beer make me see things.
When that penalty was awarded i somehow saw Ruan asked John for the ball to kick, he was like Morne in the Lions test , give it captain i will do the rest. I read this somewere alse in cyberspace.
In the final minute both teams desperately searched for victory, and Cruden held onto the ball on the ground after being tackled by Mtawarira. Penalty on the halfway line as the siren sounded while Pienaar was lining up his kick. The kick had the legs and crept over the crossbar for one of the most dramatic victories you will ever see. Amazing BMT from Pienaar to win the game for the Sharks (26-29).
Now was that spiteful to blow the siren or ignorant or a calculated ploy to put extra pressure on a kicker who they know can be influenced by something like that.
Well done Ruan , that was a Rubicon you crossed.
I have enjoyed seeing Ruan play lots of times now……Good for any player to shine under pressure, confidence going forward….Sharks need more confidence and self belief in the ranks this season.
BBirdie, i did never trust Ruan before, i really hope this changes his career, he is too good to write off so soon.
Hi super, he has given Sharks and Bok fans some anxious moments…..You need as much ammunition as you can muster for the RWC though and a Ruan on form is better than a Ruan under par!
How is things with you and yours today….?
If you guys remember he had a very difficult kick from the corner of the 22 to win a Super 14 game against the Crusaders in 2007 after Odwa finally decided to catch the ball and score the winning try. Ruan Woods has all the talent,just needs to get his mind right. But think that kick will put him in good stead for the rest of the season..
thanks guys
yeah ruan is a brilliant player and if one has to be honest his mindset has to do with him being messed around by coaches
and on the bulls game people saying bulls didnt play that great have to remember a win in oz is a win and do not forget that the bulls would have had jet lag, they now have a good chance of more wins down under
yesterdays win was not bad at all if everything is taken into consideration
ok boredom is a bastard
maybe ill test out emoticons 😆
:cow: <<< bulls
:sheep: <<< aussies and kiwi's 😆
😯 <<< hurricanes supporters after getting whipped at home
🙂 sharks supporters after whipping canes in their own garden
If you offered the Bulls and Sharks an ugly win they both would have taken it.. So we won,dont worry about small things,as per usual Australia is more worried about what the game looked like instead of the result..
Sharky the Bulls are playing away from their strenghts, and it makes me nervous, one day we will pay. But anyway i expect a loss sometime, it would be too much to ask for to go unbeaten, but why not….. 😀
4 – Super, Great post. Straight to the point and honest. Good on you brother.
:flower: <<<male stormer supporters always have these in their hands for their fellow male supporters 😆
:cow: ilove the mamma of all bulls
10 – Sharky, talking of boredom…..Formula 1, right now…..Yawnnnn
super mate a win is a win
read the papers , it does not say ya gotta win with nice rugga , it says bulls won
😆
Puma hiyas brudda
i answered what you said to G10 on Sharksworld where he called you a wally 😆
puma i had to love the way ya put it to G 10 ,
18 – Puma, how were the celebratory prawns and white wine?
I enjoyed a ‘Cultured Evening’ – Choral works by Vivaldi and Bach….Excellent, however the night before enjoyed ear bleeding Blues & Rock..I may have damaged my middle ear!!
9 – Sharky, Howzit brudda from another mudda….haha.
YES, have to agree there. Bulls won yesterday and that was more important than fancy rugby. Go for the win first. Who cares how they played, the score board don’t, it says a win and that is it. Bulls for me anyway could pull of anything at this stage. They have great players and not just one gameplan but a, b and c to turn too. They winning at that is all I care about. Good to see our top team win on the road too. AND top the log still.
So go Bulls good luck for next week. You have my support 100%
super i must say in general it seems there is good support from all supporters in SA for the bulls etc
normally there would be more negativity
I read a bit on Voldys , skoppie is just as mad as he always were. His Bok team is a bloody joke.
23 – Does Grant share his concerns about John on Sharks world? I have never really looked in there, probably would excite a lively debate!!
25 – Aggggggggggggggg, Blue Bird by the time I got to that great Portugeuse fish market. The Prawns I always buy were SOLD OUT!! So we went out instead and had grilled sole….hahaha. Think Treehugs cholesterol talk was playing on my mind… 😀
Had a great time and food was superb.
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