It’s to the Kiwi capital we go for the Sharks’ second tour match.
The odds are heavily stacked against Gary Gold and his men, searching for their first win in five starts.
Kick-off is at 09h35 South African time.
Hurricanes: 15 Nehe Milner-Skudder, 14 Cory Jane, 13 Conrad Smith (captain), 12 Maβa Nonu, 11 Matt Proctor, 10 James Marshall, 9 Chris Smylie, 8 Victor Vito, 7 Ardie Savea, 6 Blade Thomson, 5 James Broadhurst, 4 Jeremy Thrush, 3 Ben Franks, 2 Motu Matuβu, 1 Chris Eves.
Replacements: 16 Brayden Mitchell, 17 Jeffery Toomaga-Allen, 18 Reggie Goodes, 19 Callum Gibbins, 20 Brad Shields, 21 Frae Wilson, 22 Otere Black, 23 Rey Lee-Lo.
Sharks: 15 Lwazi Mvovo, 14 Odwa Ndungane, 13 JP Pietersen, 12 Francois Steyn, 11 Sibusiso Sithole, 10 Lionel Cronje, 9 Stefan Ungerer, 8 Renaldo Bothma, 7 Etienne Oosthuizen, 6 Marcell Coetzee, 5 Marco Wentzel (Captain), 4 Stephan Lewies, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 Bismarck du Plessis, 1 Tendai Mtawarira.
Replacements: 16 Franco Marais, 17 Dale Chadwick, 18 Lourens Adriaanse, 19 Mouritz Botha, 20 Kyle Cooper, 21 Conrad Hoffmann, 22 Andre Esterhuizen, 23 Waylon Murray.

Please show some pride and lose by less than 20.
Show pride in yourselves and in our team…make them sweat blood
Sharks by 5
I would have moved Steyn to 15,, Lwazi on the wing with JP and Sithole at 13 and Esterhuizen at 12. Woulve gone into this game without Hoffman and Murray they add absolutely nothing
@pierre_mackie (Comment 4) : Before last week I would have agreed. But Esterhuizen proved a liability last week and I would rather have Steyn’s experience at 12.
Mvovo did well last year at 15 but he hasn’t played there since, so I’m not expecting him to pick up where he left off today, but the man is a great professional so he should be able to hold his own at least.
Hoffman Murray…agree 100% plus they are now taking up a spot which could be better used by other replacements. Hanco Venter, Paul Jordaan…sure they have also had issues but couldn’t be worse than hoffman and murray.
As for JP wing is about the only place I can see him add value so to persist with him on center is a mistake.
C’mon Sharks, let’s see some hunger today! Good luck boys!
YES BOYS #SHARKSFOREVER
Shit there goes mvovo
For all my sins Ive backed the Sharks on the Bru. π―
Anyone going to give commentary today?
@Stiko85 (Comment 8) : Is that a good or bad thing…goes as in fast or goes off the field?
@Salmonoid the Subtle (Comment 10) : Goes as in:
Esterhuizen – sub on
Mvovo – sub off
Try given ti hurricanes but that looked forward
Liobel high tackle Cronje…dude why…now we have a warning…
@Die Kriek (Comment 11) : Dang blast. π₯
Score please.
They playing with heart which is good enough for me
7-10 sharks
10-7 to the Sharks
I also backed the sharks. I always back my boys on bru that’s why my bru looks horrible this year
Smith scores, 12-10 conversion to follow for the canes
Jp..tackle!!!..nooo you let him score
Was under the posted try converted. 14-10 canes
miles forward pass, naturally allowed
That was piss poor by JPP.
Yellow card, sharks eish. Oosthuizen
Thats why JP should play wing he cant tackle
π
Agggg no not again…a card
Sharks can’t tackle or catch a high ball
He was unfortunate coz we were already on a warning for high tackles
Aaaaaand we kick
Pretty obvious after that Ungerer nothing kick that it’s being coached and it’s not the players
Damn jannie can’t catch to save his life
Switch JP with Sbura please……..
At least the attacking intent is better
They tackled our player in tge air 5m from the line not even a penalty
Do you guys think jpp will ever get out of his limbo state? He’s been in it for the past 3 years now and is slipping deeper in it each year
Lnz laws
PLum might be smiling on the outside but on the inside he is crying too.
And the ref awarded that scrum penalty without looking .. wow
Yes I agree, bar stupid mistakes we are playing like a team who wants to play for the first time in a while. But the error counts are piling and that is costing us dearly
Thanks for the commenatary…sounds as if there is some bad and some good but with a lot of heart being shown.
By the way salmonoid, the score is still 14-10
Mxm, I hate all this aimless kicking
Stupid stupid kick from Cronje
Parts of the play I am really happy with and some not…
Right oosthuizen is back
@Stiko85 (Comment 43) : Thanks, who scored for us, who is kicking for poles?
Why is Cronje kicking away our momentum at crucial times πΏ
@VanWilder (Comment 34) : sitho runs over players JP lets players run over him π
5m lineout, and our mauls doesn’t liik effective enough
Bismarck scored the try. Steyn doing the kicking.
Sorry, steyn is doing the kicking, bissie scored the try
Collapsing the maul ref
Damnit!!! We spent 5min on that 5m line and we walk away with jack, next time take your bloody three points mxm
Yep, blatant collapsing but once more, overlooked and they get the penalty
Another aimless kick
Compared to how theyve played this season, Sharks are already in 5th gear, Canes prob stuck between 2nd and 3rd
Beautiful bissie, now take the three points plz
My Golfie’s 5th gear is Reverse π³
@JarsonX (Comment 39) : π
Okay steyn korrel palle toe, maar skop windskeef, half time 14-10
Collapsing the maul ref?
@Stiko85 (Comment 59) : Marco is the captain
@JarsonX (Comment 52) : @Stiko85 (Comment 53) : Driving maul from a lineout maybe?
Sharks need to score 1st in the 2nd half if they want a shot to win this
So stoked we’re in this! Already a much better performance by the sharks bar that missed tackle from jpp.. That sucked
Hopefully the wheels won’t come off in the 2nd half like it has in virtually all our games this season. But the boys played really nice this first half bar stupid errors and aimless kicking by cronje en 9. Sad bout mvovo, he looked great at fullback, especially under the high ball. Hopefully its not too serious, we can’t suffer another backline player eish. The alternatives are just not on par.
At least we scored the first try and managed to prevent the Canes from scoring the bonus point before half time.
Ref is doing his best to gain the canes and advantage. That card against oosie was bull. The man clearly slipped under his tackle. This sharks team looking a lot better happy with Ungerer and cronje. Let’s keep intensity going second half.
Lol I know marco is captain, but bissie stole that ball, that’s why I said beautiful bissie. Oh well maybe they shouldn’t have listened to me and gone for the lineout ma coz that kick was horrible lol
The maul not working try something else, gave away a good attacking platform.
Alignment on defence was really poor on each Canes try.
JP not pulling his weight 2 on one and he can’t be bothered to commit in the tackle
@Stiko85 (Comment 71) : LOL, my bad
The yellow was unfortunate, but mainly a result of the two high tackles before that and the warning leading up to it. Someone was gonna get it on the next high tackle, accidental or not. He was the unfortunate sucker
@Stiko85 (Comment 76) : not a very intelligent player, though…. looking at the replays, Cronje should have got the yellow. Oosthuizen also loked to be aiming high, even without the slip.
first thing we shuold have done when Jake walked was got him to take his leavings with him. Cronje, Hoffmann, Oosthuizen. Interesting that he hasn’t tried to sign any of them at Montpelier
We need to keep on playing with ball in hand. The more you do the more comfortable you get. However players need to run onto the ball, not receive it 10m behind the adv line
Jpp isn’t even going on his past performances anymore he has no right being in this team, we should never bring him back from japan again, he’s horrible each week, and its not likes he’s trying and then making mistakes, its that he is not even bothering to try. He hasn’t put up his hand for the sharks once in the past 3 years. 2012 was the last time I enjoyed him playing. Since then he’s been in this I don’t care state I hate it.
Right stick. Still sick to be the suckered tho even when you clearly didn’t offend.
Anyway 2nd half started sharks has the ball
Jannie got penalised for rucking a player off the ball, they’re tackling our fringe defenders way off the ball and this ref is just watching on
Maybe JPP would play better if he was in his natural position ala Wing.
Massive tackle from Bizzie
Bissie jou doring. I love it when he’s not captain he plays brilliantly man.
@robdylan (Comment 78) : I can’t stand Etienne Oosthuizen.
The thing is even when he played at wing last year he was disinterested, he’s far from 30years old yet he plays like he’s ready to retire mxm
Bissie weer eens!!
Great try Sharks
Try time sharks, sithole try: 14-15 conversion to follow
great kick bismark
Good work from Cronje
Beautiful!
And a better chase
Holy crap! thats the sharks of old
Conversion successful, 14-17
Liking the handling a lot more
Thats beautiful Sharks, you can do this
And we score first blood in the second half as well
π― I turned away for 5mins π―
This team this play and we would have had last week’s game
Much better defense from the Sharks. Making the Canes work hard
Cooper on for Botma
Cooper up let’s see
Can’t we make bothma a permanent shark? Lol kyle on to play for the first time as a loose forward. Bothma off
Fuck
Canes score
Try time canes, soft try 19-17 conversion to follow
21-17 conversion successful, canes.
Bounce back boys..come on
Cooper on and can’t even stop the try …… ye, we did well to replace Bothma with him π
Come on bissie…get up we need you
Bissie injured I think he’s games over.
Dead knee …. that hurts like hell
Okay he’s getting up… But he’s off marais on.
Cooper needs to fetch that’s his only value as far as I can see. Do agree he does look to be adding value here
Pity he played a fantastic game today.
Stop kicking turnover ball away
Come boys!!! Go for the lineout
Sustained attack from the Sharks. Looking better
Try time!!! Hopefully…TMO
Marcell looks confident enough
Rubish
No try marais obstruction
Bullshit
Setting up maul again. Sound is off why was it not allowed?
unreal, bloody unreal
Total rubbish yes. That’s a dead on try that. Oh well.
Liked bound to the carrier tackler was not contesting the maul so why Marais obstruction?
Sharks not doing badly against 16 tonight
Side entry by hurricanes at maul but obstruction called … robbed
Bullshit call. Pollock stuffed that up
F**king cheating bastards! These NZ TMO’s are a disgrace!
Canes looking panicky lol. Sharks I have to say it, dominates this game. Just not on the score card yet (thanks to the ref ofcoz)
My sound is of but from the visual I can’t see the problem on that try?
Sharks playing a 16 man canes team again today?
And thats how you beat a hometown ref
Much better JP – nice offload to Odwa for try
Yes! JP does it right. Odwa in. JP on wing pls coach!
Try time sharks!! Odwa, 21-22 conversion to follow, beautiful try, thanks jpp lol
Justice
Lets see if the ref can find some issue with that one
@coolfusion (Comment 136) : thats because it was imaginary
Steyn!
Thats the sharks. ..welcome back
Probably obstruction from the linesman…lol!
21-24 conversion good. Jpp looking much better at wing yes lol, but still horrible otherwise
Frans is kicking well tonight
Time remaining?
Power out here. Score and time please?
Boys playing their hart’s out. Already a tick in my list.
Canes are looking ever more worried and panicky. I’m loving this. Mxm, stupid lineout marais. Lol I know I said that in the same comment.
21 24 sharks 69 mins
69th min now 21-24
Who would think we would be in the lead by 70 minutes
Mo on canes penalty ..missed
@coolfusion (Comment 154) : @Stiko85 (Comment 155) : Thanks guys
Canes going to the poles… but misses 70th min 21-24
Justice
Beast off for chadwick
Crap try time canes? TMO
That was in touch im sure
No
Nope no tmo just gave it. 26-24 canes conversion to follow. Try is good ya
Canes player did well not to step out there
26-24 conversions poep lol
π
That is a yelliw
that should be red
28 24 canes
Odwa se game is oor buddies.
No arms come in ref
Fuck you ref
And late
@coolfusion (Comment 173) : Nonu?
You protect the player in the air … you protect a kicker … its reckless not even a pebalty
I would fucken walk of the park. That is shocking
Nvm, odwa is kwai, hy bly en dai klong waylon ken maar weer gan sit
What a stupid kick by Cronje
Cards reserved for sharks only probably has their names written on each one…..Damn ref
I remember us getting a card for similar late tackle …… and well done Cronje you stupid twot, give the ball away and let them get more points. Well done!
29-24 2min left and we lose the ball. Kyle nee man. 78th min now
Is Bryce Lawrence making a comeback as a TMO?? Never mind committed where were the arms??
Nothing wrong with Cooper turnover either
I thought Hoffman was the shitest player but he lost his place to that idiot Cronje FFS
amazing refereeing
Ref is winning
Bloody hell. Poor reffing.
Its all over boys. Less then a min left and the canes going to the poles. We might walk away without a point if this boy kicks over
Some of you guys’ communication skills π I have no idea what happened. I dont have a tv to watch.
No this ref is blatanly biased ….. probably the worst I’ve seen. Disgusting that this is allowed still.
Sounds like we are getting royaly screwed over here.
FULL TIME
HURRICANES 32 – 24 SHARKS
All in can say again is fuck you Pollock. You should be ashamed of yourself.
32-24 sorry boys full time. Sharks lose without points, harties coz we deserved to win this game and now we leave with nothing at all
Boys did better today. Cronje still panicking but lots better than Fred of late.
@JarsonX (Comment 191) : Hooker shoulder charged Odwa as he was in the air after kicking. Not even a penalty. Fucken shocking call.
I still feel a lot better with this disply
Rob will communicate what we can’t dr X.
Doos ref!
I still feel a lot better with this display
Much better well done boys! …despite a blatant recless late tackle…try disallowed. ..we did superb…hope that charge is cited for a 4 week ban!
Come on robster find out about bissie and mvovo…they looked very good. Hope all is ok.
Me too fusion, sharks played brilliantly, def better than the canes. In fact even though we lost this game, for the first time this season I can say I’m proud of my boys they really put their hands up.
Anyway much better a Sharks. Cronje just need to stop with the stupid kicks.
JPP absolutely has zero commitment. No one is putting their body on the line. Soft tackles, missed tackles. Wow, these guys are disgusting! Can’t blame John or Gary for this lack of heart. Total rubbish.
Man of the match..hoes to the ref..from a canes perspective..
Both the all blacks in the studio agrees the sharks were robbed
No a few people not putting bodies on the line..not all. JP for sure cooper also we got sharked a bit..started with oosie’s send off.
This was a rugby game – well played Sharks…I can live with losing this way, it showed guts and passion.
Season has been over a few games ago already, so I’m not too hung-up over log points.
Greatshark I understand your frustration I do however have to say the boys weren’t horrible enough to be called disgusting
Just worried about Bissie, Botma and Ungerer. We can’t afford to loose any of them for next week.
Agree..stick. .I always compare them against the last game played and on that score we were definitely not disgusting…
@Bokhoring (Comment 213) : And Mvovo
The heart was there..for most of the team.
@GreatSharksays (Comment 207) : I am going to disagree with you. Couple of poor tackles, but much better in the second half. We actually made the Canes work for their win – even needing Bryce Pollock to get them out of trouble.
Well played boys, but you won’t win games with weak defense. Biggest positive for me was Ungerer – Clean, crisp service. Better than Reinach and Hoffman have been this season in my opinion.
@Ben (Comment 218) : Agree
@Feather (Comment 1) : Well you got your wish
Yes Ungerer and cronje both doing better. Ungerer definetely the future Lionel needs a little refinement but he is exciting. Good call on both Gary John. Let’s face it John is a player first an administrator second I would not expect him to ever remove himself entirely. Take what we feel and times by ten and you probably get his passion for the team. I am happy. Win would have been a bonus but just seeing the whites of their eyes was already a bonus for me.
Well done boys celebrate now you made most of us happy.
@Stiko85 (Comment 212) : JPP is disgusting. Don’t know how many tackles he never even attempted. Only 3 guys at the Sharks know how to nail someone….PSDT, Alberts and Steyn. Bothma, Andre and Marcel are all heart…but technique lets them down, I can still accept that. Everybody else gives out hugs. If a team can’t show commitment on defence it tells me that they are not fully committed. Really time to replace JPP with Sbura.
@coolfusion (Comment 221) : Cronje isn’t perfect but will definitely add more to your attack then Fred. He even has the ability to get the backline moving. He just gets too excited at times and tries all these crazy things on the field. Blame that on a lack of experience. More time on the field and better coaching will allow him to grow into the player I have always thought he is.
@GreatSharksays (Comment 224) : Don’t discount the effects of Ungerer on that backline – mostly clean crisp service…
And hows about Sbu’s ability to bump players…JP on the other hand needs to booked on the first ship leaving for Japan, gutless lazy defense – the laziest player I’ve seen in a long time.
@FireTheLooser (Comment 225) : He clearly had no intentions of tackling Conrad Smith. All he was trying to do was to prevent him from passing. Schoolboy mistake. π
@Ben (Comment 226) : I’m talking about Conrad Smith’s try.
Just a thought…….. Officials have conspired, wittingly or not to deprive the Sharks of 8 points.
The clear forward pass at Loftus by the Bulls and now the try at the Hurricanes.
I’ve only managed to watch the highlights package, and would like to say welcome back Bizzy and FS. In addition welcome to the big time SU, you have a long and bright future.
@GreatSharksays (Comment 223) : i’d like Dan Carter’s opinion on that.
@Ben (Comment 227) : Yet JPP was absolutely brilliant in Odwa’s try and lookout exactly who he ran through,Nonu and Smith.