It’s the last game of the tour and challenges don’t come any bigger than the one in Napier today.
The Sharks are on a high after beating the Blues, but will they come down to earth with a big thump today against the champions?
Kick-off is at 09h35 SA Time.
Hurricanes: 15 Jordie Barrett, 14 Julian Savea, 13 Vince Aso, 12 Ngani Laumape, 11 Ben Lam, 10 Beauden Barrett, 9 TJ Perenara, 8 Gareth Evans, 7 Sam Henwood, 6 Brad Shields (captain), 5 Sam Lousi, 4 Michael Fatialofa, 3 Jeffery Toomaga-Allen, 2 Ricky Riccitelli, 1 Chris Eves.
Replacements: 16 Asafo Aumua, 17 Fraser Armstrong, 18 Ben May, 19 Vaea Fifita, 20 Reed Prinsep, 21 Jamie Booth, 22 Ihaia West, 23 Wes Goosen.
Sharks: 15 Curwin Bosch, 14 Sbu Nkosi, 13 Lukhanyo Am, 12 Andre Esterhuizen, 11 Lwazi Mvovo, 10 Robert du Preez, 9 Louis Schreuder, 8 Tera Mtembu, 7 Jean-Luc du Preez, 6 Philip van der Walt, 5 Stephan Lewies, 4 Ruan Botha (captain), 3 Thomas du Toit, 2 Chiliboy Ralepelle, 1 Beast Mtawarira.
Replacements: 16 Franco Marais, 17 Juan Schoeman, 18 John-Hubert Meyer, 19 Hyron Andrews, 20 Tyler Paul, 21 Cameron Wright, 22 Marius Louw, 23 Kobus van Wyk.
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Not Easy at all – but excited my two favorite Super Rugby teams – My Heart will always go to The Sharks!!! Lets do this boys!!! 😉
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Looking forward to the 10 Battle!
Why are we using the box kick as our exit when we have a kicker like Bosch?
Hurricanes at a different level to the Sharks – incredible how they keep the ball alive.
The only thing worse than the brainlessness of our attack is the cluelessness of our defence. 🙄
And just as I say this Am scores 😆
Sharks 10 – Canes 12 (21 min)
Try to Am. 12-10 Canes lead
Much better exit this time
Much better exit from the restart
Great break by AE! Mvovs almost scores against the post.
Andre slices the Canes defense. Sharks get a 5m scrum.
LS scores – Sharks in front
From the attacking scrum Schreuder breaks and scores.
17-12 Sharks
Where has the Sharks of the past 10 mins been all season????
Glimpses of good attacking play from the Sharks
Canes score on the other side after Mvovo cannot hold onto a pass in the Canes 22
And then an error by Mvovs in the Canes 22 and we’re back behind our posts.
Shroeder looked to have picked up an injury. Is Claasens fit to deputize against the Bulls next week if Louis is out?
@Bokhoring (Comment 16) : Mvovs hardly ever catches those short passes because he almost always recieves man and ball simultaneously
That looks like a try to me
Am scores number 2. Great pass by AE leads to a break by Bosch!
Second for Am – he is on fire today. Rassie should look no further than Andre and Am as his Bok centres
27-19 Sharks lead after 36 minutes. Who would have thought?
Guys have showed up today and that means more than anything to me atm
@Bokhoring (Comment 23) : Not me, that’s for sure. 😯
Hope the Sharks do not show the post half-time slump today
1st to score in the 2nd half takes the game IMO.
Beast is running like a teenager
@Quintin (Comment 27) : good news is you have a 50% chance to be correct 😉
What a first half. Now to go all the way.
@The hound (Comment 28) : Thomas really putting in some good runs though. Possession, line/tackle breaks, penalties won, we lead with most of the stats, and it reflects on the scoreboard.
Anyone else notice(hard not to) the loud siren going off when Rob kicks for poles? Very unsportsmanlike from their fans.
The scrum is not dominant but at least it is holding up today
Really impressive…just so chuffed with what I’m seeing…
@Quintin (Comment 31) : the crowd is terrible, but the commentators are the opposite again. They appreciate the good rugby from both sides.
We had 72% possession and 63% territory. We need to finish off much better and our defence will have to improve big time in the second half.
@pastorshark (Comment 33) : Agreed, I just hope we keep the scoreboard ticking now as these NZ teams can score 2 tries on the bounce in a couple of minutes. I a couple of unlucky passes went to hand we might have been further ahead.
@Quintin (Comment 31) : yep heard it too, very much a WeePee or Bulls idiot crowd
@Quintin (Comment 36) : Yup…but the guys have given us what we asked for: more good rugby like last week even if we lose…
Now let’s win this…
Canes takes the kick for poles rather than the corner
Not the best start. Some pretty loose passing and kicking.
Ref does not allow counter rucking
so bloody squif, how can that kinda thing not be called by the linesman. It’s straight up cheating
@Bokhoring (Comment 41) : Also missed a knock by the restart receiver
Four penalties against us already
@Mephisto_Shark (Comment 42) : 2 may as well have passed straight to 9
I just don’t get in this day and age how blatant stuff gets overlooked, even the damn commentators are calling out the bullshit
Great pressure on the box kick by Botha
I promised not to say anything about refs this year…
….
…
…
…
…so there!
@pastorshark (Comment 48) : God knows what you’re thinking 😆
Rob has now managed 20 consecutive kicks at goal in one stretch
@Spirit of Rugby (Comment 49) :
I’ll apologise to him later… 
Some sublime offloads by the Sharks. Totally different team on attack from the one in Australia
We butchered a try there!!!! Massive lineup to the right and Beast tries to dive over the ruck!
Mthembu must come off
Massive let-off for the Canes. No man!!!
@Bokhoring (Comment 52) : Given the criticism of our coaching team after the games in Aus, I do hope there are at least some compliments after what we’re seeing here…
Really need to use our tall guys in the lineouts, Tera is not a solid option there at all 👿
@The hound (Comment 54) : Ja, two huge errors in a row.
Sharks making three crucial mistakes in a row. Need to be more accurate
Another one
And another massive error between Bosch and van Wyk!
You need to take your chances against the Canes
If we can’t score in the next 5 minutes we’re going to struggle
Off feet and our ruck had formed, wtf
Ref single handily keeping Canes in the game
@Mephisto_Shark (Comment 64) : That is totally ridiculous
The ref is kak but we’re our own worst enemies
Nah this is becoming a farce of penalties and we are not at fault. Fucking refs once again
Very suspicious turnover to the Canes
Excellent steal by Botha!
Rob jar magnificent
And now a crucial steal by Rob du Preez!
Regardless of the refs attempts the Sharks still lead after 67 minutes
We better get out of our half. I can’t see it going on like this without a Canes score
The rush defense is going to cost us the game. No one on wing.
Coach takes of Ginger and leaves Tera – nuts
@osbal (Comment 75) : And nobody contesting rucks
@Spirit of Rugby (Comment 77) : If you do the ref blows you
@Bokhoring (Comment 78) : Ginger did go off his feet, though.
30-28 after 72 minutes
@Spirit of Rugby (Comment 77) : For fuck sake post something positive, best game of the year and all you can do is point out mistakes
Sharks score after great run from Bosch
Great break by Bosch!!!!!
@The hound (Comment 81) : Just pointing out not fucking EVERYTHING is the ref’s fault
Tyler Paul scores
Take that ref, you can’t kill today’s spirit you twat! 😀
37-28 flawless kicking display from Rob
@The hound (Comment 81) : Brilliant rugby…pity we couldn’t score with those opportunities around the 60 minute mark, but I have few complaints. Let’s give it everything for the last 5…
Jaaaaaa
That’s not high! Useless ref!!
Ref manufacturing one penalty after the other
@Spirit of Rugby (Comment 90) : Much much better 😉 😉 😉 😉
2 minutes to go
How Long???
My nerves!
Bullshit ref
we had 3 turnovers in all that, ref keeps eyes shut
I’m not going to say anything about the ref!
I’m not going to say anything about the ref!
I’m not going to say anything about the ref!
I’m not going to say anything about the ref!
I’m not going to say anything about the ref!
IS this play until they score and if they cock up penalise us?
gonna go til they win, only way they can win by cheating
After much assistance from this ref the Canes eventually score
Fucking blew it.
As shit as this ref is, why did we simply allow them ruck after ruck in their 22 until they found space on the left to break out??
Dunno how that kind of thing can stay unchallenged in this game, it’s pathetic
@Bokhoring (Comment 101) : Ja, after refreshing my 3 different browsers constantly I just saw that happening.
Canes did not deserve this win
@Bokhoring (Comment 101) : Very dubious penalties at the end in favour of the canes. In the last 10min 4 of their players just got up after being tackled and just kept going. Great show by the boys
It’s not like we haven’t seen this before. There are so many expletives going through my head but what can we do, the short answer is nothing. I’ll watch those last 7 minutes when I get home though and then get really pissed…
Another fucking Australian piece of shit ref.
@pastorshark (Comment 98) : Here, I’ll say it for you : He won them the game, period. Oh ja, and he’s a doos!
@Bokhoring (Comment 109) : What did they offer him – free range of the sheep paddock for a week?
It’s enough to make me not even bother watching because how how how can a team win going off biased calls. I don’t give a fuck if someone says life’s not fair, it’s a damn professional sport, fairness is all anyone wants ffs 👿
@Bokhoring (Comment 109) : It’s total bullshit like this that still happens in the ‘professional’ game that makes you wonder how ‘professional’ it really is…
@Bokhoring (Comment 111) : And in about a week he’ll come out saying some shit like, “the yellow card was a mistake, sorry”. That does f*ck all once the game’s over.
Sharks can feel proud as all biltong, they really gave their all for us and it’s appreciated. That was your win guys, Canes should have points stripped imo and ref should be banned like players are. Over it.
Canes keep taking out Sharks defenders all evening – nothing. Ginger takes out a Canes pillar – penalty. Botha grabs a ball at a ruck – penalty. Canes come over ruck and grabs ball from Cam – penalty Canes.
Totally inconsistent
Anyone know the penalty count?
Well done Sharks – best game from them all year. Keep building
@Mephisto_Shark (Comment 115) : Still it must be very demotivating to the players. You give your all and should win the match, and this cheat hands it to the other team
Victory in defeat, one of the best Sharks performance ever.
This was the Hurricanes at home ,and they needed an Aussie sand paper merchant to win it for them.
Any of the ridiculous comments about our defence coach this week, look pretty lame now.
Thought that our kicking not only at posts but,Bosch’s kick offs put us in another league.
Well done Braam.
As I haven’t watched the game, but rather read it and if the ref was really that crap, it’s going to be fun reading Robs follow up article whilst he attempts to remove his true feelings regarding the officiating.
@Bokhoring (Comment 116) : Even the commenters on Stuff’s live commentary reckon Nic Berry gave the game to the Canes
@Bokhoring (Comment 119) : I know yeah, it has me gutted and I’m just a supporter! As long as the team knows what they achieved and what it means to their fans and that it was a blatant cheat who stole their victory, they can go places. Don’t let the negative bullshit get into your heads, focus on the positives of which there were many
@The hound (Comment 120) : As much as the performance was good e have conceded 1 tries in 2 games, hardly anythign for the defense coach to be proud of. That said these last 2 games on tour have shown very promising aspects of the Sharks play, now can they continue it when they get back to Kings Park is the question…
@The hound (Comment 120) : did you miss the 3 simple tries we conceded in the first half, Hound?
You could tell as soon as the second half started that the ref was pushing for a canes victory, what’s the point in saying the sharks missed opportunities, cause every team always misses opportunities. That was a total stitch up
@Mephisto_Shark (Comment 123) : Blatant cheating can have a demoralizing effect. You put everything into it, feel that you deserve it 100% and then you lose because the ref told you to.
@robdylan (Comment 125) : Did you miss the New Zealand commentators raving about the Sharks massive defence, thiis Hurricanes team ihas the best attack record in the competition ,maybe you missed it they are on the top of the log with 23 points.and most of their games have been against other New Zealand teams.
Hell what a game .
Give credit where its dues sick of the constant negative niggling on this site.
@RuckingFun (Comment 126) : Agreed. Could clearly see a difference in the 2nd half from him. What’s frustrating is that even if they review his performance and suspend him for it, the result will still stand.
@The hound (Comment 128) : I for one am very happy about our progress. We played a game – that very few gave us a chance in at all – with a lot of enterprise and commitment. We outplayed the Competition favourites for most of the game, created chances, scored tries and looked good in a lot of areas. Yes, we also left chances out there and didn’t have the accuracy and composure to benefit from a five minute period where we should have scored three times and instead didn’t score at all. But despite that we would still have won the gone but for…shall I say “matters beyond our control.” I am disappointed that we didn’t close it out despite that, I’m peeved about more lost points…but I am,super chuffed about all the positive developments in our play and looking forward to the rest of the season.
I also think the Sharks need to hear from us supporters that we love what we’re seeing!!! Go Sharks!!
@pastorshark (Comment 130) : From your lips to God’s ears.
We won’t face a harder game than this the whole year,-and you put that in the memory bank its a potent motivator.
Players left everything out there today and we still can get better,
Add Dan to the mix and if we keep Jean luc and Andre Eesterhuizen fit , withguys like Akker,Beast,Thomas all firing this could still be the dream team.