Chiefs narrowly beat brave Sharks

The score-line reflects the tight nature of a match that the Sharks came close to winning and the squad will return home with a bitter sweet feeling after a fairly successful tour.

Sharks fans will have feared the worst when the Chiefs opened the scoring in just the second minute of the game. Chiefs outside centre Seta Tamanivalu made a clean line break off a lineout to score under the posts signalling the hosts’ intent.

Things settled down somewhat as Sharks flyhalf Garth April and his opposite number Aaron Cruden traded penalties before the 20 minute mark. The Chiefs set the tone on attack while the Sharks tackled manfully but struggled to put phases together.

With the pressure firmly on the Sharks, the Chiefs struck again, capitalising on possession deep in the visitors half. A long pass saw Chiefs eighthman Michael Leitch in the corner for the Chiefs second, which Cruden couldn’t convert.

The Sharks regrouped after that try and built up some pressure on attack. With a lineout deep in Chiefs territory, the Sharks set up a well-worked driving maul that saw hooker Kyle Cooper dive over to make it 15-10.

Play seesawed for the next ten minutes as the sides jostled for territory in a bit of aerial ping-pong. But the Sharks managed to build up some pressure on attack, which led to their second try.

April produced a moment of individual magic, jinking past Cruden then side-stepping Damien McKenzie to get over for his first Super Rugby try. Unable to add the extras, the sides went into the shed tied up at 15-all.

The second half served up more of the same but with fewer points on the board. Both sides kicked far more as they looked to play rugby in their opponents half.

The Chiefs sustained pressure on the Sharks for extended periods with the ball in hand, choosing to run it whenever they could. The visitors’ resolute defence was too tough to crack and Cruden’s boot kept the scoreboard ticking with three penalties in the second half.

With less than ten minutes to go, the Sharks managed to score their third try of the evening. This time round, Cooper’s replacement Chiliboy Ralepelle rumbled over at the back of a driving maul to put the Sharks with two points of the hosts.

The Chiefs managed to pin the Sharks back in their own half to shut out the game. As hard as they tried to get over the whitewash, the Sharks proved why they're rated the best defensive outfit in the tournament as they held out wave after wave of attack.

Although victory eluded them, the Sharks will return to Durban for a home clash against the Hurricanes knowing that they can hold out New Zealand team’s attack. 

Another positive taken from the tour will be the emergence of April as a genuine prospect. The 24-year-old flyhalf produced two stellar performances in his starts on tour and controlled the Sharks game plan well.

With Pat Lambie set to make his return after a lengthy injury layoff, April and Joe Pietersen will be vying for a spot as his first choice replacement. That is good news for the Sharks squad as they look for some crucial wins to get back into contention for a playoff spot.

Twitter - @gazza_jenks @ECRSportswave 

Facebook - ECRSportswave