Match Details
| Sharks (SA) |
VS |
Chiefs (NZ) |
|
47 |
Kick off times:
7:10pm
(Local) Sat 17 May
3:10am
(AEST) Sun 18 May
|
25 |
|
The Sharks have booked their place in the semi-finals of the Super 14 after an emphatic 47-25 victory over the Chiefs in Durban on Sunday morning (Australian time).
Needing to win either with a bonus point or by an 18-point margin to overhaul the Hurricanes and Stormers respectively, the hosts set the Absa Stadium alight with a seven-tries-to-three rout of their New Zealand rivals and will now face a semi-final meeting with the Waratahs next week.
After a slow start they had a golden opportunity to score inside the opening minutes following a good spell of pressure, but Bradley Barritt knocked on a Rory Kockott pass when put through with the line at his mercy.
Adrian Jacobs then made a try-saving tackle on Chiefs fly-half Stephen Donald after 13 minutes as the visitors were forced to sit back and hit their hosts on the counter.
Kockott and Ryan Kankowski then combined well as the former's breakaway run ended with the latter offloading to JP Pietersen, who could only knock the ball on 10 metres out as another good chance went begging.
Two minutes later however, Ruan Pienaar was quick to spot a hole in the Chiefs' defence and capitalised by barging his way over to give his side the first score, with Kockott adding the extra two points.
With 25 minutes gone, the hosts doubled their lead with a fine breakaway score after Callum Bruce failed to control the ball close to the Sharks' line allowing Pienaar to steal in.
The tricky No.10 darted 15 metres, before threading his kick forward with Jacques Botes and then Odwa Ndungane handling the ball well and laying off for Jacobs to carry the ball over - Kockott adding the extra two points.
Faifili Levave responded for the Chiefs just after the half-hour mark when the big loose forward picked up on a Donald pass and forced his way over in the corner.
However, the Sharks extended their lead five minutes before half-time when Stefan Terblanche's up-and-under was not properly dealt with by the Chiefs defence and Barritt laid the ball on for Bismarck du Plessis to race over.
Kockott again converted the extra two points as the Sharks ended the half in the ascendancy, 21-8 up, knowing that one more try would give them the semi-final-clinching bonus point.
But the Chiefs had other ideas and started the second half with a bang as New Zealand centre Mils Muliaina made the most of a 10-phase Chiefs move by hitting the pace and running over in the right-hand corner.
Donald kicked the conversion, before adding a further penalty as the visitors moved to within three points of the Sharks, who were given a real scare.
Steven Sykes then gave his side some real breathing space by claiming the all-important fourth try - picking up a nicely timed pass from Bismarck du Plessis inside the 22 on the left - to give the Sharks a bonus point.
Kockott's fourth conversion out of four restored the lead to 10 points and it was out to 17 on the hour mark, when Kankowski ended a flowing move by carrying over Jacobs' pass, with the Sharks scrum-half adding his fifth two-pointer.
Minutes later Kankowski added a sixth try after Jean Deysel stole the ball in his own 22 and played a good move with Pienaar, who offloaded to the big No.8 giving him his second try.
After yet another Kockott conversion, Ndungane completed the scoring for the hosts, before Viliame Waqaseduadua claimed a consolation try at the death.
Sharks 47
Tries: Kankowsi 2, du Plessis, Sykes, Pienaar, Jacobs, Ndungane
Conversions: Kockott 6
Chiefs 25
Tries: Levave, Muliaina, Waqaseduadua
Conversions: Donald 2
Penalties: Donald 2
